Category: Thoughts and Meditations

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” – 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Who are we to argue with Paul? This truly is what’s of first, primary, absolute importance above all else! Christ died for your sins. He died so that your sins could be forgiven, their penalty paid with the innocent blood of the eternal Son of God. He paid your debt and there’s nothing more you could possibly add to what He did.

Christ was buried. Jesus was dead beyond a shadow of a doubt. Beaten, whipped, nailed to a cross, suffocated, and finally stabbed with a spear just to make sure. The eternal Son of God lay in that borrowed cave tomb. Then He got up. Jesus rose from the dead, victorious over all sin and evil and death.

By His sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection, Jesus made the way for everyone who believes in Him to be forgiven and reconciled to God, made new in Christ, and adopted as beloved children of God in Heaven. As we prepare to celebrate the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, know that there is nothing more important to you and to everyone you know. There are many good things, but this is of first importance!

“And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” – Mark 8:23-25

This is a funny little miracle story, isn’t it? How often do we see Jesus doing a two-part miracle that only sort of works the first time? Why would He choose to do the miracle this way? The answer is found in the larger context of Mark chapter 8.

This healing story is an acted-out parable describing the growth of the disciples. After spending a great deal of time with Jesus and seeing wonders they could have never imagined, they understood some things about Jesus, but there was so much they still didn’t understand! Their eyes had been opened a little bit but they still didn’t see Jesus clearly.

In verse 21, Jesus asked them “Do you not yet understand?” because clearly they didn’t. However, in verse 29, Peter will at last confess that Jesus is the Christ. Their eyes were opening at last and they would keep opening wider! Like the disciples, every person is naturally born blind to Christ. If we’re fortunate, we come to hear something about Him and our eyes begin to open. We come to believe in Him and our eyes open more.

However, even among Christians, our vision of Jesus can be too small, too limited, too blurry. Thankfully, God will continue to open our eyes to see Jesus more clearly through regular reading of the Bible, regular worship, and consistent prayer. How clearly do you see Jesus? Are you doing what you should be doing to see Him more clearly?

“Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
– Psalm 90:2

It’s definitely a good idea to contemplate eternity from time to time! We’re generally very poor at it. In this day and age, a month feels like a long time. We struggle to make sense of something even as short as a typical human lifespan. God, however, is eternal.

He has always been and He always will be. Before the universe existed, God existed. Before time began, God existed. God created space and time, but He has existed forever and will exist forever. Indeed, God stands astride space and time, ever present and seeing all of time in a way we can’t really imagine.

As we contemplate the most timeless of geological wonders on Earth, we must remember they’re nothing compared to our 3-in-1 God Who has eternally existed in fellowship, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Marvel at, ponder, praise, and worship the God Who has always existed!

Having stretched our minds a bit backward, remember that our future now stretches eternally forward through time. Once born, humans are eternal creatures. The question is where we’ll spend that eternity. Will it be in God’s glorious presence by virtue of His grace given through faith in Jesus Christ or will it be forever separated from God, His person, His presence, and His love?

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

While these verses are often read at weddings and applied to romantic relationships, Paul is actually writing to a much larger situation. This chapter is written to a church struggling with internal conflict and division, a gifted, talented, blessed church that can’t seem to work together. This passage defines what love is meant to look like between any two Christians, particularly any two church members.

Obviously, Paul wouldn’t need to write these words if there weren’t going to be problems between Christians from time to time. We wouldn’t need to be patient, kind, humble, calm, long-suffering, and enduring toward one another if it weren’t a given that from time to time we will try each other’s patience, gentleness, and endurance! We’re all frail creatures of dust and there will always be interpersonal challenges within any body of believers until Christ returns.

Rather than shun other believers or walk away from the body of Christ (the church), we must choose to love like Paul describes here! When our brothers and sisters in Christ try our patience and take advantage of our kindness, we must choose to love them patiently, kindly, humbly, unselfishly, calmly, truthfully, and enduringly.

This is an incredibly hard task, isn’t it? However, it’s one that’s possible because Jesus already, and always, loves us this way. Despite all our sins, mistakes, goof-ups, and implosions, Jesus still loves us in exactly this way. His Spirit within us empowers us to love our brothers and sisters like this, even when we desperately want to respond in a different way. Choose to love others like Jesus, no matter how you feel about them!

“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.'” – 1 Corinthians 12:21

God has blessed every Christian with a unique combination of gifts, skills, experiences, and talents. He does this specifically so we’ll weave our lives together with those of other believers to create local churches containing every gift, skill, and talent needed to proclaim Jesus, make disciples, and minister in this lost and hurting world as one united body.

We must choose to weave our lives into those of other believers or else we’re like those impossible body parts Paul mentions in this verse, dismissing others parts as unnecessary. It’s absolutely essential for every Christian to be actively serving within a local church. When we don’t serve we miss out an essential part of God’s calling on our lives. We also leave the bride of Christ lacking in some necessary area.

It’s also absolutely essential that we value the gifts, talents, skills, and experiences of other believers, no matter how different they may be from our gifts, talents, skills, and experiences. It’s natural to believe our gifts and passions are the most important, but they’re all necessary. That’s exactly why God made each Christian as He did — so that in every church, large or small, there will be people passionate and prepared for all the needed functions of Christ’s body, the church.

Take time to reflect on your own connection to a local church. Are you well integrated? Are you putting your gifts, skills, and talents to work as an eager eye or fantastic foot? If not, you need to carefully consider your situation in light of the Bible’s clear teaching – no Christian can or should go it alone!