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Looking At God - devotional and inspirational articles
What did Jesus have to say about his dying on the cross? An Easter Meditation Location: Golgotha More than conquerors – the dying Scotsman 10 ways to read the Bible Worship and technology Jesus – why should he be the ultimate figure, in all history, for us to follow?
What did Jesus have to say about his dying on the cross? We begin in Luke, when Jesus had just come back from his time of temptation in the wilderness. He began to teach in the synagogues of Galilee, where the people heard him gladly. One day he stood up and read these words from the prophet Isaiah:
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners And recovery of sight for the blind, To release the oppressed, To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. (Luke 4:18, 19)
Jesus knew that his mission was not of himself, but from God:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16, 17)
Jesus was clear who he was and what he could offer to people:
I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)
I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Jesus was clear that he would have a personal relationship with those who responded to him.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…. I know my sheep and my sheep know me. (John 10: 11, 14)
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener…. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (John 15: 1, 4)
Jesus makes clear that anyone who accepts him has a wonderful future. On the last night before he died, he reassured his disciples:
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me. (John 14: 1 – 3)
We can rejoice that we have a God who reaches out to us in love, and who says to each one of us:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11: 28, 29)
This Lent, then, let’s remember the real, historical Jesus who did all that for us.
An Easter Meditation: I have gotten me Christ and Christ has gotten me the victory!
In the New Testament the resurrection of Jesus is presented as a historical fact. He did rise from the grave on that first Easter morning.
The four evangelists, and Paul, carefully lay out the evidence. They record for us the details of the empty tomb, the names of those who visited it, the various appearances of the risen Jesus and how he was seen by more than five hundred witnesses. But the New Testament tells us more than that.
It tells us, not only of the power of God that raised Jesus from the grave (e.g. Romans 1:4) but also of that same power being invested in the Church. Christians are new people! We are ‘made alive’ in our Risen Head (Ephesians 1:1). His victory has become our victory! As Jesus promised: ‘Because I live, you will also live’ (John 14:19).
Until our Lord returns again, Christians will die physically but their victory over death is already guaranteed. As Paul demonstrates in 1 Corinthians 15, death is ‘swallowed up in victory’! Death’s sting is abolished! And so Paul proclaims our victory anthem. ‘Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (vv.55-57)!
Down through two thousand years Christ’s people have lived in that glorious victory. One example was Donald Cargill (1619-1681). Cargill was a Presbyterian minister and a Covenanter in the years known in Scotland’s history as ‘the killing times.’ The Covenanters opposed all attempts by the English parliament to impose Episcopacy on Scotland. With other Covenanters Cargill strongly denounced the immorality and irreligion of the court of King Charles II. Hundreds of Covenanters were imprisoned and many were executed, both men and women.
Cargill’s fearless itinerant preaching made him a marked man. He moved from place to place, preaching in cottages, fields and town squares, protected by loyal friends. Then in July 1681 he was arrested and imprisoned. The outcome of his trial was never in question. The government of the day was determined to silence this influential ‘rebel.’ He was sentenced for execution on July 27th that year.
On the scaffold in Edinburgh he spoke to the large crowd that had come to support him. “I climb this ladder,” he declared, “with less fear than ever I entered a pulpit to preach.” Then raising his eyes to a blue July sky over his beloved Scotland, he cried out: “I have gotten me Christ and Christ has gotten me the victory.” The blade fell and the brave soul of Donald Cargill joined the martyrs who lived and died in the victory of the Risen Christ.
Thanks be to God indeed! That glorious victory is not only for all the brave martyrs but for all of us who belong to Christ. Death is defeated. The grave is conquered. Christ lives for ever in the power of an endless life. And we live in Him! We can all say: ‘I have gotten me Christ and Christ has gotten me the victory.’
By Dr Herbert McGonigle, Senior Lecturer in Historical Theology & Church History, Nazarene Theological College, Manchester.
SERMON NOTEBOOK - “Location, Location, Location” Golgotha: Matthew 27: 32-56 All of the gospels agree that Jesus’ crucifixion took place at Golgotha (The Place of the Skull), situated just outside the western wall of Jerusalem. While possibly referring to the shape of the hill, its name reminds us that this was primarily a place of execution. Despite being a place of horrific death, it also speaks of a unique turning point in history.
The place where accident and design converged From one perspective the cross can be interpreted as the tragic martyrdom of an innocent man. After a travesty of a trial Jesus was crucified as a common criminal. However, Jesus repeatedly warned his followers that all of this would take place. As the true ‘King of the Jews’ (37), God’s saving purpose and love lay behind his death. * Spend time considering what this truth means for you personally?
The place where evil and good clashed The darkness over the land (45) reveals a cosmic battle taking place in this event between good and evil. As Jesus took our sin upon himself (cf 1 Peter 2:24), he was separated from his Father (46). The tearing of the Temple curtain into two (51) shows how Jesus secured access for all into God’s presence. * Where do we need to receive Christ’s forgiveness in our lives?
The place where defeat and victory coincided To many witnesses Jesus’ life appeared to end in utter, abject failure. However, the centurion saw something different: ‘Surely he was the Son of God’ (54). The breaking open of the tombs (anticipating the resurrection), affirms Jesus’ victory over sin, death and Satan. * In what areas are we feeling defeated in our spiritual lives?
‘God made a show of the powers of evil and darkness and at Calvary he put them to rout.’ (James Stewart).
MORE THAN CONQUERORS Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).
That one sentence summarises the whole life and death and resurrection of our Lord.
He came into our world to save sinners – a wonderful, simple, clear and glorious gospel.
This sentence from Paul is vividly illustrated by James Stalker (1848-1927), a Scottish scholar and university lecturer. One of the outstanding evangelical preachers of his day, Stalker published two very famous books, the Life of Christ and the Life of St Paul. He followed this up some years later with an extended treatment of Christ’s last days on earth; The Trial and Death of Jesus Christ. Subtitled ‘A Devotional History of our Lord’s Passion,’ it is a scholarly, exegetical and devotional account of the last week of Christ’ life. In the book Stalker relates how Paul’s words were illustrated in an incident that happened many years earlier.
While he was a student at Edinburgh University, he went one day to visit a man who was dying in early life. This man had also been an Edinburgh student and had graduated with great academic distinction. He had gone to teach in a colonial university and in a few years was made a professor. His academic prospects looked brilliant and then, suddenly, he was struck down with an incurable disease. He came back home to Scotland to die.
On the day that Stalker visited the dying man, some other friends had come to take him for a drive in a carriage. On the return journey, he asked Stalker to sit beside him. He said the other friends had been very kind and had read to him long passages from Thomas Carlyle’s celebrated book, Sartor Resartus. “But,” said the dying man, “I am so awfully tired of it.” This outstanding scholar was a great admirer of the book, but now, with death not far away, he wanted something better.
Stalker tells how the sick man looked him straight in the eye and began to repeat with great solemnity, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” Then he added with great simplicity: “There is nothing else of any use to me now.”
The great literature of the world has much to teach us but the Bible is in a class by itself. The Bible alone tells us that God loved us and sent his Son Jesus Christ to die for us. As Dr Stalker pointed out, the dying man was a great literary expert but as he neared death, he turned again to the Bible. In his own words, nothing else was of any use as he faced the grave. And how appropriate was the passage he quoted from memory! ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners …’ In living and in dying, the gospel of Calvary is still ‘the old, old story, of Jesus and his love.’
10 ways to read the Bible How well do you know your Bible? If you would like to know it better, but find it daunting, here are some tips to get you started:
1. Study with others Find a friend or two and agree to read the same section of the Bible each week. Make notes, and when you meet for coffee, be that weekly or whatever, chat about what you have read. Try it!
2. Fall in love See the Bible for what it really is: a love letter from God to you. Start with the gospels or the Psalms and make your reading a dialogue with him. When you read a verse that touches you, tell him. Worship him as you go along. If you can’t understand something, stop and tell him. And so on.
3. Write your own Bible Read a passage and then try saying the same thing in your own words.
4. Use a system There are some excellent daily Bible reading notes around – sample a few and see how you get on. Any Christian bookshop will stock them.
5. Verse on the move When you read, be on the lookout for a verse or verses that mean something special to you in your situation. Copy them out onto a card, and carry them about with you. Memorise them. Let them sink into your soul.
6. Respond in your own way If a passage moves you, draw a picture of it, write a poem about it, or create a dance inspired by it.
7. Create a sense of place Sometimes having a set place in which to meet God can help us. A certain chair, the kitchen table, whatever. You can enhance this with an icon or candles – anything to help focus you down on the spiritual side of things.
8. Vive la difference Vary the way you read the Bible. Sometimes, read a whole book through at once. Other times, follow a character like David or Peter. Or, with the help of a concordance, work on a biblical theme such as gentleness, grace, prayer, or whatever.
9. Be honest about yourself When are you most alert? Give that time of day to God. Don’t give God the part of the day when you are at your most sleepiest.
10. Listen You can listen to the Bible – ask for tapes or CDs at your Christian bookshop.
Worship and technology One of the characteristics of our age is the advance of technology, which permeates almost every aspect of our lives. Probably your grandparents’ house had one electric motor in it: the vacuum cleaner; how many are there in your house? With this revolution has come the idea that anything is and should be possible.
But not everything will be desirable, and may not benefit people in other parts of the world. The worship of technology has meant that bigger, faster, more efficient goals can be pursued, regardless of their consequences. We are often governed by seeking after power and status rather than by a desire to do good. We have the technologies to eradicate disease and make the desert bloom; instead we manufacture more powerful armaments to combat ‘the risk of terrorism’.
It is not easy for Christians to challenge or disentangle ourselves from this prevailing culture. But the worship of God means recognising that the earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness is his. And we are stewards of it, to enjoy and not to destroy, to share and not to hoard to ourselves.
Christian voices need to be heard in the debates about technology just as much as they are needed in debates about the family, education and political power. In her book ‘Choices at the Heart of Technology’, Ruth Conway writes that ‘Shalom’, the well-being of all in community under God, will become a reality only when technologies are aimed at empowering others rather than controlling them, profound respect is shown for nature’s life-sustaining processes, addressing needs is given priority over creating demands, and the fruits of incessant technological change are measured against the durable harvest of the spirit. Technology will contribute, but not if it is made an object of worship.
Jesus – why should he be the ultimate figure, in all history, for us to follow? The human race is haunted by Jesus Christ. Films, books and articles proliferate. Often they present a very distorted view. But it is about him, rather than other religious leaders that the debate continues. And ‘deities’ that were huge in their time have all in turn been obliterated by this one great Name.
Even figures of history only fleetingly associated with Christ have become universally famous. We would never have heard of Pontius Pilate – but for the single meeting with Jesus that made Pilate’s the second best-known name in all history; ‘He was crucified under Pontius Pilate’ is declared worldwide in churches every Sunday.
Christ’s unique character: Few will say that Jesus was anything other than supremely good. His goodness was endorsed by his friends (1 Peter 2.22) who had every opportunity to see him at close range; also by his enemies who could not make a single charge against him stick. Most remarkably of all, he himself made the claim of sinlessness (John 8.46). This was unlike all spiritual leaders, before or since, who, the more they advanced in character, became increasingly aware of their own moral imperfection.
Christ’s unprecedented conduct: To list only a few: Christ forgave people their sins – even the sins that they committed against individuals whom Jesus had never met. This provoked the charge of blasphemy, for ‘Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ (Mark 2.5-7). Further, Jesus accepted the worship of people (John 20.28). True, there are ‘gurus’ today who receive worship, but they invariably end up in a tomb. Jesus rose from the dead.
Christ’s unparalleled claims: Jesus made numerous claims, including that he was the Son of God in a unique sense (John 1.18). His relationship to ‘the Father’ was such that he would refer to ‘my Father and your Father’ (John 20.17); never to ‘our Father’ – except in the case of the Lord’s Prayer when it was his followers who should so pray. And Jesus did not hesitate to use the divine name ‘I am’ of himself. (John 8.58)
Further, Jesus claimed to be Universal Judge (Matthew 7:22, 23; John 5:22, 23). No one else ever claimed the right to decide upon the eternal destiny of all people. Lastly, Christ claimed to be the Centre of all truth, drawing all types and conditions of humanity to himself. (John 12.32, 46; 14:6)
Either Jesus was what he claimed to be, or he was not. No claimant who was wrong – on such massive issues – could possibly be ‘mistaken’; he would have to be mad or bad. But neither madness nor badness have never been attributed to Jesus.
Adapted from The Top 100 Questions by Richard Bewes (pub by Christian Focus)
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