This morning, our family attended morning prayers at the church I am blessed to pastor. It was early and the kids were dressed and ready, but wrapped up in their favorite blankets and holding their favorite stuffed animals as we drove to church. About half-way there, I began to tell them why we were all going together this time. You see, they are used to me going every Thursday, as our church makes this a regular practice, but normally, they are fully engaged in getting ready for school, the day, and just generally being kids. But today, we all got up and drove together.
And so I began to tell the kids about what happened today those many years ago. Jordan asked how I knew it was that many years, and I told her something that was sobering to me even as I said it, "because we know the exact day when Jesus died to pay for our sins," I said, "and we know the exact day when He rose again from the dead." It came out easy enough, but struck me as it did.
Had I consciously considered lately that the events of the Christ are not fictional, not dramatized beyond reality, not conformed to myth after all these years? Have I lived in such a way as to practice the historical reality, the datable fact, that Jesus, who is the Christ, died an absolutely undeserved death so that I would not have to pay the deserved price for my own disobedience to God? How easy it is to consider the acts of love and passion of Almighty God toward we rebellious men, and somehow neglect to practice the presence of that reality.
ONE-THOUSAND, NINE-HUNDRED, and SEVENTY-NINE years ago, Jesus of Nazareth, the God-man, died on a Roman cross, at the neglect of a Roman Governor, at the demand of the people of God, so that all men, women, and children, might have the opportunity to be forgiven, and in so being, be restored to a life of service relationship with Almighty God who created us.
On this day, tonight those many years ago, He was arrested by the priests He ordained, betrayed by one of His own disciples, and tried before a kangaroo court in an abomination of the laws and precepts He established for His holy people. He did this willingly. He did this by choice. There is no myth which could be greater than the reality.
Tonight we commemorate His sweat of blood in the garden; we remember the betrayal and arrest and marvel as He healed the ear which Peter severed off the soldier there to arrest his Lord; and we enter into a night of prayer because to sleep a full and deep night's sleep on the night where-upon Jesus was so cruelly tortured is somehow just not right.
In my weakness tonight, I know that I will sleep... and it is His grace which buys me the peace upon which I rest. But for a few hours, I will keep watch with you; and in communion with the Saints who walked with the Christ, seek to keep watch if only for a time.
May my life be more worthy of His blood than it was yesterday; for today, we remember.
Peace of Christ to you all!
John
Incredible!
ReplyDelete