With His Stripes We Are Healed

This post is taken from last Saturday’s Morning and Evening devotional by Charles Spurgeon. I thought it would be a helpful way to prepare for Easter…

“With his stripes we are healed.” — Isaiah 53:5

Pilate delivered our Lord to the lictors to be scourged. The Roman scourge was a most dreadful instrument of torture. It was made of the sinews of oxen, and sharp bones were inter-twisted every here and there among the sinews; so that every time the lash came down these pieces of bone inflicted fearful laceration, and tore off the flesh from the bone. The Saviour was, no doubt, bound to the column, and thus beaten. He had been beaten before; but this of the Roman lictors was probably the most severe of his flagellations. My soul, stand here and weep over his poor stricken body.

 

Believer in Jesus, can you gaze upon him without tears, as he stands before you the mirror of agonizing love? He is at once fair as the lily for innocence, and red as the rose with the crimson of his own blood. As we feel the sure and blessed healing which his stripes have wrought in us, does not our heart melt at once with love and grief? If ever we have loved our Lord Jesus, surely we must feel that affection glowing now within our bosoms.

 

“See how the patient Jesus stands,

Insulted in his lowest case!

Sinners have bound the Almighty’s hands,

And spit in their Creator’s face.

With thorns his temples gor’d and gash’d

Send streams of blood from every part;

His back’s with knotted scourges lash’d.

But sharper scourges tear his heart.”

 

We would fain go to our chambers and weep; but since our business calls us away, we will first pray our Beloved to print the image of his bleeding self upon the tablets of our hearts all the day, and at nightfall we will return to commune with him, and sorrow that our sin should have cost him so dear.

 

Who Is Our Customer?

I recently read a business / marketing article that asked: Who is your customer?

This classic question is important for any organization.  I remember years ago hearing Peter Drucker say that all his consulting comes down to two questions:

What is your business?

How’s business?

The recent article was from Seth Godin, who wrote:

Who is your customer?

Rule one: You can build a business on the foundation of great customer service.

Rule two: The only way to do great customer service is to treat different customers differently.

The question: Who is your customer?

It’s not obvious.

Zappo’s is a classic customer service company, and their customer is the person who buys the shoes.

Nike, on the other hand, doesn’t care very much at all about the people who buy the shoes, or even the retailers. They care about the athletes (often famous) that wear the shoes, sometimes for money. They name buildings after these athletes, court them, erect statues…

Columbia Records has no idea who buys their music and never has. On the other hand, they understand that their customer is the musician, and they have an entire department devoted to keeping that ‘customer’ happy. (Their other customer was the program director at the radio station, but we know where that’s going…)

Many manufacturers have retailers as their customer. If Wal-Mart is happy, they’re happy.

Apple had just one customer. He passed away last year.

And some companies and politicians choose the media as their customer.

If you can only build one statue, who is it going to be a statue of?

As I get caught up in the drama of church life, I get tempted to focus on the wrong customers.  I want to focus on the p
I also get tempted to think that the new people (or people who might come) are our customers.  We are called to reach people, to make disciples of all nations, to bring in the next generation of people who will give, serve and sing.  I love to see new faces in the kingdom and in the church.eople who might leave the church … because they feel a lot like our customers.  They give, serve and sing.  I hate to think of anyone leaving.

But neither group is our church’s customer.  Jesus is.  If we had to build one statue, it would be of Jesus.

May God help me remember that!

Christ-in-Action

As we go through our month of Justice and Awareness, I’m being reminded that following Jesus is not about gathering information.  Being a Christian must also mean putting Jesus’ words and grace into practice.  John Piper powerfully reminds us that the spiritual beauty of Jesus was not found in his eloquence.  It was found in His actions …

“The spiritual beauty of Christ is Christ-in-action—Christ loving, and Christ touching lepers, and Christ blessing children, and healing the crippled, and raising the dead, and commanding demons, and teaching with unrivaled authority, and silencing the skeptics, and rebuking his disciples, and predicting the details of his death, and setting his face like flint toward Jerusalem, and weeping over the city, and silent before his accusers, and meekly sovereign over Pilate (“You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above,” John 19:11), and crucified, and praying for his ene– mies, and forgiving a thief, and caring for his mother while in agony, and giving up his spirit in death, and rising from the dead—“No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again” (John 10:18). Such is the glory of Christ.” — John Piper God is the Gospel (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 2005), 66

I wonder what actions we can take this month.  How will you be “Christ-in-Action”?

Holy Week Timeline

Jesus is Real, Everything Else is Shadow

This past weekend at CGS when we were looking at Hebrews 8, I made the point that Jesus is the Ultimate Reality that stand behind the shadows that we see in the Law of Moses.

Yesterday I posted a video that re-tells Plato’s Analogy of the Cave.

Today I want to post a summary statement (borrowed from Ed Clowney and Tim Keller’s D Min course “Preaching Christ in a Postmodern World”) that looks at how Jesus lines up with a few familiar shadows in the Old Testament.

• All the individual stories point us to Jesus, as we locate them in the history of redemption (often with the direct help of the New Testament writers, often not.)
• Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the temptation test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us (1 Cor 15).
• Jesus is the true Abel who though innocently slain has blood that cries out for our acquittal, not our condemnation (Heb 12:24).
• Jesus is the true Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the familiar and got out into the void “not knowing whither he went!”
• Jesus is the true “Isaac” who is the son of the laughter of grace who was offered up for us all.
• He is the true Jacob, who wrestled with God and took the blow of justice we deserved so we like Jacob only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up.
• He is the true Joseph, who at the right hand of the king forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them.
• Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant (Heb.3).
• He is the true Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God’s justice. now gives us water in the desert.
• He is the true Joshua who is the general of the Lord’s army.
• He is the true and better Job–the only innocent sufferer who then intercedes for his friends (Job 42).
• Jesus is the better Samson. whose death accomplishes so much good (Judges 16:31).
• He is the true David, whose victory becomes his people’s victory though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.
• Jesus is the true “Teacher” (Ecclesiastes) who may lead us through despair to help us find God.
• He is the true Jonah who went into the belly of the earth and so the people could be saved.
• 

Plato’s Cave and Hebrews 8:5

I have to give credit to the late Ron Nash for teaching me this at RTS-Orlando.

Yesterday at CGS we looked at Hebrews 8:5 and how it describes the Law of Moses as a
“copy and shadow of heavenly things.”

Reading other 1st Century sources, we know that Plato was a popular philosopher and that Neo-Platonism was a common world view.  With this in mind, it’s not a stretch to think that many people would know Plato’s Analogy of the Cave (from The Republic)

This video is a short recap of the Cave Analogy:

If the Law, Tabernacle, Sacrifices, and such were all “copies and shadows” of something real (JESUS), then we can see how the Bible is really one story, from beginning to end.  This really helps us understand why it seems that New Testament people “pick and choose” from the Old Testament.

Tomorrow I’ll post Ed Clowney and Tim Keller’s summary of how Jesus is the “true and better” everything from the Old Testament.

Jesus Will “…Calm all Storms, Still all Waves”

A few weeks back, Justin Taylor posted this exerpt from Tim Keller’s upcoming book, King’s Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus, pp. 57-58.  Not only am I excited to get more Keller, but I found this to be a helpful article:

We have a resource that can enable us to stay calm inside no matter how the storms rage outside.

Here’s a clue: Mark has deliberately laid out this account using language that is parallel, almost identical, to the language of the famous Old Testament account of Jonah.

Both Jesus and Jonah were in a boat, and both boats were overtaken by a storm—the descriptions of the storm are almost identical.

Both Jesus and Jonah were asleep.

In both stories the sailors woke up the sleeper and said, “We’re going to die.”

And in both cases there was a miraculous divine intervention and the sea was calmed.

Further, in both stories the sailors then become even more terrified than they were before the storm was calmed.

Two almost identical stories—with just one difference.

In the midst of the storm, Jonah said to the sailors, in effect: “There’s only only thing to do. If I perish, you survive. If I die, you will live” (Jonah 1:12). And they threw him into the sea.

Which doesn’t happen in Mark’s story.

Or does it?

I think Mark is showing that the stories aren’t actually different when you stand back a bit and look at it with the rest of the story of Jesus in view.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says, “One greater than Jonah is here,” and he’s referring to himself: I’m the true Jonah. He meant this:

Someday I’m going to calm all storms, still all waves.

I’m going to destroy destruction, break brokenness, kill death.

How can he do that?

He can only do it because when he was on the cross he was thrown—willingly, like Jonah—into the ultimate storm, under the ultimate waves, the waves of sin and death.

Jesus was thrown into the only storm that can actually sink us—the storm of eternal justice, of what we owe for our wrongdoing. That storm wasn’t calmed—not until it swept him away.

If the sight of Jesus bowing his head into that ultimate storm is burned into the core of your being, you will never say, “God, don’t you care?”

And if you know that he did not abandon you in that ultimate storm, what make you think he would abandon you in much smaller storms you’re experiencing right now?

And, someday, of course, he will return and still all storms for eternity.

If you let that penetrate to the very center of your being, you will know he loves you. You will know he cares. And then you will have the power to handle anything in life with poise:

When through the deep waters I call you to go,
The rivers of woe shall not overflow;
For I will be with you, your troubles to bless,
And sanctify to you your deepest distress.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

Who I Am In Christ

As we get close to the CGS Prayer Summit I have a gut-feeling that healing for many people will involve anchoring people into their identity in Christ.  (No, that’s probably not a word from the Spirit, its just what I’ve seen happen over 15 years of ministry and something lots of people have been talking to me about over the recent weeks.)

My go-to resource for this is from Neil Anderson.  He does a great job of breaking down truth from the Bible about who we are in Jesus.  The following graphic and verses are all from his website.  Enjoy!

I am accepted…

John 1:12 I am God’s child.

John 15:15 As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1 I have been justified.

1 Corinthians 6:17 I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.

1 Corinthians 12:27 I am a member of Christ’s body.

Ephesians 1:3-8 I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.

Colossians 1:13-14 I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.

Colossians 2:9-10 I am complete in Christ.

Hebrews 4:14-16 I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.

I am secure…

Romans 8:1-2 I am free from condemnation.

Romans 8:28 I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances.

Romans 8:31-39 I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 I have been established, anointed and sealed by God.

Colossians 3:1-4 I am hidden with Christ in God.

Philippians 1:6 I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me.

Philippians 3:20 I am a citizen of heaven.

2 Timothy 1:7 I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.

1 John 5:18 I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.

I am significant…

John 15:5 I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life.

John 15:16 I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.

1 Corinthians 3:16 I am God’s temple.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 I am a minister of reconciliation for God.

Ephesians 2:6 I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm.

Ephesians 2:10 I am God’s workmanship.

Ephesians 3:12 I may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

God Still Speaks

Tomorrow I’m starting a series on the Book of Hebrews.  Since we’ll be outside and attention spans will be short, I’m only going to tackle the first two verses:

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. ” (Hebrews 1:1–2, ESV)

The focus of the message will be how God still speaks today, understanding that we only hear God when we are connected to Jesus.

Providentially, a good friend of mine just wrote a great post about hearing from God.  He gives six (6) practical ways we can hear from God and know it’s really Him.  You can read his post here.  Here’s one that really helped me:

You hear from God best when you are living a life of obedience.  When I’m reading the newspaper, the TV’s on, and Laurie (Bob’s wife) asks me a question, I’m not a good listener.  If the TV’s off and the paper’s set aside, there are no distractions from my hearing Laurie.  The same applies to God.  An obedient life causes God to be heard more clearly.

http://bobbouwer.typepad.com/momentum/2010/09/hearing-from-god.html

For more help on Hearing from God, check out Dallas Willard’s book, Hearing God.

Authentic?

No one wants to be a clone.  Even in Star Wars: The Clone Wars the clones get tattoos, piercings and hair cuts to make sure that they’re all unique.

Yet … sometimes we think that as followers of Jesus, we’ll all end up looking exactly the same.

Honestly, being a cookie-cutter product is easier.  We can just let the culture around us tell us what clothes to wear, what books to read, what words to say and what thoughts to think.

Some people try to do this with Jesus…and not just the stereotypes.  For every traditional church where conformity looks like denim skirts, Rated G movies and homeschooling, there is a more edgy church where everyone wears the same Affliction shirts, drinks the same home brews and watches the same UFC Fights and Rated R movies.

Like I said…its easy to conform to culture.

At CGS our hope is that people won’t conform to our churchy ways of doing things.  Instead we want to conform to Christ.  I like the way Eugene Peterson translates Romans 12:1-2 in The Message translation for this point:

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. ” (Romans 12:1–2, The Message)

If we get this right, it will mean that everyone will have a unique way of showcasing maturity in Christ.  That gives us permission to have different age groups all coming together; different religious backgrounds; different ethnic groups … the whole range of diversity united under the leadership of Jesus.

Maybe that’s a little bit of what Jesus meant when He promised that we’d know the Truth and the Truth will set us free …