Why I don't support this billboard

Today in New York City's Time Square, Answers in Genesis will be broadcasting an advertisement on a billboard.



I disagree with the message of this board.

Answers in Genesis provides this explanation of why they are sponsoring the billboard.

Beginning today and spanning the next few weeks, Answers in Genesis is engaging the culture with a very high profile 15-second digital billboard in Times Square. About one million people will be gathering in that famous square in downtown New York City on New Year’s Eve, and they will have an opportunity to see the new board (which went up this morning). This special digital billboard will challenge the secularists who are increasingly intolerant of the Christian message. It is AiG’s way of bringing the greatest symbol of the gospel message—the Cross—to millions of people in Times Square as well as to millions more watching the famous ball drop on TV at 11:59 PM on Wednesday evening. It’s also our way of saying AiG is tired of the increasing intolerance of the Christian message in this culture, and it’s time we stood up boldly and very publicly and engaged the minority of people who are successfully infiltrating this generation with the religion of atheism.

I think it is wrong for two reasons, abusing freedom and not sharing the gospel. 

One, they twist the freedom given by God in the gospel message to fit their argument. Their blog cites verses in the Bible about the freedom of the gospel, but doesn't provide freedom in the context of the gospel.

This is the freedom that the gospel gives, freedom from sin. 

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?" 
Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father."

John 8:31-38 

Paul also warns against this type of activity of getting into needless fights.

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Galatians 5:13-15 


Two, I think that the ad does not convey the gospel message. Sure the cross is in the ad, but it does not articulate the gospel message that Christ died for sinners. 

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to youunless you believed in vain. 

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, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 

Which is better, getting into needless fights attacking those with different political beliefs and embarrassing the message of the cross, or spreading God's love and providing true freedom with the message of the gospel?

Joy

What brings you joy?


During the Christmas season, joy is a common theme. In commercials, churches, Christmas cards, and song, joy is a popular word.


When the angel appeared to the shepherds outside of Bethlehem 2000 years ago, he said “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”


The angel told the shepherds that the joy that all people should have is joy that the Messiah, our Lord and Savior, has been born.


Do we have joy? What should we be taking joy in?


Jesus further explains this joy that we should have.


In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus explains the joy that is found in heaven. He tells the story of a shepherd who leaves behind 99 sheep to look for 1 missing sheep. The shepherd then throws a party to celebrate the lost sheep being found. Jesus tells us the moral of the story, "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."


So heaven takes joy at our salvation.


Jesus also tells us what our joy should be. In Luke 10, Jesus sends out 72 of his disciples to go to various towns he is about to visit to prepare the way. They are given authority over demons and the power to heal. They return to Christ telling him the awesomeness of being able to do things in his name. He tells them that while that is cool, there is something greater that they should take joy in. He says "However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”


So Jesus tells us that our joy should be in our salvation.


In this season of Christmas joy, is our joy in our salvation? Heaven is rejoicing at it, are we?

Elder Qualifications, not just for Elders

In Titus 1:5-9, the apostle Paul instructs Titus to establish elders for the churches in Crete.

5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. 6 An elder must be blameless,faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good,who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. 

Titus 1:5-9 (ESV)

This passage gives us characteristics that Titus should look for in someone who he might consider for the office of elder.

But these characteristics seem familiar.

In Galatians 5:16-26, we find that Paul gives acts of the flesh and acts of the Spirit, which seem very similar.

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy,[a] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with itspassions and desires.25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Galatians 5:16-26 (ESV)

So the characteristics of an elder in the church are the characteristics of one who lives by the Spirit.

So when you are reading your Bible and come across qualifications of an elder, don't skip it because you aren't an elder or do not desire leadership. Read it, study it, for these qualifications are characteristics we should all strive for as we live life in the Spirit.

What's the point of Christianity?

If one was to ask a group of people what the point of Christianity was they might receive the following responses:

• To get to heaven
• To live a good life
• To be good
• Jesus
• The gospel
• To be saved
• To tell others

The number of answers may be as many as the number of people asked. I think the point of Christianity is to love God and love your neighbor.

This is different than the gospel. The gospel is the good news of Christianity, it's primary message. That message is the Jesus died for sinners. The news that by faith in Jesus, we can be forgiven by God for our sins. But that isn't the end of Christianity.

The response to get to heaven seems to be the end state of Christianity, that we go to heaven when we die. However, getting to heaven is only the beginning of eternity, which is a long, long time. Further, we don't live there yet, at least I don't at this moment. I live on earth, as a Christian, and I think my faith is more than just waiting around to die.

Since we have heard the gospel and received God's grace through faith in Christ, we are changed. Jesus refers to this as a new birth when he is talking to Nicodemus. 

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

John 3:1-8

So now that we are born again, now what?

I have always felt the Bible taught two things, how to become a Christian and what to do now that you are a Christian. How to become a Christian, that's the gospel. What to do now that you are a Christian, that's how to live in this new life.

So what is the point of Christianity? What are we to do now that we are Christians and have a new life? Love.

Jesus sums it up nicely for us.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:36-40

What is the point of Christianity? To love. To love God and to love your neighbor. But it sure is hard to do sometimes.

The cost of doing right

At my church, we have a weekly Men's Breakfast where we have breakfast and a Bible study. We are currently studying the life of Joseph in Genesis. I am leading this week and covering the portion when Joseph interprets Joseph's dreams.


Beginning the lesson, Joseph is in prison. I wanted to explore more of why Joseph is in prison.


Some commentators offer the explanation that Joseph is in prison to learn humility. That Joseph was too cocky when he told his family of the dream he had where the sheaves of grain and the stars bowed down before him. I don't think this is the reason. First, his telling others of the dream was telling others of a dream God gave him. They didn't like it, but he didn't make anyone begin worshiping him, he only told them of his dream. Second, two to thirteen years in prison seems a little harsh if all he is to learn is to use some tact when telling people of his dreams.


I certainly think the timing of his imprisonment is important. Had the cup-bearer remembered Joseph two years prior to the dreams of Pharaoh, Joseph would have probably left prison and gone back to Canaan, end of story. But instead he was in prison when Pharaoh needed to hear the message from God and the family of Joseph is saved, indeed all of Egypt is saved. But there seems to be more.


Many good people have gone to prison for unjust reasons. I think of two good examples, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King, Junior.


Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran clergyman who helped lead the Confessing Church against Nazi rule and participated in a conspiracy to assassinate Adolf Hitler.


When agreeing to participate in the plot, Bonhoeffer said "Of course, Christ's words that those who draw the sword will die by the sword also apply to us (co-conspirators). But right now, reason dictates that we must do this, and then of course we still have to turn to God for forgiveness in Christ.” He also said "For the first time I understand what Luther meant when he wrote 'Sin boldly but even more boldly believe and rejoice in Christ.'"


Not surprisingly, coming from a Lutheran quoting Luther, this is a very Lutheran idea, the Two Kingdoms of God. Now I do not fully understand it, but I understand Bonhoeffer to be saying he may be violating the law established by a government established by God, but in doing so, he is upholding the commandments of God and Christ’s grace will see him through his sinful act of murder


I read Martin Luther King, Junior's Letter from Birmingham Jail. This letter is written from the Birmingham jail where he was arrested for marching without a permit. His letter is a response to 8 local white clergymen who wrote “A Call For Unity” which urged using the courts and negotiations instead of marches and protests. Following is a portion of the letter.

Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application. For instance, I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an ordinance which requires a permit for a parade. But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest.


I hope you are able to ace the distinction I am trying to point out. In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist. That would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.

Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire.

I understand King to be saying that he is willing to go to prison because it is the cost of obeying his Lord and doing the right thing.


Joseph is in prison because it was the cost of obeying the command of God. When asked by Potiphar's wife to lie with her, he responds "How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" Now you know the rest of the story. Potiphar's wife grabs his garment as he runs away and accuses him of rape. Joseph is sent to prison.


The timing of Joseph in prison worked well for fulfilling God's desire of saving his people through saving Egypt. Joseph probably matured while in prison. But I believe the primary reason Joseph is in prison is because that was the cost of obeying God and resisting sexual sin.


Are you willing to pay the cost of prison for doing the right thing?

Living in Community in the Church

In Sunday school, we are going through Thom Rainer's I am a Church Member. The concept behind the book began with a blog post. The book is a short read, about 80 pages, broken into 6 chapters. We are covering a chapter a week. This week I was asked if I would teach on Chapter 1 of the book. Following are my thoughts.

This past week there was a protester in front of my house. She was holding a Japanese flag and sign saying “Fukushima is here”. Seeing as she was in front of my house, I went out to talk to her. Her main concern was raising awareness of radiated water from the nuclear power plant coming our direction. I asked what her solution was and she said we needed to gather as a community at the bay and sing songs and our metaphysical forces combined will cleanse the water.

When I told some people about her, they mentioned that it sounds like Rick Perry asking for people to pray to end the drought in Texas. Perhaps.

There are some important concept she knows and acknowledges. There are supernatural forces at work in our world and together we can accomplish more than alone. However, there is a stark difference between her beliefs and the beliefs shared by Rick Perry and myself, the source of the supernatural power. God is the source, not our combined conscience.

Over the next 6 weeks in Sunday school, we are going to be talking about working together in community and how together we can have a great impact on our community for God.

I am a Church Member is written by Thom Rainer. He is currently the President and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. LifeWay is a Christian resource provider and an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention. He is a Pastor and has served at many churches throughout the SBC.

I think a great summary of the book is found in the subtitle, Discovering the attitude that makes the difference. What attitude should we as church members have in order for our church to best function?

The book is broken into six topics.

• I Will Be a Functioning Member
• I Will Be a Unifying Church Member
• I Will Not Let the Church Be About My Preferences and Desires
• I Will Pray for My Church Leaders
• I Will Lead My Family to Be Healthy Church Members
• I Will Treasure Church Membership as a Gift

Today we will focus on I Will Be a Functioning Member. But first, I think it is important we establish a few working definitions of What is the church and What is a church member

So what is the church? Our word church comes from the Greek word Ekklesia. Using Strong's concordance, we find the following definitions.

• a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly
• an assembly of the people convened at the public place of the council for the purpose of deliberating
• the assembly of the Israelites
• any gathering or throng of men assembled by chance, tumultuously
• in a Christian sense
• an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting
• a company of Christian, or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs, according to regulations prescribed for the body for order's sake
• those who anywhere, in a city, village, constitute such a company and are united into one body
• the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth
• the assembly of faithful Christians already dead and received into heaven

I bring up all of these definitions to show that the church has always been defined as a group of people, not a physical place.

If reminds me of the old hymn, I am the Church.

The church is not a building;

the church is not a steeple;

the church is not a resting place;

the church is a people.

I am the church! You are the church!

We are the church together!

All who follow Jesus,

all around the world!

Yes, we're the church together!

The Church is the body of Christ. 

If the church is a group of people, who are the people that make up the church? They are the members of the body of Christ. We who are Christians are all members of the Church. This is not restricted by physical location, denomination, country, language, worship style, how often one joins together.

Then what is the local church? Local Christians, a subset of the larger body, who are brought together by physical location, for the purpose of carrying out the mission of the body of Christ. 

What is it to be a member of a local church? It is important for administrative concerns. In our local church, it is important for voting on things like our budget or holding certain leadership offices in the church. It is not important in us worshiping together, partaking in the Lord’s Supper, or even being active in ministry in and through this local church. We have many very active people in our church who are not members of this local church.

For this study, a think a good church member working definition we can use is Members of the body of Christ, that is Christians, who join together for the purpose of glorifying God through faith, worship, love, and works. Given we are gathered together as a local church, we want to focus on the members of the Church who join together with their main physical gathering place in this building.

We’ve established some basics of what is the church and what is a member. The church is the collection of Christians who are members of the body of Christ. Let us now consider our text for today.

1 Corinthians 12: 12-31

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Our society has various clubs where we are members. Some such clubs include country clubs, civic organizations, churches, political organizations, aquariums, travel clubs (AAA), professional organizations. I think we can break these clubs into two categories. Groups we are members of for the benefits and groups we are members of for service.

Regarding groups we are members of for the benefits. These would be things like travel clubs where being a member gets you benefits like free maps, roadside assistance, and trip planning help. I have been a member of groups strictly for the benefits. When I was a school teacher, I was a member of a teaching association for the insurance they provided as a benefit. I am a member of the local aquarium because it is cheaper than paying the entrance fee. I do nothing with these other than pay my annual dues and receive the benefits.

We also have groups we are members to join together for a purpose. My father in law is a member of a civic organization. His club is a group of people who come together with a purpose of helping the local community.

In the book, Rainer says many people in the church treat it like a country club. Now, I’ve never been a member of a country club. The closest I've come is the Travis Tritt song I’m a member of a country club, country music is what I love. I did date a girl who was a member. Her dad told me to take her to dinner and put it on his tab. We went and ate dinner and I ended up getting sick at the table. That's about my entire involvement with a country club. For our discussion, let’s compare it to placing it in the first category, we are a member for the benefits. I am a member of the church so that the pastor will teach me. I am a member of the church so that the youth group will teach my children. Or for a mayor in a town I use to live in, I am a member of the church so the local community will vote for me. He only attended the month prior to the election and he attended both services.

That is not why we are a church. So what does it mean to be a member of the church in order to join together for a purpose? First, we must acknowledge the other members in our church. We are in Community. Paul talks about this when he wrote The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 

A local missionary with Military Cru often says the Bible is about relationship. Relationship between God and man, man and God, and man and man. If the church is a community, we are concerned with relationship between man and man to create and enhance relationships between God and man.

Ross King has a song titled Community I've written about before. It is a simple song, but a great message. A few lines from it are:

Teach us to be community Jesus, teach us to be community, unify our hearts as one. 

One church, one family, sharing their all, to each as they need, one goal, one purpose, glory to God in this we agree. 

One part suffers, all parts suffer together, one part honored, all parts rejoice.

We are all different people, from different backgrounds, we don’t agree on everything, but we are unified in Christ. The diversity is good for the body

However, we must acknowledge that we are not only in a community, but that we are connected and affected by each other. When one body part gets sick, the entire body must be treated. We must take care of each other. 

When our worship pastor shared his vision for the church, he used the example of his time in the Army. As those of us in the military have seen, we know our Sailors will take care of each other when there is a need. When I am on deployment, I know that my wife and family will be taken care of. I know not only would she be called weekly, but if she needed something, people would drop everything to come help, even in the middle of the night. I know because it has happened. When one of my Sailors was in need, his fellow Sailors and his leaders will take care of him. This can range from issues in the military to issues with his credit card or his land-lord. We depend on each other and help each other. It is a great model for the church.

We do well to pray and care for each other when we have needs, but let us not neglect to rejoice together with our praises. Our deaconesses do a great job of this. Anytime someone is in need they organize meals. They send out birthday cards to everyone. Their birthday card was the only card that came on time besides my wife and children. Thank you to all the deaconesses. 

I was once asked three questions by a pastor. Where are you in your walk with Jesus? What do you suffer with? What can the church do for you? These are good questions and we should all ponder them, but lets rephrase the third question like John F Kennedy. Ask not what the church can do for you but what you can do for your church!

To do that, we need to be a functioning member.

What does it mean to be a functioning member? Let's look at what it means to not be functioning. If a body part gets gangrene, what must happen? It must be cut it off or the rest dies. It doesn't affect just itself, but the entire body.

So what are the different parts of the body of Christ? As parts of the body of Christ, we each have a role. What is your role? What are the gifts God has given you to use? Paul mentions spiritual gifts in several of his letters, this is just a short list: Pastor, Leadership, Teaching, Administration, Evangelism, Exhortation, Giving, Faith, Discerning, and Mercy. Beyond these spiritual gifts, God has blessed each of us with practical gifts, our abilities, to carry out our spiritual gifts. Paul writes in Romans 12, not all have the same gifts, but whatever your gift is, do it.

I am reminded of the Public Service Announcement “Anyone can be a father, but it takes a man to be a dad?" What’s the difference? Involvement. This same is for the church. Anyone can go to church, but it takes a Christian to be a church member. We need Sunday morning teaching, we need to be spiritually feed, we will need to be ministered to, but we also need to minister to others in whatever way God equips us to.

How do we carry this out? What allows us to rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn? (Romans 12:15). Love. How do we define love? 1st Corinthians 13 is the best definition of Christian love. Without love for others, we cannot minister to them. We cannot have a relationship without love. And we cannot love except for God loving us first. 

Throughout the book, Rainer gives six pledges. This is the first Pledge. I like the metaphor of membership. It’s not membership as in a civic organization or a country club. It’s the kind of membership given to us in 1 Corinthians 12: “Now you are the body of Christ and individual members of it” (I Corinthians 12:27). Because I am a member of the body of Christ, I must be a functioning member, whether I am an “eye,” an “ear,” or a “hand.” As a functioning member, I will give. I will serve. I will minister. I will evangelize. I will study. I will seek to be a blessing to others. I will remember that “if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26).

We all have a role. We must listen to the spirit to know our gifts and know how to employ it. We are to use our role in the church. Our church is a community and we must care for each other and celebrate with each other. Our church extends beyond these walls to all Christians world wide. But first, we must love. Without love, we are nothing. Love God, Love your neighbor, Be a functioning member.

Considerations on My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?

On Good Friday, I was asked to share with the congregation of my church on the passage of Jesus on the cross when he says My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? This was part of a Good Friday service in which the lessons were drawn from the Seven Last Words of Christ.

This line comes from Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Following are my thoughts as delivered.


"Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  These words are uttered by our Lord as he hangs on the cross, suffering awful physical pain from crucifixion and the events over the last day.

Just days earlier, crowds had turned out to welcomed him into Jerusalem. He had ridden into town like a king, riding on a donkey. The adoring crowds laid garments before him, waving palm branches. “Hosanna!” they cried. “Blessed be the king of Israel!” “Praise to God in the highest!”

His arrival in Jerusalem had turned the town upside-down. Everyone was talking about the king who had arrived. The crowds followed him everywhere he went, clinging to his every word. Every morning they would gather in the temple to listen to his teaching. The entire town, filled with Jews coming to celebrate the Passover, was paying attention to this man Jesus and his message.

Religious leaders demanded he silence the people. They demanded answers to their questions, hoping to catch him in a trap. They tried to lead the people away from Jesus.  Nevertheless, through all of this, the crowds kept gathering and those who opposed him were silenced by his answers.

Then one night, while in the garden of Gethsemane at the Mount of Olives, he was taken away in the darkness by men bearing weapons, betrayed by one of his own disciples. Most of his other disciples would flee in fear, one of his closest even publicly denying he even knew Jesus. He was brought before the religious rulers, Herod the tetrarch of Galilee, and Pontius Pilate the prefect of Judaea. Despite being given a mockery of a court trial, he was found guilty of no crime, yet sentenced to be punished by being lashed. He was tied to a post and beaten by whips until the near the point of death. His back was torn to shreds with wounds deep into the muscle. He was untied and left lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood. The guards ridiculed him by dressing him up in a robe, making him hold a scepter, and fastening a crown made of thorny sticks and placing it on his head. They then beat him and spit in his face while mocking and insulting him.

The crowds, those same voices who just days earlier had chanted “Hosanna in the highest!” at his arrival now cried “crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate responded to their cries, “I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.” But their pleas continued. "Away with this man!” they shouted. “Release to us instead the murderer!” Pilate grew fearful because of the crowd. Having turned against Jesus, the cries of the crowd compelled Pilate to sentence Jesus to the cross, the man who Pilate said he could find no wrong doing in.

After enduring the flogging that brought him close to death, he was forced to carry his own cross through town until he could bear it no longer. He was taken outside of town, on the hill of Calvary.

He was then placed on the cross. Nails were pierced through his wrists and his feet. He was then lifted up, naked before all, under a sign King of the Jews. The weight of his entire body hanging on these nails would cause excruciating pain. The very word excruciating was created to describe this pain and literally means “a pain like the pain of crucifixion.” His legs are bent at 45 degrees, causing them to become extremely fatigued and overcome with cramps. The weight of his body causes his shoulders, elbows, and wrists to become dislocated. To take a breath, he would have to lift his body up, each breath only continuing the agonizing torture he was enduring. In his chest, the sac around his heart was filling with fluid, compressing his heart. Indeed, Christ was living out the very words David wrote in the 22^nd Psalm, I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me.

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eh-loy-ee Eh-loy-ee, la-ma sa-buck-tani' that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  

My god, my God, why have you forsaken Jesus?

1500 years earlier, at this very same time of the year, hundreds of thousands of Israeli slaves were about to have their last night in Egypt. As God had commanded, Moses had the people slaughter the Passover lamb. They then dipped hyssop into the blood and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. When the Lord came through the land to strike down the Egyptians that very night, he would see the blood on the doorframe and would pass over that doorway, and not permit the angel of death to enter their houses and strike them down. When the angel of death came that night, the death in Egypt was so great, Pharaoh and the Egyptians pleaded for the Israelites to leave. The lamb was slayed so that the people might live.

For 400 years the people of Israel were in a land that was not theirs, a slave to another people, awaiting deliverance by Yahweh. He heard their cries and had not forsaken them. That very night, through the blood of the Passover lamb, Yahweh delivered his people as his wrath was poured out on Egypt because of Pharaoh. The blood of the Passover lamb was shed for deliverance from God’s wrath for those people who God had chosen to save.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This was the one thing which God had warned them not to do. Through their willful disobedience to God, sin entered into the world, man fell into sin, and Adam and Eve were banished from the garden where they enjoyed relationship with the Lord. For this sin, we were all born under the condemnation of God. Indeed all of us have freely chosen to sin through willful disobedience to God and are well deserving of this condemnation.

Ever since the fall, all creation has cried to God to restore the relationship. God’s faithful people offered animal sacrifices, but these could not remove the guilt from the heart of the sinner. God’s people continued to cry out for salvation from sin.

But the condemnation of sin is not easily removed from before the eyes of the most righteous God. His wrath for transgressions against him must be satisfied. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness and whose blood should be shed except the one who committed the sin. For man, there was no hope for forgiveness, only death because of their sins.

But Yahweh heard their cries and had not forsaken them. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Lamb of God, came in the flesh. Just like the Passover lamb 1500 years earlier, Jesus was slaughtered, his blood poured out. His blood was placed on those who believe, and when God comes in final judgment, those who are marked with the blood of the lamb will be passed over, and the angel of death will bring no harm.

He suffered humiliation on the cross and died through one of the most cruelest forms of death man has ever invented. His last day was filled with great physical suffering. He saw the crowds who welcomed him into town call for him to be taken from town and killed. He was abandoned by God the Father, endured the wrath of God, and allowed to suffer unto death. And all of it was so that those who had sinned against God could be forgiven and come to God. Jesus was forsaken so that you could be cherished. He was killed so that you might live.

My god, my God, why have you forsaken Jesus? So that I might be remembered and forgiven. I know no way to thank you, my dear Savior.