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And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split Matthew 27:50-51 (NIV)
Murder: the crime of unlawfully killing a person especially with malice aforethought.
I used to think that Jesus Christ was murdered by an angry mob until I read Matthew 27 again for the millionth time.
Two things came to my mind about that whole situation. The second one first (in order to confuse you) was how traumatic the death of Jesus was. The curtain in the temple was sixty feet long and thirty feet wide! All woven of one piece and not a seam to be found it must have been a sight to behold.
‘The curtain’ served as the final division between man and God. Behind it was the holiest of all places, where God himself dwelt. The High priest was allowed behind the curtain once a year to offer sacrifices to God on behalf of his people and himself. The only way to God, essentially, was through the priest.
Just outside the temple, perhaps within view, a lonely hillside held three crosses and a small gathering of people who’d come to mourn, to celebrate or just to watch the show and jeer at the criminals hanging there.
When the guy in the middle died, the result was something like noone had ever seen. As he breathed his last there was a tremendous earthquake to add to the ominous dark sky. Rocks split in two from the force of the action.
Meanwhile inside the temple as the priests celebrated their victory over some itinerant preacher fromGalileethe temple shook and the curtain split in two from top to bottom! Can you imagine the reaction of those in the building! No one had ever seen the holiest of all places. Some may have covered their eyes in fear (as if dark skies at midday and earthquakes weren’t enough). Tradition says that he priests hastily tried to patch the curtain (wonder if they had duct tape back then?)
That action was extremely symbolic because now, because of Jesus, direct access to God was completed. The devout Jews continued to worship as though access to God was restricted. They continued to believe that the only way to truly learn from God was through a priest, a tradition that has lasted through the centuries. But Jesus’ death put an end to that. To say a priest or pastor or missionary is closer to God because of position is like saying you are closer to the planet Mars because you are taller than I?
Closeness to God isn’t because of position, it’s because of passion.
Then, there’s the issue of Jesus’ murder. As I read that passage again, I asked myself, is it murder when you willingly let someone kill you? After all, Jesus didn’t need to die that day. The same power that tore the curtain and split the rocks could have saved him at the bat of an eyelash.
So, I looked up the definition of murder. Murder is, according to Webster, a crime of unlawfully killing a person especially with malice aforethought.
Was Jesus murdered? According to Webster he was. He meets the qualifications. Jesus was innocent of all charges, yet he died for your sin. Nothing you have done of ever will do could have gotten you through that curtain in theTemple. Nothing you can do will ever separate you from God’s forgiveness through Jesus.
Was his killing an act of planning and malice and cunning? Yes, although the priests thought their plan worked, the plan for Jesus to die was planned years earlier. They were simply pawns in God’s plan to finally bring us home, to tear that curtain in half.
Jesus was murdered by his own will so you can choose. He died so you could live. He conquered death so you could have eternal life.
PRAYER; Lord Jesus, once again I’m reminded of your sacrifice of love for me and the power you have to bring us to the Father. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for removing the curtain so I can find God. Amen.
Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. Psalm 19:13 (NIV)
Tucked away in the book of Daniel is a little phrase that to this day haunts me. Daniel is interpreting the handwriting on the wall to King Beltashazzar (Daniel 5). He reminds the King of the lessons his father, Nebuchadnezzar, learned about acknowledging God as being the one true God. He reminded him of the lesson his father learned about worshipping the God of Heaven and not the god of silver and gold. Then comes the statement in Daniel 5:22 (my paraphrase): “But you knew better.”
The lesson? Nebuchadnezzar worshipped false gods because of ignorance. Beltashazzar worshipped false gods because he wanted to. He chose what to worship in full knowledge of the lessons his father learned.
The passage would imply that God’s judgment is harsher on those who sin willfully than it is on those who go astray on their own volition. Nebuchadnezzar was removed temporarily from this throne for his ignorance. Beltashazzar was killed for his rebellion.
Choosing to sin when we know better is nothing new of course. Eve knew better, as did Abraham, Moses, David and, well, those of us who call ourselves Christ followers. We all can identify with the Apostle Paul in Romans 7. The good things we long to do, we fail to do. The bad things we hate doing, we keep doing over and over again. There is small relief for us when the writer that says (1 Corinthians 10:13) there is no temptation that attacks us that we can’t overcome is the same person who writes of his struggle to overcome temptation. But the question is, why? What is it within our human nature that keeps us from doing right?
Willful sin attacks us for several reasons. I list a few here. You may be able to think of others. We sin willfully:
- Because it is fun! We may not want to admit that on the surface, but the reality is we choose intentionally to do things we know we shouldn’t because we’d rather trade momentary pleasure for eternal peace.
- For self-preservation. When our identity is attacked or we perceive it is, we react to protect it. Why do we react to being cut off on the interstate or when someone attacks us verbally or gives us bad service at the coffee shop? Because their actions tell us we aren’t important and we react accordingly.
- Pride: Pride could actually be the summary of all these reasons, but the pride I’m talking about here is the pride that tells us, “I deserve this little ‘vice’ because I work hard; I’m a good parent; I do so many good things for God; etc, etc. So we visit the websites we know we shouldn’t; we tell our friends one little piece of gossip; we allow ourselves the indulgences we know hurt our relationship with Christ because all of us deserve an occasional lapse in judgment.
- Ignorance: When we follow Christ, we acknowledge that he died on the cross for the penalty of my sin; that he rose from the dead to conquer death and that he went back to heaven to intercede for us, prepare a place for us and so he could send his Holy Spirit to guide us. However, on occasion we choose our own way because we forget or fail to realize the pain Christ suffered for us and how our rebellion, small as it may seem, hurts the relationship with Christ.
- Apathy: This one is a tough one, but if we think back to those times we’ve chosen to go our way, we’ve done so because we really just didn’t care. We know we’ll be forgiven. We know we’ll go to heaven. We don’t take time to think of consequences.
The Psalmist isn’t as concerned about the sins he commits in ignorance as he is the sins he commits out of choice. May each of us who bear the name of Jesus echo his prayer.
PRAYER: Father God, I echo the prayer of Psalm 19:13. Much as I love you I confess that many times I choose to go against you out of willful desire. Forgive me for those sins that easily beset me, the sins I know are wrong but I do them anyway. Thank you for Jesus. May I live worthy of the calling that is within me. Thank you for your grace. Amen.
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. Psalm 19:6 NIV
Early morning is my favorite time of day. I don’t enjoy getting out of bed, but on the occasions when I do I love to watch the eastern sky begin to lighten. If you listen carefully you will hear the beginnings of life. The soft, first chirps of the day as the birds awaken soon gives way to to joyous praise. The cool evening/night temperatures soon feel the warming of the suns first rays. A new day has begun as the earth feels the warming effects of the sun.
Up here in the north we often see frost on the ground in the cold months of the year. As the sun raises into the sky the frost melts away. As the sun rises there is a line of frost left behind, waiting to be touched by the warmth of the new day.
The power of the sun is incredible. There isn’t a single place on earth that isn’t affected by it. Whether you go to the deepest parts of the ocean or the top of the highest mountain, the sun has some effect. If you live in the frozen tundra of the north or the tropical climates of the south, you are affected by the sun. On cloudy days we may seem sad or depressed, but that’s because we don’t see the sun, not because it’s not effecting us. It’s always there.
Rise above the earth now and enter outer space. Travel billions of miles away. The light of our sun may not warm the outer reaches of our universe, but it’s light, like the light of any star, travels infinitely.
The Psalmist talks about the sun and it’s travel across our sky. He reminds us that nothing, absolutely nothing is out of reach of its warmth. The word picture he paints is one that reminds us of our savior. When Jesus rose from the grave we are told there was a great light. Some think this light was emitting from the tomb where our Lord lay. Regardless of whether that is true or not, the light of our savior has been effecting us ever since and will for all eternity.
No matter where you are in life, you aren’t out of reach of Jesus. No matter how far from home you are, he is with you. No matter how much you miss loved ones gone before you, he walks beside you. When the doctor gives bad news, his hand is on your shoulder. When you are without a job or direction, he helps you along the way.
There is no place you can go in this world to escape the effects of the sun. There is no place in this world where you can go to escape the effects of the SON! Nothing you can do or have done will ever change that. No one else can take that fact from you. Go out today and enjoy the warmth of the Son in your life.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, there are days when I feel so alone and lost. Days when I forget how much I rely on you for the daily needs as well as the crisis needs in my life. Thank you that I can never escape your presence. Amen.
They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Psalm 19:3
Go outside on a clear night. Get away from the city lights and look heavenward. See it? Stand and gaze for a few moments. Perhaps even lay down on the cool, soft carpet of grass below you. Look intently and listen. Do you hear it?
It’s the sound of the heavens. Oh, you won’t hear actual words. Angels sang to announce Jesus’ birth, but there haven’t been many heavenly choirs. This sound is different because this sound is not distinguishable to the human ear.
Take a look at their song though. Those stars over there? They’re the Baptist stars. Staunch & stoic they stand silent in the night boldly proclaiming the truth of the creation and the creator. The Pentecostal stars are over there. They’re the ones shining brightly and seem to dance in their heavenly place against the black backdrop. The Lutheran stars are off to the left (not sure if they are having a pot luck or not).
The Spanish speaking stars are over there right next to the English speaking stars. The French speaking stars are next and so on down the line.
You may be thinking, “What sky is he looking at?” You may be wondering what color the grass is in my world as well.
You’d be right of course. You see, all of heavens speak one language. Stars, planets, asteroids, moons and all the other celestial bodies join in perfect harmony to praise their creator. We humans have a hard time understanding each other. We have a difficult time dealing with people from different economic, cultural or religious backgrounds. But when we look at outer space even the atheist stands in awe at its complexity and enormity.
The language of heaven is a language of praise and unity. It’s a language that is understood by all and heard by none. Not a single star needs to speak praise for the creator. It simply shines, and all its buddies join in.
What would our world be like if we as Christ-followers shone in unity and as brightly as the stars you see as we lay here in the grass looking up at them? Would anyone be able to doubt the power and majesty of our Creator? I think not.
The Psalmist writes, “The Heavens declare the glory of God. They do it without seminary training. They do it without allegiance to any organized group. The heavens declare God’s greatness in silence, yet it’s a message we all can hear and understand. Live in peace and unity. Proclaim God’s glory without saying a single word by living a life pleasing to God.
PRAYER: I stand in awe of your majesty my Lord. I confess that we as your creations have been pulled apart by all sorts of things that don’t really matter. Empower us by your Spirit to shine forth to the world. Amen.
So people receive God’s promise by having faith. This happens so the promise can be a free gift. Then all of Abraham’s children can have that promise. It is not only for those who live under the law of Moses but for anyone who lives with faith like that of Abraham, who is the father of us all. Romans 4:16 (NCV)
Usually people refer to ‘Cheap Grace’ as grace the people take advantage of. A college professor once said to me, “I have no patience for people who go out and sin because ‘they can ask forgiveness later. It cheapens what Jesus did on the cross.”
I agree with him somewhat of course. Paul says ‘shall we go on sinning so grace might increase?” The answer of course is a resounding NO! As Christ-followers we would never think it’s okay to sin so that we get to ask forgiveness. That’s a preposterous idea!
But there is a more subtle way we cheapen grace. It’s seen every week in our churches, in our families, in Bible Studies, retreats and conferences across the world.
Not all of us are guilty of course, but cheap grace sneaks in the cracks when we least notice it. Grace is cheapened when we measure our Spiritual Maturity by our Spiritual Activity. It’s as though we believe that the more we read the Bible and the more we go to church or Bible Studies, the more God will love us.
Abraham was not a perfect man. He wasn’t a very good husband. He wasn’t a very good father. He wasn’t a good boss. His leadership skills were lacking overall. Still, he was God’s friend. Why? Abraham believed God and God’s promises and because of that he was considered faithful. His faith is what saved him, not his works.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s important to read and study God’s word because it contains the words of life and liberty. It’s vital that we, as Christ-followers, talk with our Heavenly Father on a regular basis. Strength in living comes as we fellowship with the body. But those activities won’t bring ‘more of grace to you’; they will simply make you more aware of the grace available to you.
There’s an old gospel chorus that goes something like this, “Every promise in the book is mine, every chapter, every verse, every line. All the blessings of His love divine. Every promise in the book is mine.” Those promises don’t come because of anything I’ve done. The promises given me are completely because of what Jesus did for me on the cross.
Don’t cheapen God’s grace for you by adding all sorts of activity requirements. You have all you need in Jesus.
PRAYER: Lord I have to admit I get a little proud of myself at times. I look at all the things I do for the church, all the songs I sing to you, all the times I proclaim your word. I confess that at times I feel these actions make me more spiritual. I thank you that I have all I need in Jesus. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 