The Why of Jesus

Our men’s group is reading “Is God Really in Control? Trusting God in a World of Hurt” by Jerry Bridges. It deals with our response when adversity hits, the Whys that arise when we go thru hard times. It seeks to have the reader look at God’s character.A good book overall that is worth reading.

Behind the question, “Why did this happen to me?” (or as an accusation, “Why did You allow this to happen to me?”) often lie the more basic questions that test our foundations, whether or not God is sovereign and whether or not He is loving. We usually ask the question in relation to ourselves personally, “Is God sovereign in my particular situation?” and “Does God really love Me?” If doubt is allowed in here, spiritual growth is stopped; life in Christ becomes confusion.

The Lord Jesus asked many questions of His followers and the crowds, many Why questions: Why are you anxious about clothing? Why are you so fearful? Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Why do you not understand My speech? There are many more and they are always rhetorical, Jesus already knows the answer to His question. All the Why questions are like this, except one: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27)

To be forsaken, to be apart and alone from the loved one, truly is heartbreak. For the Lord Jesus, heartbreak is magnified as shortly before His death, He testified, “He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” (John 8) And it’s true, everything Jesus ever did always answered to the pleasure of God, was according to the will of God. Even the cross, “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush Him, putting Him to grief,” or “It pleased the LORD to bruise Him. . .” (Isaiah 53) How much sorrow is found on the cross in Jesus’ why?

The Old Testament story of Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22 speaks so clearly of the sacrifice of Christ and the love of God; that a father would willingly sacrifice his son. But that story differs in that there is a substitute for Isaac in the end. Another difference is that on the way Isaac cries out, “My Father!” and Abraham answers, “Here am I, my son.” At the cross, there is no answer to Jesus’ why. The other side of the heartbreak of Jesus’ why, is the heartbreak of the Father in the silence.

We will never understand or ever enter into the depths of what happened between the Father and the Son at the cross. Our darkest days and deepest wounds do not compare to the mystery of what the Father and Son sacrificed at the cross.

This is truly good news for us, we need not know death in this way. . . the awful abyss and separation. Hebrews 2 says “But we see. . .Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” For us, there is the promise and invitation of abiding. . . of being alive to God in Christ, never separated. In Matthew’s account, Jesus last words to His disciples, some of whom still had questions and doubts, were, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” And the testimony of Paul, as one who was tested like few others, was “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. . .” (2 Corinthians 4)

There is in the Lord Jesus a living fellowship in God that can withstand all the temptations and opposition of this world. May we find in Christ the answer to all our questions as we walk in this world. So often our questions burrow and fester and ruin our foundation. May our Whys be replaced with “Here I am, ready to do Your will, O Lord,” so that we embrace all that God leads us into with joy, rather than merely endure things until they are over. May the Spirit make these things true in us as we follow Christ.

God the Father & the Lord Jesus Christ

One of the challenges of familiarity is that assumptions are made that don’t get to the heart & truth of things. Often reading the Bible, there are passages that just don’t register... the words each make sense, that it is true is acknowledged & accepted. . . but one leaves the passage knowing there is more there, so much more. What has registered is frustration and the lack of understanding, not the life of the word. One can continue to try and press into the verse thru study aids and much thinking, without ever finding the life in the passage. Life only comes in the Spirit and life from the word only comes from spiritual understanding. The invitation of God is that in Christ we come into knowledge and understanding, and the hope of Paul in Colossians 2 is that God’s people would reach the riches of these things – the assurance, the strength, the hope that comes from knowing Christ “. . . in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” One of those passages that didn’t register to me is Ephesians 4:5,6 : “. . . one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Lord and God had become interchangeable titles and in praying, Lord and God meant the same thing. . . it became an assumption. But the passage presents them separately. So does 1 Corinthians 8:6: “ yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” “One God. . . and one Lord. . .” doesn’t register when they are interchangeable. It remained a jumble of things. . . the Lord God, Jesus is God, Christ is the Lord. While all true, the confusion didn’t help understanding of the passages. And even when it registered that there was more to the passages, and there was hunger for more, the best at the time was to live with the mystery. Most of Paul’s letters to the churches have a similar greeting: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Peter opened his: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” At the start of his letter, James describes himself as “. . . a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. . .” And as you survey the entire New Testament, Lord is a position reserved almost exclusively for Jesus. “Lord God” is found in the New Testament. . . in quotes of Old Testament passages, and in Revelation at the summing up of all things. Yet throughout the entire testament Jesus Christ is proclaimed as Lord, and that as distinct from God the Father: “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” “every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” “thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” “God raised the Lord and will also raise us up” “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” “we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ” “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” “do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” “may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you” “according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” “the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus” “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” Just a sampling, but what becomes manifest is the Lordship of Jesus Christ – Jesus Christ is Lord – as seen in relation to God the Father. Not the Lord God, but God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. But what does it signify that Jesus is Lord in view of God the Father? Acts 2:36 helps bring things better into focus: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ. This passage is in the book of Acts - Jesus has triumphed thru the cross, been raised in resurrection, and received into heaven – there is nothing more for Him to overcome, nothing anymore that can touch or tempt Him, He is triumphant forever. Everything of God that is seen in Jesus – the testimony of God in Jesus – withstood everything of this world. . . and stands. In view of everything He was not according to this world, it is impressive that God makes “this Jesus” Christ. (It is helpful to note that God doesn’t name Him both Lord and Christ, rather He makes Him so. The word make is from the greek word poieo that signifies the bringing forth of something, the endowing or constituting of one. It’s not that Jesus is given the name of Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One... it’s what the name embodies. Jesus is the Christ, He embodies everything of God – the fullness of God – as Hebrews 1 says, Jesus Christ is the exact representation, or imprint, of God’s being and nature. As Jesus says, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”) More than that, “God has made Him...Lord. . . ” What does it mean to be Lord? The closest we have today are kings and dictators, but they are but shadows to what is meant here. In Matthew, “all authority has been given to (Him).” In John, God “has given all things into His hands.” In Ephesians, God “put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things...”. In Colossians, God purposes that “in everything He might be preeminent.” In Ephesians, God wills “to unite all things in Him,” and further in, “that He might fill all things;” whereas Colossians puts the matter this way, “Christ is all, and in all.” There is an immeasurably wide horizon to be found in the Lord Jesus, an intention and greatness bound up in Him that is missed if Lord and Christ become merely titles. What does it mean that this Jesus is Lord? The law of His lordship is seen in 1 Corinthian 15, “He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.” He must reign, God has made Him Lord... He must reign. And God’s seal is on Him alone, “God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name. . . every knee will bow… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Everything that God has for us is found in Jesus Christ our Lord. The follower of Jesus Christ in this world has firm ground to stand on and a sure path to follow that cannot fail. God’s way in this world. . . as seen in Jesus, as lived by Jesus, as in Jesus. . . has been tested and proven. There is much in this life that tests the lordship of Christ in us. There are enemies, the until of 1 Corinthians 15 is not yet, the kingdom of this world remains opposed to the kingdom of God in Christ. And yet, beyond all the hardships, and troubles, and tribulations, and persecutions, the way of Christ reigns now. . . for the faithful, in Christ there is victory over this world. There is coming the time of 1 Corinthians 15, “When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to Him who put all things in subjection under Him, that God may be all in all.” In that day, the promise of Revelation 11 will be true, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.” Until that time - “ yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” Until that time, may “. . . the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory, give (us) a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of our hearts enlightened, that (we) may know what is the hope to which He has called (us), what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe. . .” Ephesians 1

Pastor Ibrahim Balami, Persecution & the display of Christ

One of the challenges of denominational church life, or at least denominational church life in America, is that in all its structures and the formality of things, Christ can be missed. Not only by those who are members, but also by the onlooking world.

However, there does exist those in the body of Christ who never fail to offer a vivid testimony of the Lord Jesus. In those brothers and sisters who are pursued and harassed and persecuted, and yet remain faithful to that which they have received, is perhaps the clearest display in this world of what being indwelt by God in Christ looks like.

In those who love their persecutors with genuineness, in those who endure the loss of all material comforts with joy, in those who speak the gospel to those who hate them with

courage, in those who are faithful to follow Jesus thru all things without turning back. . . you can see Christ.

Pastor Ibrahim Balami leads a Brethren church & school in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Since 1999 in Nigeria, over 600 churches have been destroyed & tens of thousands have been killed. In Maiduguri district alone, 56 churches have been burnt down and over 50 have been killed, including women and children, by organized mobs.

Pastor Balami’s church & school had previously been torched and then rebuilt. He received a letter warning that the school would be burnt down again if the students and staff did not leave.

When the mob came, they broke down the gates with axes, threw bags of gasoline against the buildings, and beat down the believers with heavy objects and machetes.

When Pastor Balami was asked, “When the mob was threatening you, and you were terrified, did you feel the presence of Christ?,” he testified:

“I did, because at that time my whole spirit, I was carried into another realm of spirituality, that I became so oblivious to the environment, I was not even feeling the environment, I was not even feeling the pain, I was not even feeling the noise anymore, I was just feeling a sense of glory in me and power, and I understand what Steven when he said, Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing. Because at that point you are no longer yourself but Christ has taken over the pain, Christ has taken over all my beliefs, Christ has taken all over, I am being carried on his shoulder at that moment so I have never felt anything…”

“Christ gives the power to bear persecution, so my experience at that moment when they were throwing heavy objects, beating, cutting, I was feeling in me, a new life, a new spiritual life, because Christ has taken over and at that moment I can remember clearly, I can recall, why Steven in the Bible, in the book of Acts is saying, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they have done” even when Jesus prayed, because at the moment of persecution, when you are right there at the center, in the middle of it, God takes over, and it is no longer yourself, He gives the strength, He gives the words, He gives the wisdom, He gives everything that you need to pass thru that persecution and that is why I think I am still surviving today because my God is great.” (Quoted verbatim from video on Persecution TV.com)

Don’t let the hardness and the difficulty of their circumstances keep you from seeing possibly the clearest display of Christ in the world today. The promise of God is that regardless of our circumstances in this world, that in Christ alone we can be fully satisfied in a very real and present way. Let their lives fuel your prayers and encourage you in your walk. Embrace your brothers and sisters living in the dark and hard places in this world. And if it is in your heart to honor them, the best way is to be like them and wholly follow Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Christ

Sometimes reading the bible brings one up short. Like in the last post, the word brought to light a position that was held that was off the mark. It turned out to not be firm ground to stand on, and if followed, would not result in life or in an increased measure of Christ. Such correction is always grace from the Lord, meant for good, even as the former crumbles. God’s correction in the life of the believer, His judging of things, is a measuring of things according to Christ. . . that at the heart of things is Christ present? . . . is this one – this view, this situation, this believer, this body, this ministry - according to Christ? For one following Jesus, such correction is grace, not punishment.

Awhile ago, one of those corrections happened. Throughout the New Testament, the love of God in Jesus Christ is proclaimed as the very heart of God for us and the message of the gospel... and it’s true. What is surprising is that love is not mentioned in the book of Acts, or at least the word love, or agape. That brought me up short. . . love has been at the center of the gospel presentation and evangelism. John 3:16 is the touchstone that even appears on cards at football games on TV; in the recent national college football championship game, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow had it written on his face. But love is not what is presented as the Church goes out into the world. . . at least according to the book of Acts.

Reading thru Acts, looking for what the Apostles said, what their message was, what was proclaimed to the world, one finds:

And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. (Acts 5:42)

But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ. (Acts 9:22)

explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ." (Acts 17:3)

But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. (Acts 18:5)

for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. (Acts 18:28)

preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered. (Acts 28:31)

Jesus is the Christ. So often it is used as merely a title. . . Jesus Christ. And yet there is a spiritual reality to the title. God means to bring these things forward on the basis of life, and in a living way, and off the ground of formality and titles.

It is Christ we are to receive. The invitation of the Lord Jesus is to “Abide in Me, and I in you” and the prayer of Jesus to the Father in John 17 is “. . . as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us.”

There is no danger of missing the love of God if we proclaim Jesus Christ, as Romans 8 says “. . . the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The spiritual reality is that the love of God can only be found in Christ. There is a risk in proclaiming the love of God; one risk is that we can become man-centered. The greater risk is that we may miss Christ. The promise of God is that we may know Christ, and be found in Him, and gain Christ.

Everything that God has for us is found in Jesus Christ. May His Spirit lead us into more of Christ.

Taking the plunge

Blogs always seem so self-centered. . . like who am I to put things out there. But I have enjoyed reading others' thoughts and comments, and have struck up some friendships and dialogue with others that has both challenged me and made life richer. The goal of these ramblings is to seek for Christ in all things. It is so easy in the jumble of things to miss Him. . . to put so much stock into getting new insights, or finding the right path, so much strain in just doing the right thing. . . that the living Christ is missed completely. I've recently needed to learn the lesson - again. I have been focused in the past few months on Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3, specifically the call to put off the old self and to put on the new self in Christ. Also, Romans 13:14: "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." There's a lot to say on these that has to be saved for later posts. I had become focused on the process. . . laying off the old and putting on the new. The knowledge of it was wonderful, and for awhile it meant life. The call of Jesus to deny yourself utterly and the lesson in Romans 7: "I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh" is a hard one to learn and the knowledge comes with a cost. I thought I had learned the lesson until Romans 7:21 exposed my lack. "So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand." I didn't realize it, but I had (secretly) held/thought/hoped that there would come a time when I would come into a fuller measure in Christ and that I would not be troubled anymore by my old self. Wrong because 7:21 says so. But also, I had just missed the point completely. I had harboured the false hope that someday I would have in myself what I needed to get by and go thru to the Lord. I had missed Christ in this. . . that no matter how long I walk with Him, no matter how great a measure of Christ I come into, life and sufficiency are always in Christ alone and will never be in me. Bible study is not Christ, worship is not Christ, new insights are not Christ, practices are not Christ. Oh for the living union with the Living Christ! The peace I wanted is not only in Christ, Christ Himself is that peace. The wisdom to move ahead in this world is Christ; Christ Himself is the wisdom of God, He Himself is the way. The strength I need is Christ; He is the power of God. For me, it's the old and ever-new lesson that I've still to learn. It's easy to miss Christ. And yet the promise of God is that we can be fully satisfied in this world by Him in Christ. . . fully satisfied. That's the meaning of 'makarios', the name of this blog. It's a Greek word that in English is the word 'Blessed.' The goal/hope of this blog is that. . . to search out and see Christ in this life in all things, to come into a fuller measure of Him, to be fully satisfied in Christ alone.