Christians around the world have spent a lot of time over the last few weeks pondering the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ death and resurrection (and here at the Bible Gateway blog, we spent plenty of time discussing them too). During Easter week, we read the familiar stories of the Triumphal Entry, the Last Supper, the crucifixion… and then with the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, the story ends. Right?

Not quite. While the Gospels of Matthew and Mark end shortly after the Resurrection, Luke and John provide extra detail about what Jesus did during the time between his resurrection and his ascent into heaven. If your Gospel reading stopped at the Resurrection, you’re missing out on several interesting stories.

Luke and John both describe at length Jesus’ post-Resurrection appearances to his followers. (Mark mentions these briefly as well.) Jesus’ appearance before “doubting Thomas” and the other disciples (in John and in Luke) are well known and contain a number of little details. For instance, Jesus appeared “when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders”—a minor sentence, but one that communicates the terror and bewilderment that must have plagued the disciples in the immediate aftermath of Jesus’ crucifixion. If you had been one of Jesus’ disciples, what might you have done in this situation—reeling from the death of your teacher, fearing for your life, and wondering if everything you believed in was really true?

The Gospel of Luke also describes an encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus. With tantalizing but confused rumors of the empty tomb still spreading, Jesus appears in disguise to a pair of his followers. After visiting with and teaching them for some time, Jesus reveals himself in a beautifully-described scene:

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

The Gospel of John provides a few more memorable stories. First, Jesus (again, unrecognized at first) performs his last recorded miracle, overwhelming the disciples’ fishing nets with a huge catch. Shortly thereafter is the moving story of Peter’s reinstatement. Peter, who had denied knowing Jesus three times during his master’s trial, is questioned by Jesus… three times. It is during this questioning that Jesus gives Peter the famous charge to “Feed my sheep.”

Matthew and Mark both close with the “Great Commission,” Jesus’ instructions to his disciples to go out into the world and spread the good news of salvation:

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV)

This passage has long been the basis of the Christian emphasis on sharing the Gospel with the world through evangelism and missionary work.

Mark and Luke describe Jesus’ departure from earth into heaven, “taken up into heaven” after speaking to his disciples a final time.

It’s clear from the Gospel accounts that the story of Jesus reaches its culmination with the Resurrection. But the tidbits we do get about the post-Resurrection days not only satisfy some of our curiousity about how Jesus’ Resurrection was received by his followers, but also give us the evangelistic direction that guides Christ-followers to this day.

(see original link here)

If you ever got the chance to watch The Passion of the Christ, you can hardly consider the day of the crucifixion and label it "good."  Can you imagine standing next to Mary and greeting her with, "Have a good day?"  That's more insensitive than a good-willed friend who greets a widow in a funeral, whispering, "Don't be sad.  He's in a better place now."

Yet we *can* label it Good Friday.  While the event in and of itself is tragic, for almost two thousand years, in the context of Easter Sunday--Resurrection Sunday to be more exact--gives us the greater context to label it good, because through it,

God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we still sinners, Christ died for us.  

 

Here's a brief Youtube.com clip with music:  

 

For the more cerebral, you may like this video: http://youtu.be/T-EVfxABSoU

 

And for those who may not make it to church this Sunday, here's a sermon I preached on the day of my daughter's birth, Alissa, who was born on Easter Sunday, and became an immeasurable blessing to us in the midst of incredible difficulty.

 

 

This song is a "battle hymn of the republic" for men to stand up. 

I didn't like it at first, until I read the lyrics carefully.

It became quite a powerful call to true manhood.

A preacher once said, "The measure of a man is seen in the countenance of his wife."

Lord, may you guide me to become the man I ought to be, for my wife, my children...my world.

 

The Daily Word for an SAT app, which I got for my daughter but I'm using, was the word, PENITENCE.  The definition caught my attention, "Sorrow for sin with a desire to amend and to atone."  

Honestly, the Bible passage below wasn't the first thing that came to mind.  Can you believe that the first thought that came to mind was the TV Show, "My Name is Earl?" Jason Lee plays a bad boy who wins $100,000 in the lottery and uses it to make good (atone) for all the wrongs he had done in his life.  If you've seen the show, it is "purty darn funny," but no parallel to the Christian virtue of...penitence.

 

 

While in seminary, I was working part-time at a YMCA after-school program for...surprise...3rd and 4th graders.  I remember this bouncing-off-the-wall-sugar-high precocious 8-yr old, whenever called on, would immediately say,"I'm sorry," and calm down.  Such a good listener!  So, I thought.  Pretty soon, I noticed that every time I called her name, "Brittney!"  Her response was the same.  "Sorry!"

"What are you sorry about?" I inquired.

"I dunno," with both palms upraised. 

LOL!  Sometimes, adults do the same.  Look at athletes who apologize, yet they don't even say sorry.  What's the word they use instead?  "I regret that..."  Like the Rihanna's Take a Bow song, "Don't say you're sorry when you're not; and baby when I know you're only sorry you got caught."

I may be murdering the English language, or splicing it to my convenience, but for the sake of simplicity, but I've differentiated three kinds of "I'm sorry" in my life.  

• Regret--"I'm sorry I got caught;  I'm sorry I hurt you.  My bad...."
• Repentance--"I'm truly sorry.  I repent before God and ask for your forgiveness."
• Penitence--see Matthew 3:8 below (in it's narrow context of true repentance); see SAT word above.

Can you add other distinctions?  Feel free to comment.   

Matthew 3:1-11

 ¹ In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” ³This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

   “A voice of one calling in the desert, 
‘Prepare the way for the Lord, 
   make straight paths for him.’”

 ⁴ John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. ⁶ Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

 ⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 

⁸ Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 

⁹ And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

 ¹¹ “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹² His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

 

 

 

 

April 15th shall forever live in infamy for every tax-paying citizen.

(except this year, b/c it's 4/18)

For those who had to write a big check to Uncle Sam today, they struggle between cursing the wind or counting their blessings that they make enough to actually have to pay tax.  Some get upset at the thought having their hard-earned money be wasted on pork-barrel spending; those with a glass-half-full-mindset, rejoice and are thankful that they have job (10% don't), make enough to provide for their family and afford the luxuries of the American dream.  

Even those who got a big tax refund--while drooling at the prospect of buying the iPad2 or Motorola Xoom--realize that the state&federal government got an 0% interest loan from them.  Underpay the gov't, and WHAM!  They get charged interest and penalties, which, when totaled together, is worse than the Pay-Day loan companies or pawn shops you see strewn along dilapidated streets and shuttered shops downtown.  

Unlike the 48% of American who don't pay tax, back in Jesus' time, you HAD to pay tax.  You exist; you pay.  If you think the US Government is wasteful and corrupt, a cursory knowledge of ancient Roman history will allay any notion that the US is the worst.

What does Jesus have to say about taxes?  Mark 12:13-17 says, 

 ¹³ Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. ¹⁴ They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? ¹⁵ Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

   But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” ¹⁶ They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?”

   “Caesar’s,” they replied.  ¹⁷ Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”  And they were amazed at him.

In short, pay your taxes.  A wise preacher once said, "April 15th is one the days that Christians are put to the test--their honesty and integrity, their ethics and morality--to see whether their profession of faith is exercised in their fair payment of taxes."  (I don't quite recall, but the preacher's name started with a C, and his last name started with a C as well).   

Notice that the context of the question was to trap Jesus.  It was an either/or proposition.  The either/or is hinted in Jesus' reply to them.  Do you see it?  "Give to Caesar........and to God...."  Later in the same chapter, Jesus conveys what He means in vv. 41-43, in the NIV Translation;

 ⁴¹ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. ⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

 

Here's the CJV Translation.  So, Jesus and his "posse" were loitering, like teens in front of 7-11 or Waffle House.  After a time, Jesus yells, "Check her out!"  His crew looks around, hoping to see a hot chick--amongst the corpulent and opulent crowd.  "No, no, no, check *her* out!  That old lady in raggedy clothes.  She only put in a few coins but gave more than all the others.  They gave God the leftovers; she gave all the money she had to live on for that day (the copper coins would have allowed her to buy bread for one meal).  

The same preacher also said, "When filling out the tax deductions, the primacy and honor of God is measured when you are ready to input the amount given, as totaled up in your church giving statement.  The people at the temple gave out of their wealth.  In your wealth, have you put in only a few copper coins?" 

The moral of the story isn't pay your taxes to the government, and give your 10% to God.  The emphasis of the story isn't the government at all but God.  Glorify God by honestly paying your taxes; and glorify God by giving sacrificially and joyfully (2 Corinthians 9:6-8) to Him.  To the 10% unemployed nationally, a tithe may be untenable.  For those with gainful employment, a tithe may be a leftover.  (And please understand that the tithe is definitely NOT a Christian tax to the church!  It's a point of reference, not a rule).  

The call to give to God what is God's is different for every individual, but the sacrificial nature is the same for every Christian.  Every April 15th, while it may be an annual day infamy to many, let it be an annual day of testing (of our hearts) to believers.     

May the Lord bless you this day,

 

CJ

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again,

Long time since I blogged here.  Now that I have more time on my hands, perhaps I'll get back to the practice.

It's not easy to say this, but the fact is that I've been laid off from church due to financial constraints.  This isn't an April Fool's joke, but quite real.

While I must admit I was shocked and shook up in the prospect of becoming a "Free Agent," I am now looking forward to the future with much anticipation...and a little anxiety.  Like a preacher once said, "God often closes a good door in order to open a better one."  Pithy...rings hollow to the one affected...but I believe that will be true.

One blessing thus far has been that the weight and burden of ministry has been lifted off my shoulders.  I sleep better and I wake up with a spring in my step.  When I consider all the myriad of things that sapped my vibrancy and joy, it becomes clear that they were peripheral, ephemeral and non-essential.

Another blessing has been the ability to visit other churches!  One church we visited last week was such a contrast to what I've been used to, but man!  the excellence of multimedia--the video, skit, AV system, supporting video illustrations--and..most of all...the print media for new visitors was an eye opener.  While the preaching was not Reformed in theology, the passion to seek and save the lost was apparent.  I did fill out the visitor card, but as of today, I have not been contacted via email, phone, mail...nada, zilch.   Hmmm....Someone in the Welcoming Ministry has dropped the ball.      

While the reality of not having a viable means to provide for my family looms, it is an opportunity to trust in God for all his provisions.  Also, in the lean season, it is an opportunity to evaluate what are necessities, and what are luxuries; what activities are productive and what are counter.  And the most difficult task of all: what are my transferable skills in the market place?  Geez...I'm competing with much better qualified 20-somethings.  I don't think *I* would hire me for the jobs I'm looking at!

So far, if I had to choose a career today, I'd have to choose....wait for it....life insurance salesman.  How stereotypical.  Ugh!  I may be going from "selling" eternal life for free, to selling "death" insurance for a fee.  My dream job would be an executive/managerial level position, making enough to make ends meet.  Or should I say, miracle job, but it's in the realm of the possible.

In the realm of the probable--car salesman, insurance, ....,  ...., ....., I'm still thinking, hold on.

Oh yeah!  Another blessing is that I get to attend ALL of my son's baseball games in this weekend's tournament.  On Sundays, that wasn't possible for many years, but in this brief season of my life, I can plop a folding chair, sit at the edge with anticipation, as he gets ready to hit in the box, and..."clack!" see a hard liner in the gap for a double or triple.  It is in those moments, when I glory in my son, that I get a glimpse of God's heart as a Father, who gloried in His Son.  It is a privileged glimpse that only a father could fathom, and ever so slightly understand how "God is most glorified in us, when are most satisfied in Him" (John Piper).  

To God be the glory!