Tag: easter

Real Repentance

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(1 John 1:5-2:2)

Even if you didn’t have your special glasses to watch the solar eclipse, unless you live in a cave or under a rock, you surely heard about it or saw pictures of it online. People made plans to travel to other states to get the best possible experience with such a rare phenomenon. While California only had about 35% coverage, there were other states in the path of totality that were able to witness the sun being covered up entirely at different times of the day. 

It’s one thing for the sun to be blotted out momentarily to reveal an eerie darkness, but could you imagine if the world was like that all the time? I’m not just talking about the gray skies and gloom sometimes associated with the Pacific Northwest or the Midwest, but actual darkness because of a lack of light. Not only would our mental health be affected, but some of the very basic, fundamental errands and day-to-day activities would be much more difficult with less light.

It’s our own experiences with light and dark that help us relate to the distinction John is makes in the verses from 1 John, where he connects God with light and unbelieving sin with darkness.

What is it that bridges the gab between darkness and light? Repentance. Even though the word itself isn’t used in these verses from John, repentance is nonetheless described. The basic meaning of repentance is to turn around. The Bible uses the term in primarily two ways, which have been called the wide sense and the narrow sense.

At times when we hear Peter or Paul preaching, they exhort their hearers to repent and believe. That is the wide sense of repentance. It is another way of referring to a person coming to faith. When repentance happens in that sense, a person has been converted from unbelief to faith in Jesus as Savior.

The narrow sense of repentance is more specific. It refers to the recurring process that has been described as having three steps: 1) contrition (“sorrow”) that confesses sin, 2) faith that believes Jesus has forgiven that sin, and 3) a change of heart/mindset that seeks to struggle against that sin in the future and aims to overcome it.

For most of us reading this, repentance in the wide sense has probably already taken place – the Holy Spirit has converted us from the darkness of unbelief to the light of faith in Jesus. But repentance in the narrow sense will never stop taking place in our lives. It is an ongoing practice. That activity is both made possible by the resurrection of Jesus, which guarantees our forgiveness, and is fueled by it as well. We wish to remain in God’s light, and real repentance keeps us there. 

Why is repentance so important to John? Because it is essential to achieving one of his goals in writing this letter. He stated as clearly as it could possibly be stated in verse one of chapter two: “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.” John wants what God wants: to put a stop to sinning. Here’s a question for you to wrestle with: do you want what John wants? Do you want what God wants? Do you want to stop sinning?

I assume that almost everyone reading this knows the answer to that question. Absolutely we are supposed to want to stop sinning! Duh! No brainer, right? 

Except that we aren’t made up of just a mind. We have hearts, too, and our hearts have this nasty tendency to reveal our true colors. Our hearts expose us. Our hearts convict us. Our hearts give away the truth that our lives are riddled with countless examples of times that our actions clearly demonstrated that we were not interested in putting a stop to sin. 

I know I shouldn’t do this or that… as I proceed to carry it out. I know exactly the circumstances, the scenario, the conditions, that lend themselves to engaging in this sin or that one, and I do nothing to safeguard against them. I spend more time thinking through how I will either hide or get away with a certain sin than I do battling against it. I slip back into the damnable lie that convinces me that because God is all-forgiving, I have nothing to fear, because an all-forgiving God has bound himself to forgive me no matter what, so I’m in the clear. Consider how much premeditation goes into our sinning and ask yourself if that’s a reflection of a genuine desire to stop.

Then consider the other end of the sin. It has already been committed. It is in the past. When we perform the postmortem, what do we see?

How do you respond when either your own conscience or another person calls out your sin? Do you remorsefully spill the beans and spiral into feelings of shame and regret because you can’t believe you did it yet again, even though you want so badly to stop? Hopefully that is our response at least some of the time!

But we also handle it another way. We deflect the accusation and with calculated precision detail all of the factors beyond our control that took place and led to the sin, masterfully attempting to shift the blame where we feel it really ought to be. We resort to personal attacks against the one who would have the gall to point out our sin. Maybe we just go with one of the oldest standbys of all: deny it. When you look at how you tend to respond to your sin being pointed out to you, is your response really a reflection of a genuine desire to stop – or just a genuine desire for the other person to stop accusing you?

How we love the darkness! How steeped in it we truly are! God help us! God save us! God rescue us from eternal darkness!

Good news – he has!

Listen again to John. “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1:5). In God alone is there not even the slightest speck of darkness! Only light! So if someone, if something is going to save us from the darkness, it can’t be ourselves or anyone else who is only steeped in darkness. No, it must be someone who is only light, one from whom light emanates. One who can overcome the darkness and not be overcome by it. 

Because that is what light does. Light exposes and dispels the darkness. It’s never the other way around. Darkness cannot cover or hide the light. We can wear a pair of sunglasses to protect us from the bright sun, but those sunglasses don’t actually lessen the light at all – the sun shines just as brightly whether we’re wearing them or not!

Sin puts up a wall of darkness between God and us, but his light still shines regardless. That light will expose the darkness of our sin, but darkness will never put out the light. Therefore, we need to confess that darkness of sin that separates us from his light so that we can be rejuvenated by it. How comforting! His light is always shining. We need only to remove the covering from our eyes. We need only to confess our sins and then we see the light again. 

That’s repentance. It calls out the darkness of sins and shows a much better way – the light of God, the forgiveness and grace that emanate only from him. That repentance is real because of the reality of the resurrection. Had the dead body of Jesus Christ remained in the tomb; had the stone remained intact to shut out the light and keep the tomb covered in the darkness of death and sin, then the light would have been snuffed out. Then darkness and the one who reigns in darkness would have been victorious. 

But Easter really happened! The Resurrection is real!

So then, is your repentance. We take our darkest sins to the source of all light and see what he does with them. Look at how many different ways John describes what God does with that sin! “The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (v.7). “He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (v.9). “[Jesus Christ] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins” (2:2). See what the Light does to the darkness of sin?!? Sin doesn’t stand a chance!

So let’s keep killing sin. Let’s repent – really. If sin is a part of our day-to-day lives – and it is! – then let’s also make repentance a part of our day-to-day lives. Whether it’s when you wake up every morning, go to bed at night, or as often as it might happen somewhere in-between, let’s be intentional and very conscious of killing our sin by repenting of it and letting the Light decimate it and destroy it, leaving nothing but purity and righteousness in its place.

When that becomes a regular part of our daily routine, the benefits are ongoing, because repentance rewires your heart. It just does.

It’s a terrible thing when a corrupt church or teacher twists the Bible to make forgiveness into some conditional arrangement wherein a person is only forgiven if certain stipulations are met. The rationale behind that foolishness is that if everyone is freely forgiven without any conditions or requirements, then people will just keep sinning and live however they want. 

But that reasoning sells grace and the power of the gospel too short. Instead, what happens when real repentance becomes a regular part of our daily routine is that it renews and rewires our hearts. The more the darkness is exposed, the less appeal and power it has. Instead, the light becomes far more attractive. Not sinning becomes a genuine desire. Walking in Jesus’ footsteps makes our heart sing. Blessing others through our obedience satisfies our hearts. Doing that which brings delight to God fills our hearts with joy. Living in the light and embracing the fellowship we have with not only the God who himself is light, but also others who walk in the light – that’s when we’ve arrived. That’s what matters. That’s the real deal. That’s real repentance. 

He’s Risen – Really!

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(John 20:1-18)

A friend recently ordered us seafood takeout from a specific place that he liked because it doesn’t use imitation crab in its dishes like other places often do. He wanted the real thing. If you’re visiting a friend for a few days and he tries to pass off turkey bacon as the real thing at breakfast well, that might just be enough to rethink who your friends are. You might be able to fool an amateur with a generic brand of clothing, but someone who knows their stuff can tell if it’s not a designer label. Even with AI on the rise, AI-generated images often still have glitches that reveal them to be fake. While their are some pretty good attempts at imitating the real thing, for the most part we still have the ability and means to be able to distinguish between what is real and what is fake. 

Nowhere does that matter more than on Easter Sunday. On Easter, Christians of every nation, tribe, and language gather together to celebrate the most significant event in human history: the resurrection of Jesus. If this event is not real, if it is in fact made up or a complete fake, well then, what Paul wrote in First Corinthians 15 is soberingly true: our faith is useless and we are still stuck in the damning reality of our sin. If the Resurrection of Jesus Christ isn’t REAL, then neither is forgiveness, grace, or eternal life. Instead, we’d be destined to find out just how real hell is. Without those realities, the only thing that would be REAL would be our hopelessness. 

This would be a great place to reference the number of convincing proofs that strongly support the reality of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. But I’m going to skip right over that in this post (besides, you can always just google it). Why? For one, because John’s account recorded for us simply doesn’t read like the stuff of made-up fairy tales. It’s an unblemished look at flawed participants who not only could have painted themselves in a much more favorable light if this was all fake, but also would not likely have included so many unnecessary details.

But there’s another reason I’m not going to spend more time making a case to prove how plausible the Resurrection really is. Because the Resurrection isn’t the real issue for most skeptics. No, the resurrection is actually not so implausible… if one acknowledges there actually is a God.

After all, if there is a divine being, an entity who created and oversees and governs all things, then Jesus being raised from the dead wouldn’t be much of a stretch at all for God to pull off, would it? No, the real issue isn’t the resurrection, but whether or not there is a God behind it. So rather than spending time trying to prove the Resurrection, we simply proclaim it. We testify to it, and we let God show us the difference in made in people’s lives that first Easter and still today.

The question I want to focus on is the one asked of Mary to help her uncover the real significance of what has happened. The angels asked it first. “They asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’” (v.13). Now angels aren’t omniscient, but one would not have needed the sleuthing skills of a Sherlock Holmes to figure out why Mary might have been crying. The answer was really quite obvious. Nevertheless, Mary provided the reason. “‘They have taken my Lord away,’” she said, ‘and I don’t know where they have put him’” (v.13).  Mary was saddened by the obvious lack of Jesus’ body in the place where she had seen him laid. He wasn’t where he was supposed to be so that she could carry out her last act of humble service for her Savior.

Immediately on the heels of her answer, Mary turns and is asked right away again by a man she takes to be the keeper of the garden, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” (v.15). Had he not been within earshot to hear the response she had literally just given? Was it really necessary to repeat the exact same question? 

It was. But not for the angels’ sake, because they might have somehow missed her answer. And not for Jesus’ sake, who doesn’t ask questions for his own sake, but for the sake of others. No, the question was asked – and repeated – for Mary’s sake. It was really asked to set the stage for the revelation of the greatest miracle that has ever taken place in the history of the world: the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! 

Mary was not really in much of an emotional state of mind to consider the significance of the question that had been asked twice of her. From her vantage point, she saw nothing unnatural at all about the tears she was shedding. She had wanted to honor her Jesus by properly caring for his beaten and bloodied body. It was a simple thing, but it was something she longed to do. So when there was no crucified corpse in the tomb, her heart sank. In the end, she didn’t care about why the body of her Jesus was not there or who was behind it – she just wanted to know where it was, so she pleaded for the man she thought was the gardener to point her in the right direction. 

But we can consider how remarkable the question really was, for we know why there was no body in the tomb. Christ had risen! Death could not detain him! Hell could not hold him!

Knowing that, when we consider the question asked of Mary, it leads us to realize how backwards everything really was that first Easter morning. The only crying at Jesus’ empty tomb that would have made any sense would have been tears shed in sheer joy!

Tears of grief or sorrow would only have been appropriate if the body was still in the tomb, wrapped in the linens and covered in the cloth. But John goes out of his way to spell out that detail for us – there was no body – just the coverings. Therefore, there was no reason to cry! Had Jesus still been dead, had Mary and the other women and Peter and John all arrived at the tomb that Sunday morning to see what they expected to see – the dead body of Jesus – then there would have been reason to cry! A dead Jesus would have been reason to cry uncontrollably because it would have meant no Easter. No Resurrection. No victory over death. No forgiveness. No salvation. That would have been cause for tears!

Because we’d still be in our sin. We’d have reason every day of our lives to absolutely dread death and be terrified of when it might strike us at any moment. Because we’d know deep down inside that we’d finally have to answer for our past and we’d be left to what rightfully awaited us: hell. Condemnation. The punishment our daily sins deserve.

But since Jesus wasn’t in the tomb, we see the question asked of Mary in a different light! He lives – really! He’s risen – really! It really happened! So then… why was she crying???

It’s a good question for us to ask ourselves. Why are you crying? Maybe the tears are literal, physical tears that run down your cheeks. Maybe it is just a sad, heavy heart – one that you might hide well from others, but still carry with you wherever you go. What is the cause of it? What is pressing down, weighing on you heavily?

It is so easy for us to downplay this Easter stuff in favor of “real” issues we have to deal with. Sure, we’ll do the Easter Sunday thing. We’ll sing a familiar Easter hymn or two, probably followed by a brunch. The family photo of everyone all dressed up has been taken. The kids will have snatched up their eggs filled with candy. Perhaps we have Sunday afternoon or evening plans with family or friends. Yes, it will all be a nice little escape from the daily grind of life. 

But then it’s right back to real problems on Monday morning, if not sooner. Another Easter will have come and gone, but the real problems still remain. The money going out exceeds the money coming in but those bills and debts don’t care. That means I still have to show up at a job I hate, working with people I don’t care for. The roof still leaks. The car is still having trouble. I can’t figure out what is behind my child’s recent behavior. Being single is wearing thing. Depression and anxiety are real. There’s the health issue I’m putting off because if I go to the doctor I know it’s going to be something that I just can’t handle right now. I’m still crawling through so many firsts without a loved one in my life. So many “real” issues!

But that’s the point of asking the question. If Jesus really rose, then why are you crying? Let’s not so quickly default to the “yeah, but’s…” as we breeze past Easter. Enough with the “real” problems that we don’t see how Easter could ever fix.

Jesus REALLY rose and it REALLY matters more than anything else on your mind right now. Yes, it may feel like the boulder-size problems plaguing you right now are slowly crushing you – and Jesus doesn’t diminish those problems! In fact, it’s just the opposite! The One who denied eternal death its claim on him by REALLY rising from the dead is the same One to assure you he’s here to handle the other stuff! If Jesus Christ can unloose hell’s grip and deny its rightly-deserved demand on our souls for our track record of more sins than we could ever possibly count, then Jesus Christ REALLY can deliver us from anything and everything else we’ll ever face!

Do you hear Jesus asking you what he asked Mary? “Why are you crying? Why are you worried about ______?” No, he’s not diminishing your REAL problems at all; rather, he’s amplifying the significance of what we celebrate at Easter! With his “Why are you crying,” Jesus was stacking up all of our worldly concerns right next to the reality of his Resurrection and showing us how small they suddenly appear!

Yes, those things are REAL problems, but the Resurrection is also REAL. If death and hell could not prevail against Jesus, is he so weak to rise from the dead only to turn around and succumb to your much smaller problems? Of course not! He’s risen – really! He lives – really! And his promise to you who have been freed from the damnation of your sin is that he can – and will – also handle the smaller things. 

He’s risen – really! Why are you crying? May the only tears we shed be tears of joy over how small and insignificant our worries begin to appear when stacked up against the enormity of Jesus’ resurrection!

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

This Is the Way

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(John 14:1-11)

Even if you’re not a Star Wars nerd, the popularity of one of its spinoffs, The Mandalorian, has already cemented its catchphrase into pop culture: This is the way. It’s a sort of catch-all code of honor among Mandalorians that is recited as if it were a religious rite, affirming an unquestioned devotion to the Mandalorian way of things. Is the mission too difficult? Is the request at odds with some other code of ethics? Does certain behavior seem unusual to those on the outside looking in? None of that matters. “This is the way,” says all that needs to be said and puts an end to any questioning or doubting. 

While it might work for a show, such a message is about as at odds with our current culture’s outlook as any message could be. In a society that celebrates the permission of each individual to pursue whatever personalized path promises happiness at any cost, about the only thing we aren’t allowed to dictate to anyone is the sentiment that there is only one right way. It is unacceptable to express the opinion that someone else has chosen the wrong way and that “this is the [right] way.” While such a phrase is a code of honor on a television show, our society says it’s about the greatest blasphemy one can commit! Instead, we celebrate that yours is the way for you and mine is the way for me and they have their way over there and we all have our own ways because our own ways – and not those dictated and enforced on us by others – offer the most personal satisfaction and happiness.

If I may make an observation, since my whole calling involves dealing with people, both inside and outside the church: I don’t see a society in general that appears to be enjoying the happiness it was expecting in being able to choose its own way. The freedom from a sense of rigidly enforced cookie-cutter norms passed down from either parents or society and replaced by the freedom of self-expression and individualization was supposed to do the trick. But it seems as if we’re the ones who’ve been tricked. In other words, it doesn’t strike me that “your way is the way” and “my way can also be the way” has resulted in the storybook bliss that was expected.

Here’s what I see. We are irate and angry – even when getting to do what we wanted! Why? Because as it turns out, it wasn’t enough for me to get my way as long as there is still anyone else who isn’t OK with my way. Then I have to have my way AND make sure everyone else is accepting of it. THEN I’ll finally be happy.

But that wasn’t the agreement (neither is it ever achievable!). We were supposed to be happy being free to be whatever we wanted and to do whatever we wanted with no strings attached. But we aren’t. So rather than pausing to step back and evaluate or reassess whether or not choosing our own individualized paths is actually the best way, we do what comes most naturally to us all: we find someone or something else to blame for our dissatisfaction. 

The comparison game that social media fosters is to blame – that’s why we’re so unhappy. Politics are so divisive – that’s why we’re so angry. The institution of marriage is so outdated – that’s why we’re divorcing. A lack of gun control is the problem – that’s why we’re shooting up schools and malls. We’re getting bullied – that’s why we’re committing suicide.

Is there some truth to each of these – yes, absolutely! That’s what makes this all so dangerous. We hide our blaming behind the tiniest kernel of truth and call it justified. Maybe instead, we ought to consider the possibility that we’ve hitched our wagon to the wrong horse of happiness and ask if there is a better way.

Of course, I could be wrong. But the research doesn’t seem to reflect that. And by research, I mean Google. A simple Google search on happiness in America reveals hit after hit reflecting in one article or another that our happiness as a country is at a low point. So if research is showing us that Americans are the unhappiest they’ve been in 50 years, maybe it’s time to rethink the ways we’ve chosen.

Let’s filter out all of the noise and try listening to the words of Jesus. He certainly grabs our attention with the first words from John 14. “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (v.1). There is something soothing about just reading and hearing those words from Jesus. Why did he speak them?

It was the night before he was going to be crucified and it was the last meal he was sharing with his disciples. He was well aware of how difficult the next 24 hours would be for them when they would see how Jesus would be treated, tortured, and crucified.

On top of that, he had just finished telling his disciples that they would betray and deny him in the process. So we understand why their hearts would be troubled!

And Jesus knows why your hearts are troubled, too. As I mentioned, there is a kernel of truth to all of the blame we place on everything else that weighs heavily on us. But those things alone don’t bear 100% of the blame. As efficient as we are at directing blame elsewhere, we can’t hide that we share some of it. We haven’t played our part perfectly as parents, spouses, friends, employees, etc., leaving us still troubled with guilt and shame. So Jesus is speaking to you as much as he was his disciples on that night when he said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (v.1).

To back up his words, Jesus then hit the fast-forward button to reassure his disciples by reminding them of the heavenly outcome waiting for them. Knowing that his disciples then and now cannot possibly comprehend the glories of heaven with the limitations of worldly knowledge and experiences, he opted for a relatable picture of heaven that has brought hope and comfort to countless souls ever since he first spoke the words. He promised a reservation and room in the mansion of heaven, further assuring his followers that if he was leaving to make sure all was ready for them in that place, that he would most surely return to take them there. 

Then, demonstrating their confusion, the disciples wanted Jesus to be more specific, as if he could give them the address so they could punch it into their GPS and have a clear picture of where they were going. That’s when, with words that have reassured many and revolted others, Jesus reminded them that they already knew the way. He was the way. He still is the way… and the truth, and the life.

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (v.6). I wonder how Jesus’ words hit our ears today. I know many Christians find them so very comforting. There are also others who find them confusing, wondering what Jesus is actually saying with those words. And surely there are some who even find them a little off-putting. I mean, doesn’t that sound a little egocentric or narcissistic to claim that you are the way/truth/life and that no one has access to God except through you?

Well… is it egocentric or narcissistic when the medical doctor prescribes only one medication, and one that is to be taken only when and as he directs? Is it egocentric or narcissistic when the successful coach gives a player a very specific set of drills to work on to improve in one area or another? Or a music teacher shows certain techniques to improve playing ability? Or… you get the point.

In so many areas of life, we simply take the word of the expert. We don’t huff and puff that they didn’t permit us to do it the way we wanted to do it. We don’t push back because they’re being too presumptuous to assume their way is the only right way. We listen, and more often than not, when we do what they say, we find success. 

Do you know why you’ll find success when taking Jesus at his Word and believing he is the way, the truth, and the life, and the One through whom we have access to God? Because he’s already succeeded for us. Here’s why his way works: he is the one who did the work. That’s why his way is so unlike every other way.

You’re probably familiar with the description of religions being like different paths that can be taken up a mountain. The point emphasized is that although they may be different paths, they all eventually will get you to the final destination: the top of the mountain, where god supposedly is. There may be different religious writings and various versions of guides and gurus to get you there, but eventually whichever religion or path you choose will get the job done.

Jesus says otherwise – and with good reason. Christianity doesn’t presume to be just one more path up the mountain to get closer to God. Instead, it reveals a radically different take: God descended down the mountain to come to us because he knew we’d never make it up to him. Jesus left heaven to be born into this world as a real person in a real place called Bethlehem. His perfect life was real. His death by crucifixion was real. His resurrection was real. 

Therefore this truth is real: your sins are fully paid for and forgiven. All of them. So is this truth: heaven is open to all who believe it. So is this truth: there is no mountain for you to climb, no penance for you to complete, no right for you to wrong. Everything has already been finished and completed for you in Christ Jesus. This is the way. Jesus is the way.

Jesus calls us to believe this, but as if anticipating that his words might be too difficult for some, he even extends the invitation to “at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves” (v.11). Jesus welcomes doubters and skeptics and calls us to look at the proof.

Surely you know someone’s life who has been radically changed by Jesus. I’m not referring to some short-term high that comes from the quick results of a fad diet. We aren’t talking about the positive impact of a motivational speaker at some weekend getaway. This is more than the magic of some enchanted romantic relationship.

I mean people whose upside-down lives have been turned right-side up. Those whose chains of bitterness and resentment have been broken. Addictions that have been overcome. Rage and anger have been eased into a gentle calm. 

It’s not the poor examples of Jesus’ followers that nullify the way of Christianity, but the good he still lavishes on this world despite the poor examples. It’s strong marriages. Good people. Selfless neighbors. Caring teachers. Compassionate communities. That we see any of these in a sin-shattered world is evidence that God paved a better way in the life, words, and works of Jesus. So if you’re looking for life, look no further this is the way. 

Dealing with Doubt

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(John 20:19-31)

Doubt is a universal struggle. We all deal with it at different times in life under different circumstances. When it comes to dealing with doubt, what have you found to be most helpful to address it?

Does it help when others provide this insightful advice: “You just have to believe.”? How about this: “Stop doubting.”? Or this one, which combines them both: “Stop doubting and believe.”? 

You might recognize that last one from John 20. Those are the words of Jesus himself.

Under the circumstances, I imagine they were pretty powerful. Thomas hadn’t been with the other disciples that first Easter Sunday when Jesus appeared to them to offer proof of his resurrection from the dead. This time, however, Thomas was present as Jesus appeared to them, providing concrete evidence to back up his words, “Stop doubting and believe.” It’s much easier to stop doubting and believe when the evidence is staring you in the face and speaking the very words to you!

But do those words carry the same weight if it’s not Jesus speaking them to you in person? They don’t, which is why telling someone who is struggling with doubt to just “stop doubting” might be about the least effective advice there is. And right up there with it is “just believe more.”

That kind of advice is not only ineffective but also a bit of an insult. It goes without saying that the person struggling with doubt knows full well that the desired outcome would be to doubt less and believe more. Yet the whole reason they’re struggling is because they can’t!

Unless we expect Jesus to show up on our doorstep and help us address our doubts in the way that he did Thomas, how do we manage them? How do we overcome them? How do we eliminate them? 

Let’s start with an essential first step: realizing that you won’t ever eliminate them. That just won’t happen. We often beat ourselves up because we think we can completely eliminate our doubts.

But no human being, no matter how strong a believer she is, no matter how self-confident he is, will ever get to the point of completely eliminating doubts from life. Once we realize that is not the goal, because it is not achievable, then we can actually make some progress. And the best verse in this whole section to help us address doubt is found at the very end in verse thirty-one. 

Before we get to that though, let’s recap the details of this account, singling out the highlights. Think of how busy Easter Sunday morning is as you consider everything that goes on at church that morning. But no matter how much effort is put into the worship and music and brunch and egg hunt and clean up, it’s nothing compared to how busy Jesus was on that first Easter Sunday.

He had one Resurrection gig after another scheduled throughout the day, appearing here, there, and everywhere, finally presenting himself to the distressed disciples who were fearfully hunkered down behind locked doors. As they were still trying to piece together the various stories and appearances and the implications of it all, Jesus himself appeared in their presence.

But Jesus was there to provide more than just his presence; he provided them with peace. And with that peace he sent them out, equipping them with the gift of the Holy Spirit to pass along that peace to others through what we call the Use of the Keys, that calling every Christian has in Jesus’ name to forgive the sins of the repentant or to withhold forgiveness from the impenitent.

“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven’” (v.21-23). 

There was a lot going on there! Jesus’ presence. The promise of Jesus’ peace. The tall order of being sent by Jesus. Receiving the Holy Spirit. Forgiving sins. It wasn’t just a lot to do… it was a lot to doubt.

Doubting has come naturally to mankind ever since Satan first introduced it in the Garden with his “Did God really say?” So when Jesus showed up and then basically laid out his marching orders for believers to carry out until he returns on the last day, there was more than enough to doubt. Especially for a group that had deserted and denied Jesus in his moment of greatest need!

“Are we really at peace, after our shameful behavior?” Are you seriously sending this group?” “Do we really have the Holy Spirit – where is the proof?” “You’re counting on us to be able to forgive others’ sins when we’re guilty of more sins ourselves than we could ever count?”

There was so much room for doubt! And to make matters worse for Thomas, he wasn’t even there! In hindsight, we shouldn’t be so shocked that he ever doubted; it would have been more shocking if he had believed all of it without any doubt whatsoever! 

But Jesus is patient. And not just with those we might reasonably expect him to be patient (those we might think of as having earned it because they are pretty strong, spiritually speaking). No, Jesus is patient with everyone who doubts. Even the Thomases.  

Notice that Jesus didn’t come to take Thomas to task (just as he didn’t scold Mary at the tomb on Easter). He didn’t show up a week later to embarrass Thomas, but to encourage him; to strengthen him.

Too often we view Jesus as the drill sergeant who is most interested in shaping us up. Behave! Obey! Get it right! Don’t mess up again! That wasn’t Jesus’ message to Thomas, though.

“Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’” (v.29).

With these words, Jesus was not only reassuring Thomas, but also sharing a powerful truth that all of the disciples would need to hear and bear in mind as they began to carry out the mission he was sending them on. They were dealing with spiritual matters, with matters of faith, with things unseen which are the Holy Spirit’s work.

Jesus was telling them the Word he was sending them with was powerful enough to create faith and belief even in those who would never lay physical eyes on the resurrected Jesus. So Jesus wasn’t just showing patience with Thomas, but really all of the disciples. 

That same Jesus is every bit as patient with you. Your doubt doesn’t disqualify you from Christ’s Kingdom. In fact, since there is nothing that can qualify you for Christ’s Kingdom, then it stands to reason that nothing can disqualify you. Jesus doesn’t welcome us into his kingdom based on some scale of how weighty our faith is or rule us out of his kingdom based on the degree of doubt we drum up.

He welcomes us into his kingdom despite our doubts. He welcomes us to dispel our doubts as he strengthens our faith. He welcomes us by his grace, through his Spirit, on account of his work. His. His. His. And that is why his kingdom is yours. 

With full confidence in his grace, so clearly displayed on Good Friday’s cross and evidenced again via the vacant tomb on Easter Sunday, our place in Christ’s Kingdom is secured. Through our faith in his saving work, it is ours. And as those who belong, we long to believe with a faith that grows even firmer, a faith that is so strongly rooted in the soil of Christ’s saving work that it leaves less room for weeds of doubt to pop up. For those craving that kind of conviction and confidence of faith, let’s finally dig into verse 31.

“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (v.31). In addition to the resurrection account covered in the verses from John 20, John’s Gospel had previously spent 19 chapters recording many of the words and works of Jesus that aren’t covered in the other Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (referred to as the synoptic Gospels, as they cover many of the same accounts). Now, as he concludes his Gospel, he explains his intent behind all of it: so that you may believe and have life. Believe and live. 

If we are serious about wanting to manage our doubts and overcome them as they arise, then here it is again. Exactly what Jesus directed Thomas to do: stop doubting and believe.

What is different this time around? Remember, we don’t have Jesus himself speaking the words to us right in front of us as Thomas did. But we have something that Jesus guarantees is every bit as powerful: His Word, the Bible – powerful because his Word is nothing more than his words recorded for us. 

See how John wrote it? “These are written that you may believe… and that by believing you may have life in his name” (v.31). Written. Believe. Written. Believe. See any connection there? It’s all right in the Bible. Literally. There isn’t some secret passage to uncover that will serve as a silver bullet.

If that’s been your approach to Scripture, then you’ve been misled or doing it wrong. The Bible isn’t a textbook for finding the answer to pass the test. It is life. It is faith-fortifying. It is doubt-destroying. It is belief-building. 

But not merely by being written. It has to be read. By God’s grace, you’re familiar enough with it for faith in Jesus to have been formed. But God doesn’t shift gears and point us to some other method for growing our faith that is different from how he brought us to faith. It’s the same thing.

The written Word. When read. When studied. When pondered. When personalized. When lived and breathed. When loved. When we become more and more wrapped up in this written Word, the Holy Spirit sees to it that faith flourishes.

And where faith is flourishing, Satan isn’t as inclined to sow his seeds of doubt, for he knows they are less likely to take root. Instead, he will reinforce the doubts of those already clouded in unbelief and focus his attention on believers who are too busy for the Word and preoccupied with the world. And who can blame him?!? His rate of success is much higher where faith is fizzling, and faith is fizzling where the written Word is not read. 

So will this Easter turn out the same as previous ones? Same service, give or take? Same nice brunch? Same nice meal with the family? Same baskets and eggs and candy? Same doubts?

Or will it be different? Will you read the Word that has been written so that, like Thomas, you may stop doubting and believe? 

Hope Restored

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(Luke 24:13-35)

When is the last time you were disappointed that something didn’t turn out the way you had hoped? Was it something you initiated or coordinated, an event or small get-together that took a good amount of planning and purchasing to pull off, but for one reason or another, it fell short? Was it something that didn’t involve you at all in terms of planning, but was something you were looking forward to attending or participating in and it just missed the mark?

We can also experience a sense of hopelessness in other areas of life. How do you know when you’ve lost hope, when your situation seems hopeless? A recent devotion pointed to the word “never” as an indicator. When “never” makes its way into our thinking and speaking in one area of life or another, that’s when we’ve lost hope. “I’m never going to … get a job / get better / get married / get out of debt / change / etc.” When we use the word never, it’s an expression of a loss of hope in being able to see how things will change for the better. 

How we got to that point of losing hope (two reasons will be explored in this post) matters less than what we do once we’re there. Where do we go from that point? How is hope restored? Let Jesus shows us as he restores hope to two hopeless disciples on the first Easter. 

Jesus joined the two disciples as they were heading toward a village outside of Jerusalem called Emmaus. Though Jesus kept them from initially recognizing him, he wasn’t kept from recognizing something about them: they had lost hope. They were discussing all the things that had just happened in Jerusalem, and when Jesus asked for more clarification, “They stood still, their faces downcast.” (v.17). They were visibly dejected and downhearted!

They explained why. “Jesus of Nazareth… was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (v.19-21). While they didn’t use the word “never,” they might as well have! The natural conclusion they had drawn was that Jesus could never redeem them now. They had hoped he was going to be the one to redeem Israel, but since he had been sentenced to death and crucified, that was obviously never going to happen. That was their thinking. They had lost hope. They were at a dead end. They couldn’t see how a dead Jesus could redeem Israel. 

Somewhat ironic, isn’t it, given that it was by his death that he did just that – redeemed Israel, and all people? “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole’” (Galatians 3:13). The same event they presumed had kept Jesus from being able to redeem was the very act by which he carried out redemption. Jesus’ death was the payment he offered up to buy back – to redeem – souls otherwise condemned to hell because of sin.

The source of their hopelessness then – Jesus’ death – should in fact have been their source of hope! “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19). Nevertheless, rather than being filled with hope, their hearts were emptied of it.

The thinking of the Emmaus disciples illustrates two of the reasons we often lose hope. The first happens when we start with the wrong expectation on our end. Why were the disciples so disappointed? Why so let down? Why so hopeless? Because they started with a faulty expectation! Their expectation for redemption and God’s promise of deliverance was too narrow-focused and worldly.

Jewish history emphasized and celebrated how God had delivered – redeemed – his people from the earthly oppression of a worldly leader when God delivered the Israelites from Pharaoh’s slavery in Egypt. The remembrance of that event was so woven into their culture that their expectation came to be a similar deliverance from earthly oppression. They anticipated Jesus would be the modern-day Moses who would deliver them from Roman rule. Of course the Emmaus disciples would be hopelessly disappointed if that was the expectation they had of why Jesus had come! They started with the wrong expectation.

Isn’t that often the cause of our own hopelessness? We start off with the wrong expectation. For example, when we begin with the expectation that God’s greatest concern in our lives is our happiness, then we are disappointed when God allows something on our plate that doesn’t make us happy at all. Or, we end up sidestepping Scripture in pursuit of personal happiness. But your happiness isn’t God’s greatest concern in this life; your holiness is, which is why he sent Jesus to secure it.

Another wrong expectation that we can hold is the expectation that God grants believers special dispensation from suffering or hardship in life. As believers, we expect that God must give us a pass on such things. When life unravels then, we feel hopelessly let down by God. But it was our faulty expectation that was the cause. 

The second reason we often lose hope? We give up because of too low an expectation on God’s end. The two disciples made a point of explaining two things: 1) it had been three days since Jesus had died, and 2) multiple visitors had confirmed that there was no body in the tomb.

To us in the present day, who have the full benefit of all of the revelation of Scripture, three days and no body are simply more proof of the Resurrection. But to the disciples, as we can sense from the tone of their words, these realities didn’t make them more optimistic, but instead deflated them even more. We can interpret their reference to three days as an expectation that surely if God was going to do something, it would have happened within that timeframe, but as each day passed, it only became more hopeless.

And no body in the tomb? Well, without anyone actually laying eyes on Jesus, there was still no reason (outside of Scripture and a fully-grasping faith along with it!) to equate an empty tomb with a risen and alive Jesus. Instead of providing more clarity, it just added to the confusion and hopelessness. The disciples were ready to give up because of too low an expectation on God’s end. 

Again, we can relate. While there’s a good reason your financial advisor will remind you that past performance of an investment is no guarantee of future results, we do not need the same caution when it comes to God’s promises. In other words, we don’t have any reason to conclude that simply because God chose not to act in one way in the past, he will do the same in the future.

“The last time a loved one battled cancer, I prayed persistently that God would heal them. Since he didn’t, why should I pray for the same thing this time around?” “We have a record of all of God’s divine interventions in the Bible, but since he doesn’t seem to intervene that way in the lives of believers today, why bother expecting that he will?” Even though our faith may acknowledge that God can do this or that, our faith doesn’t take the next step in bold confidence that God will do this or that. So we give up because of too low an expectation on God’s end.  

Now what does God do for those without hope? Whether hopelessness stems from starting with the wrong expectation on our end or because we give up due to too low an expectation on God’s end, God has the same solution. He does for us exactly what he did to the hopeless disciples heading to Emmaus: he comes right alongside us in the midst of our hopelessness.

He does not wait for us to generate some internal hope first, to work in ourselves some semblance of optimism or positive thinking. No, he walks right up alongside us in the midst of our hopelessness to restore our hope.

Here’s what I love about Jesus’ encounter with the disciples. When all was said and done, as they reflected on the direct divine intervention they had with Jesus, what was it that stood out most? “They said to each other, ‘Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?’” (v. 32). Their hearts were burning not just at being in Jesus’ presence, but in his “explaining the Scriptures” to them! That’s what fired them up! That was what churned a passion inside of them! It was a deeper understanding of the Word, as explained to them personally by the Word himself, Jesus!

The disciples eventually realized they were walking along the road with and in the presence of the risen Jesus! Jesus himself walked and talked with them, and they even ate a meal together with him, but what stood out most about their time with him was how much clearer he made the Bible for them! 

You know where I’m going with this, don’t you? We have the exact same Scriptures – and even more Scriptures than they had – accessible to us in more ways than anyone could ever have imagined it. Yet, when is the last time you’d describe your use of any of these opportunities to be in the Word as your heart burning within you? Has it been a while? Has it been… ever? What’s the deal? What’s wrong with us? What are we missing? Why are we consistently convincing ourselves that something else is a more valuable use of our time than being in the Word so that he can restore our hope through it?

After all, didn’t it seem like the Emmaus disciples’ hope was restored after Jesus opened the Scriptures to them? Luke tells us they got up and returned “at once” (v.33) to tell the others about their experience. They didn’t call it a night and decide to tell them in the morning. They couldn’t wait! Why? Their hope was restored.

Why shouldn’t you think God will do the same for you through his Word? The Bible is where the whole foundation of hope is laid out for us, one that is based on the assurance that our sins have been paid for and forgiven. We give Jesus every reason to address us as he did the Emmaus disciples: “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! (v.25).

But instead, he calls us heirs, children, chosen, treasured, beloved, saints, etc.! In the Bible, he lays out promise after promise that is about far more than just the heaven stuff waiting for us one day, but for the hopeless stuff we face on a daily basis in the meantime. When the world rips away our hope, the Word restores it. Jesus’ resurrection restores it. Hope isn’t dead because Jesus isn’t! “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4). Our hope in Jesus is very much alive because Jesus is very much alive!

The Conquering King Lives! (Easter)

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(John 20:1-18)

It should not have come to this. From a human perspective, Jesus did nothing wrong. He deserved none of what he received last week. Knowing his enemies were plotting his demise, he should have at least been able to trust and count on his own disciples.

Yet it was one of his own disciples that set in motion the tragic events that unfolded on Thursday and Friday of the week he died! Well, at least he might be able to depend on his most assertive disciple to rally a small group to attempt a small-scale rescue… but instead even that disciple denied him.

Then, when standing trial before the religious leaders, someone ought to have stood up and pointed out the obvious corruption and unfairness with which Jesus was being treated. More than anyone else, they were supposed to be the moral compass of society. And then Pilate – of all people the one with the most power to put an end to the injustice being carried out, which he himself attested to – caved and catered to the crowds to crucify Jesus! None of it should have happened.

What is on your plate in life right now that should not have happened the way it did? I can imagine there are all sorts of responses to that question swimming around in your heads right now…

Whatever it is, why do you suppose it played out that way? What caused it? In some cases we are on the receiving end of tragedy or trauma that is completely outside of our control. Sometimes that can be completely accidental; other times completely intentional. Evil or wickedness took place and it was carried out against us. A natural disaster. A negligent driver. A malicious criminal. Such things are outside of our control, but can directly impact us, leaving us reeling unexpectedly from something that should never have happened to us.

Other times things happened that should not have… because of a role that we played. Perhaps a direct result of our own actions – or lack of action. Suddenly the spouse I saw myself spending the rest of my life with has become public enemy number one. And, as much as I might try to plead innocence – to myself even if no one else will listen! – I can’t deny that I played a part.

I feel like I’m merely the victim on the wrong side of office politics, but it’s clear to others how tangled up in all of it I actually was, even if I don’t see it myself.

I wonder why my kids’ lives are turning out to be such a mess, and I’m faced with the realization that their childhoods were too often littered with my leftovers and the lost “laters” of my misplaced priorities.

So here we are, dealing with whatever is on our plate that wasn’t supposed to happen the way that it did. 

Come with me to a place where a number of events also took place that never should have happened. You know what else should not have happened the way it did? Any of what is recorded for us in the opening verses of John 20. That shouldn’t have happened, either.

Not just because Jesus shouldn’t have died in the first place, but Jesus’ tomb should have had zero visitors that first Sunday morning. There shouldn’t have been any women showing up with spices expecting to carry on Jewish burial rites. There need not have been any sprinting back and forth between the tomb and disciples expressing shock and confusion over a missing body.

None of that should have happened either, between the Old Testament’s teachings about the Messiah’s reign never ending and Job’s confession that his Redeemer lived, and Jesus’ own words that promised he would rise again. None of it should have happened – from Jesus’ suffering and death to the initial disciples’ dismay over his empty tomb!

Look at Mary. Mary could relate to the devastation of things that shouldn’t have happened the way they did. She just wanted her Jesus, but was distraught over not even being able to honor her Lord properly in his burial because she was convinced someone else had done something with the body.

But at her lowest low, Jesus appeared to her, and he didn’t do so to shame her. He didn’t show up to take her to task for not knowing that he was going to rise from the dead. He didn’t angrily scold her with a questioning rebuke, “What on earth are you doing here at the tomb? Why didn’t any of you listen when I told you I wouldn’t stay dead but would rise again in three days? How could you be so dumb?”

None of that from gentle Jesus. Instead, Jesus tenderly revealed himself to her as much more than the gardener; as her Savior God who had come back to life. He softly spoke her name and God’s divine hand removed whatever veil it was keeping Jesus’ identity a mystery and she suddenly saw him – not just with her eyes but with a heart exploding in faith that had just what was needed at that time: her risen Savior.

Alive. With her. Caring for her. Of all the people on the earth to show himself to, at that moment so soon after his Resurrection, he came to Mary. And despite everything that shouldn’t have happened, everything was suddenly right. 

Jesus lives to give you the same confident hope. Hear the blessings attached to faith in the risen Jesus: “righteousness” (Ro. 4:23), “new life” (Ro. 6:4), “bear[ing] fruit for God” (Ro. 7:4), “be saved” (Ro. 10:9), “he will raise us also” (1 Co. 6:14). Jesus holds out these blessings to you and to all who believe he has left death in his dust, destroying its stranglehold on us. 

Do you get why Mary was so elated to see her risen Jesus? Though she didn’t have these Scriptures we do to spell out these realities of the Resurrection, she knew them by faith. She knew that death had not permanently claimed her Christ, so neither could it – or Satan – permanently claim her either. Her risen Jesus meant that whatever shouldn’t have happened or should have happened no longer mattered. All that mattered was the present reality of a very much alive Jesus.

“Should have” and “shouldn’t have” too often cloud our lives. We let past regret cause present regression. We thought we were over it. We thought we had moved past it. But then Satan, never one to see the need for being innovative or cutting edge when it comes to nagging God’s people, resorts to the tried and true. He whispers in our ears ever-so-softly, “Remember how you mishandled that in a way you shouldn’t have? I bet things wouldn’t be the way they are right now if you would have handled that differently.” And seemingly out of nowhere, this thing that perhaps hadn’t bothered us for years suddenly sidetracks us and whatever positive path of trajectory we were on has been hijacked and we start to backslide. 

When those moments hit you, notice something about the account from John 20. Look where Mary and the others did not go to. They didn’t return go to the cross. Why not? Duh, you say, because Jesus had already been crucified on Friday. He was no longer on the cross anymore. That’s why they went to the tomb.

Exactly. Jesus was no longer on the cross. He had already been crucified. That means your sin has already been paid for. That means every should have and shouldn’t have has already been paid for. On Easter Sunday, they didn’t find Jesus still at Calvary on the cross continuing to pay for their sins. He had already completed that sacrificial work, emphasizing it with finality through his “It is finished,” spoken from the cross. There was no more need to return to the cross. Just as there is no more need to revisit every should have and shouldn’t have from your past. They’ve already been paid for. 

But it gets better. Not only was Jesus not on the cross still suffering for sin; he wasn’t in the tomb, either! John’s narrative of what happened on that first morning seems to gradually crescendo our confidence bit by bit. Mary arrives to see the stone rolled away, but there is not any initial further inspection. 

What exactly did the empty tomb mean? He lived and lives, yes, but don’t let it be lost on you what that means! It means that his payment for your sin and mine was accepted by the Father! It meant there was no need for do-overs or for you to somehow complete what Jesus started on Good Friday with your own piled-on penance or some other satisfaction that you imagine God still needing. As it turns out, Jesus’ payment was sufficient – he wasn’t on the cross or in the tomb! And having assured her of his resurrection by personally appearing to her, he then sent her to spread the word. And she did just that.

Let’s do the same. Our Conquering King Lives! It shouldn’t have come to this, but your eternity is secure because it did. 

Victorious Over Grief

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(John 16:16-24)

Agree or disagree? Christians are better off than non-Christians. You might presume that how a person answers that question depends on whether or he or she is a Christian. If you are not a Christian, you would likely disagree with the statement (otherwise you’d have become a Christian, right?). If you are a Christian, then you might either agree or disagree. One Christian might have a number of unbelieving friends who appear to have great lives, while another Christian might completely agree on the basis of God’s promises in Jesus, he is always better off. 

Either way, the point is not to nail down who is better off, but rather to nudge us to think about exactly what criteria we’d consider to determine our stance. If the criteria is based on circumstances or situations, then disappointment will always follow. At that same time, how is it that some Christians who have endured exhausting lives are some of the most joy-filled people you’ll ever meet?

That would seem to go against the flow of conventional thinking. We tend to think that joy and happiness exist in the absence of adversity, not in the presence of it. How then does one explain it? How can some who have had a very rough life still be so full of joy? Let Jesus explain for us this morning. 

Be ready, though, because his words might catch you off guard. “Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve… A woman giving birth to a child has pain  because her time has come; So with you: Now is your time of grief…” (v.20-22a). Jesus plainly states that life right now will be painful and hard! So for those who aren’t Christians, after reading that, let me try to read your mind. I’m guessing you hear those words and say to yourself, “Where do I sign up??? This whole Christian thing sounds like a blast!”

Now you can be turned off by that, embittered by that, resentful of Jesus for that… or you can be comforted, because as it turns out, Jesus was a straight-shooter with us. He didn’t paint some pretend pollyanna promise for us, but gave it to us like it is.

If you’ve ever watched the WandaVision series, it’s based on a main super-hero character who has gone through some heavy trauma. In response, she fabricates an ideal “Leave it to Beaver”-type life. Her husband and family are perfect. Her neighbors are perfect and the neighborhood is perfect. Everything is perfect.

Jesus didn’t pretend. He said, “Life will stink. Life will be hard.” And he told us this not to embitter us, but to prepare us, so that when we encounter that reality, we aren’t shocked, we aren’t surprised or taken aback. Rather, we conclude, “Huh, it’s just like Jesus said it would be.” 

Now some may take issue with this because they’ve been sold on the idea that if there’s really something to this whole God thing, then nothing bad should ever happen in the world. However, that starts with a the false premise that the world could even come to an agreement on what is good (e.g., is the right to have an abortion good or not?)! All we have to do is ask opinions on hot-button issues and we see very quickly that no two people agree on what “good” is. Therefore, how could God possibly satisfy every individual’s idea of good in the face of so much contradiction?

Another thought presumes that if the world is good and bad things happen, then those bad things stand as evidence against God. But what if, on the basis of all-too-common atrocities like church and store shootings we flip that thought around: the world actually isn’t a good place – it’s a bad one! Then any good experience at all in such a bad world would be evidence of a good God!

Friends, if Jesus tells us what to expect now, and it plays out just like he said it would, doesn’t that grab our attention? If it’s just like Jesus said it would be now, doesn’t that give Jesus more credibility when he also tells us what it’s going to be like later? Doesn’t that make us think twice before dismissing what he says about our future as well?

If a year ago your financial advisor predicted accurately exactly where your tanking investments would be today, as tough a pill as it might be to swallow, wouldn’t you have more faith in him, not less, despite a plummeting portfolio? Wouldn’t you feel more confident with someone like that managing your retirement than an advisor who predicted earth-shattering gains, only to have to come up with some excuse or explanation for why he was so horribly mistaken? 

So let’s look at what else Jesus promises in these words, for they are far from all gloom and doom! “Your grief will turn to joy” (v.20)… “you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy” (v.22)… “your joy will be complete” (v.24). That’s Jesus repeating himself quite a bit in just these few verses – you think maybe there is a point he’s trying to get across? What was to be the source of all this joy?

In this case, it was Jesus promising his disciples that death wouldn’t have the last word, but that he would return to them from the grave. In his first words of this section, “Jesus went on to say, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’” (v.16). In a few days, Jesus would die and his disciples would not see him. Three days after that, however, they would see him again after he rose from the dead. He would vacate his tomb and through his victorious resurrection restore their joy. He would permanently rewrite the story so that death would not be the end. Gut-wrenching grief would give birth to the most jubilant joy!

For us that joy doubles, for not only do we have the benefit of looking back to see that Jesus made good on his promise to the disciples, but we also have the joy of looking ahead to his return on the last day when he ushers in eternal victory! Even before that, the assurance of Jesus’ resurrection and undoing of death makes a world of difference in the face of the ultimate grief of losing a loved one. 

It has not escaped my notice over the course of my life that there is a drastic difference in how people of other religions or no religion speak in the face of death compared to how Christians speak at the death of fellow Christians. I have observed others speak of a hope or an optimism that their loved one is in a better place, but noticeably lacking in that hope and optimism is any confidence. The Christian, though, even through countless tears, is able to confidently find peace not in hoping or being optimistic, but in knowing their loved one is in heaven. 

And before one writes off such confidence as misguided arrogance, realize that the difference comes from the founder himself. The best every other religion or religious figure or book ever promises is a chance at eternal life if the individual has been good enough.

Not so with Jesus! Jesus promises eternal life to all who are in him. So call him a liar, dismiss his promise, but at least acknowledge that the Christian’s confidence in the face of death is based on a very real and very clear promise, and not possibility, which is the best every other religion claims. And being fully confident of what the future holds is why many a Christian is so filled with joy in the present, right now. Yes, even in the face of grieving. Even in the face of adversity. 

We have an elementary school at my church, and in the morning I am there to greet kids an parents as they arrive at school. I think if you were to ask the students and parents how many times they’ve seen me in a bad or bitter mood, they wouldn’t likely recall any. But if you think that’s becuase I’ve never had a bad day or had anything go wrong on any of those mornings, you’d be wrong! Of course I have! We all have!

But still there is joy – every single day there is joy. Why? Jesus. My joy comes as a result of confidence of knowing exactly who I am in Jesus Christ, and the joy of knowing exactly what my future in Jesus Christ holds. In Jesus I am forgiven. In Jesus I am loved. In Jesus my reservation and home in heaven has already been secured. So there is joy. Always joy.

Yes, troubles will come. But Jesus overcomes trouble. In fact he said that very thing! At the end of this same chapter from John, Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (v.33).

Jesus’ words this morning are profound. They aren’t what we might expect. They’re profound in part, at least, because they’re… normal. Average. Real. He’s not the helicopter parent who pretends that nothing bad will ever happen to us in this world. It will, because it’s not the world he created, but a broken knock-off. Of course it will let us down! 

But that trouble won’t last. While I can’t personally relate to the comparison Jesus makes, the mothers gathered here this morning can. In referring to the temporary grief of this world that will be followed by the permanent joy of the next, Jesus compared it to a woman in childbirth. “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world” (v.21). That moment when a mother first holds in her arms the very baby that she has been holding in her womb for 9 months is a moment of elated joy that eclipses the pain of childbirth. Gone is the grief; it has been overshadowed by overwhelming joy!

Yet even that joy will eventually fade. All of this world’s joy is short-lived and fleeting. It is quickly countered by discouragement and disappointment. The quick expiration date on the world’s joy means that it has such a short shelf-life! It spoils so soon! 

But you know what joy will not fade? The joy of Jesus, a joy that can never be taken away. That joy will lack nothing, but will “complete” and “no one will take [it] away.” That joy permeates our school – students and teachers alike! That joy is evident in our church congregation and compels us to gather together in an often joyless world. Because we know that here, in this place, where Jesus is the center of all that we do, his resurrection promises us joy; it is the promise that in him we are victorious over grief!

Victory Over Lovelessness

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(1 Corinthians 13:1-13)

You could write this post. Help me out here. It goes something like this. We read this description of love from 1 Corinthians 13 and are moved by it. These are the kinds of poetic verses young couples want to include in their marriage ceremony. These are the kinds of words we want bursting out of the greeting card we give to that special someone. We are drawn to the beautiful depiction of love in these verses.

We are also conflicted. Beautiful as they are, they serve a dual purpose. They do not only show us what ideal love looks like; they expose quite clearly what our love does not look like.

You’ve seen the side-by-side pictures comparing the frame-worthy picturesque Pinterest project right next to the real-life cringe-worthy attempts at those projects. It’s laughable how drastically different the ideal is from the real-life attempt. By comparison, the DIY attempt looks as if a toddler tried it (no offense, toddlers). That’s how we feel about this description of love. It is a breathtakingly beautiful, awe-inspiring ideal. But it also makes our attempts at love look like a disastrous DIY fail. 

Then we return back to these verses again to see the perfect love of Jesus. Thank goodness in his perfect love he forgives our lovelessness. Phew! The end.

Then what? What changes? Eventually, we’ll come across the same section of Scripture again, but what will have changed? Anything? Or have we become so accustomed to the same pattern that we haven’t even bothered to notice how little our love changes from one “love sermon” to the next?

As we consider these words yet again, let’s do so in light of Paul’s reasoning in verse 11. “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” While Paul is making the point that our Christian lives on this side of heaven will never measure up to our perfect knowledge and understanding on the other side, his words force us to deal with the question of whether we’re still babes in the faith. Are we children or are we maturing and developing into adult Christians? More specific to these verses from 1 Corinthians, how is that reflected in the way that we love others?

Let’s start with revisiting how instrumental love is to God. Consider where love ranks in God’s eyes, based on what the Holy Spirit led Paul to write in chapters 12 & 13 of 1 Corinthians. The chapter right before this one covers what is an extremely popular topic among Christians: spiritual gifts.

Read through it and you’ll see Paul mention all of these super cool gifts that the Holy Spirit poured out on all believers to serve each other and build up the early church. He refers to stuff like the ability to heal sick people and perform miracles and speak in tongues and prophesy – all kinds of awesome gifts, and all of them important! As Paul wraps up the section encouraging the believers to put their respective gifts to work, he writes something that catches our attention: “But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31).

What? Does Paul mean to say that as amazing as stuff like the ability to heal sick people and perform miracles and speak in tongues and prophesy are, there is something greater??? An even more excellent way??? Something even more worthwhile to pursue???

You might understandably expect that Paul would be talking about faith. After all, it’s one of his favorite themes in so many of his letters in the New Testament of the Bible: righteousness by faith; faith, not works; saved by faith; the gift of faith, etc. Paul covers the topic of faith so much that it would be a relatively safe bet to presume that’s where he was going with this, that surely faith would be the greatest gift, the most excellent way. 

And indeed Paul does mention faith, but not to stress it in the way we might have expected. He writes, “and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (v.2).

Whoa. Is that a typo? Did Paul – the fanboy of faith – really just write that a person who has a mountain-moving faith but is devoid of love is nothing??? Yes, he did. Yikes!

And that’s not all! It isn’t just faith that love leaves in its dust, but hope as well. Check out the last verse of the whole love chapter and see what Paul says. “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love” (13:13). So love does not merely trump all of those outstanding spiritual gifts, but also tops even faith and hope! Is Paul being clear enough here for us? Love is apparently a big deal – like, the biggest deal of all! 

For that reason, this description of love in these verses ought to trouble us mightily, because if love is such a big deal to God, these verses clearly cry out against us that we’re a long way away from it!

There’s an exercise you can follow that really brings this point home. In verses 4 through the beginning of verse 8, replace the word “love” – or reference to it – with your name. So for me it would read like this: “Aaron is patient, Aaron is kind. Aaron does not envy, Aaron does not boast, Aaron is not proud. Aaron does not dishonor others, Aaron is not self-seeking, Aaron is not easily angered, Aaron keeps no record of wrongs. Aaron does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Aaron always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Aaron never fails.” Now that may have a nice ring to it, but if I actually rejoice with the truth, as the verses state, then the painful truth is that none of those statements is true! Not even close! Not for any one of us!

But that’s not the worst part. We all know our love falls short – that part’s plain as day. And we know that alone is more than enough for God to turn away from us. But it’s worse than that. I’m talking about the true barometer of our lovelessness in 12:31: “But eagerly desire the greater gifts.” It’s one thing to be willing to admit that our love falls short, to walk away confident in our forgiveness, then presume that all is good. 

But are we as willing to admit that we don’t eagerly desire to get better at it? Let’s be upfront and honest with each other: most of us really don’t want to change that much. We don’t mind admitting how loveless we often are, but it’s painful to admit the other reality of how little we desire to get any better at loving others. That might just be the hardest thing of all in the Christian faith. 

We can talk all day long about faith and hope – delightful spiritual topics, and topics that deal primarily with our personal relationship with God. And how convenient for us! After all, no one can really measure how much faith or hope I have in my heart in terms of my relationship with God. Those aren’t visible.

But love… that one can be seen. It can be felt. And so can the lack of it. And that stings us. 

We avoid becoming better at loving others because it involves real sacrifice. It involves inconvenience. It doesn’t just mean talk of putting others first, but actually loving them enough to do it. And we’d simply rather not. It’s much easier for us just to confess our love falls short, thank goodness we’re forgiven, and move on. So can’t we just confess we’re no good at it and be forgiven and call it good?

No. No, we cannot. The forgiven child of God is a changed child of God. We desire to get better at loving others. We take very seriously Paul’s charge in Romans: “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law” (13:8). Loving others isn’t only a debt that we cannot pay off, but a debt that we don’t want to ever pay off.

Do you suppose Paul has any Spirit-inspired opinions on how best to put love into action? He does. Read what Paul writes after chapter 13 and it is quite clear that the highest expression of love is to speak God’s Word. Love your brothers and sisters in Christ by speaking the Word of God to them. Love those outside the church by speaking the Word of God to them. Love expresses itself best through lips that speak of God’s love for us in Christ and through his cross.  

There alone do we see the perfect expression of love. There we come to know what love is (1 John 3:16). There we come to appreciate how deep, how wide, and how high Christ’s love is for us (Ephesians 3:18). There we will come to see that our desire and ability to grow in loving others always flows from a deeper understanding of knowing Jesus’ love for us.

Let’s repeat that exercise from earlier and fill in the only name that works. “Jesus is patient, Jesus is kind. Jesus does not envy, Jesus does not boast, Jesus is not proud. Jesus does not dishonor others, Jesus is not self-seeking, Jesus is not easily angered, Jesus keeps no record of wrongs. Jesus does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Jesus always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Jesus never fails.”

Jesus is all of those things for us, and that is the driving force behind our desire to eagerly pursue great love, a radical love, a Christ-like love. That’s the kind of thing Paul was talking about when he wrote elsewhere, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died” (2 Corinthians 5:14).

Jesus’ love for us does not yield stagnant hearts, but servant hearts – hearts that are eager to get better at loving others. Jesus’ love for us begs to be displayed to others in a loveless world. When a loveless world sees how radical Jesus’ love is – radical enough to forgive and transform loveless you and me! – that’s how Jesus’ love changes the world, one soul at a time. 

Victorious Over Falling

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(John 10:22-30)

It’s an exciting time for parents when a child transitions from the crawling stage to starting to take those first steps. But that exciting time comes with a catch: the fear of falling. Once crawling gives way to walking, gravity suddenly becomes a much more significant concern. Parents are faced with the newfound fear of their child possibly being injured as a result of falling.

Fast-forward to the other end of life, the season of life that might find canes, walkers, or wheelchairs either welcome friends or necessary evils, depending on how one views them. Regardless, they serve a very important purpose: to help us keep our balance to avoid falling. A fall at that stage of life can result in critical injury or require surgery, and since our bodies don’t heal or recover as effectively or as quickly as they used to, falling is a legitimate fear.

But during the time in-between those two stages where, frankly, most of our lives takes place, falling isn’t as much on our radar. It’s during that time that we’re beyond the stage of those first shaky steps but not yet to the stage where our muscle strength and balance have deteriorated notably, increasing the risk of taking even the smallest steps. During that time in-between there just isn’t that much risk of falling. 

At least physically, anyway. But what about spiritually? If you think about it, the risk of falling spiritually is almost inversely proportionate to the risk of falling physically. We tend to give the most attention to spiritual things at both the early and the end stages of life, but not always as much in-between.

Look at what often happens when adults for whom spiritual matters have not been on the radar suddenly have children. Now they are thinking about baptism and what to teach their children when it comes to spirituality. We make a big deal about confirmation and are concerned about how our kids are doing spiritually in middle school and high school. Then, at some point, it becomes their responsibility and we carry on with life.

Then, as the reminder of our mortality sneaks up on us in the final stages of life, spiritual concerns bubble up to the surface once again. A family member is diagnosed with a terminal illness and we realize we don’t know what they believe. A friend of a friend asks for prayers for her elderly parents, and we don’t know where they stand spiritually. The health of a dear friend is slowly declining and, as it takes a turn for the worse, we regret not having talked more about Jesus and find ourselves worrying about what will happen when death arrives.

But in the middle, in-between those two stages, well, we get busy and life happens. So many things going on. So much to do. We have so many responsibilities and obligations for others that we shelf the spiritual stuff for ourselves for a time, promising we’ll get back to it later, when we have more time. And we know how that plays out. 

As we give our attention to where we stand spiritually, let’s be aware that perhaps the season of life that poses for us the greatest risk of falling away might just be the season of life during which we are least concerned about it. Nevertheless, it is one thing to be aware of it, and another to be worried by it. The Word of God does warn us frequently about being aware of it – no doubt about it. However, Jesus himself speaks to us words of safety and security in the face of uncertainty so that we are not unsettled or overwhwelmed by worry.

That’s the difference between believers and the unbelieving Jewish group crowding around Jesus in the Colonnade during Hannukah. Jesus couldn’t provide them with any hope.

If we were recreating the scene from John 10 today, there would be a van nearby with individuals monitoring the situation and recording the conversation. Those gathered around Jesus would have wire taps hidden on them to make sure they catch Jesus’ response. In other words, their inquiries were not coming from a place of curious, inquisitive exploration, as if they were genuinely seeking spiritual truth and yearning to know the way to salvation. No, those were things they were already convinced they knew. 

The real intent of their question was to hear Jesus make what they had already concluded were blasphemous claims that he was in fact God. In their minds, their question was an open door for Jesus to incriminate himself by his response. “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly” (v.24). If he had told them plainly what they wanted to hear they would have had enough witnesses to convict him of blasphemy. 

Instead of giving them the response they hoped for, Jesus called them out with a blunt, straightforward condemnation. “Jesus answered, ‘I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep’” (v. 25-26). Ouch. “You do not believe. You are not my sheep.” Jesus very pointedly stressed what was lacking in their spiritual lives, and the problem was not on his end; it was on theirs. It didn’t matter who he was if they refused to believe it. 

After Jesus called them out in their unbelief, he then offered some of the greatest comfort possible for believers. Jesus’ describes the relationship he has with his sheep. When the devil raises question marks in your mind over whether or not salvation or forgiveness are really yours, replace those doubts and that despair with the confidence that you are numbered among the sheep of Jesus’ flock. But how can you ever really be sure? Listen to – and believe – the words of Jesus, our Good Shepherd.

When you get into a car, there are a number of features that provide assurance that you’ll be safe while driving. You buckle your seat belt. Air bags will deploy in the case of an accident. Even before any of that happens, there are cameras and sensors and beeps and dings that alert you if you are too close to another vehicle or object.

Just as all of these safety features work together to help you feel secure while driving, so Jesus provides a number of descriptions that apply to believers that help you feel secure as sheep of his flock. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” (v.27-28).

In contrast to those individuals challenging Jesus in the temple, the ones who don’t believe because they aren’t Jesus’ sheep (v.26), Jesus states, “My sheep listen to my voice… and they follow me” (v.27). Jesus is reassuring us by reminding us that doubts about whether or not we’re really his sheep can be put to rest by the fact that we long to hear his voice and follow him.

While no flawed sheep will ever demonstrate a round-the clock perfect desire to listen to Jesus’ voice at every moment, any desire whatsoever to listen to his voice is a reflection that we are his sheep. While sheep may from time to time ignore the voice of their shepherd and may wander off, that doesn’t discount that his is the only voice they will follow when they do listen.

Jesus even spells out why his sheep will listen and follow when he says, “I give them eternal life” (v.28a). The shepherd speaks words of life and forgiveness and his sheep listen and believe. As one of Jesus’ imperfect sheep, Peter explained why he listened to and followed Jesus: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Only Jesus gives away for free what every other religious teaching demands must be earned. So who else would we listen to? Who else would we follow?

Even more comforting is the flip-side of that relationship: the familiarity that Jesus has with his sheep. “I know them, ” he says (v.27b). Jesus does not know of you. Yours is not merely a name that has passed by his ears. He hasn’t simply heard your name come up here or there in conversation. You aren’t to him a friend of a friend of a friend.

He knows you.

He knows you better than you know you. He anticipates your needs before you express them. He plans to meet your needs even before you’ve worried about them. Even though our knowledge of him is so limited, his knowledge of us lacks nothing. Our knowledge of Jesus will always be lacking; his knowledge of us never will.

And speaking of “never,” there are two promises Jesus makes about his sheep that offer more security than anything else. Jesus promises that his sheep will “never perish” and that “no one will snatch them out of [his] hand” (v.28).

Do not allow the skeptic inside you spring up to cast doubt on these words of Jesus! They are words of rich gospel comfort for wandering and wondering sheep! If you are a sheep who has wandered, straying for a time, hear these words of Jesus and take them to heart! If you wonder if you have met the necessary requirements for being included as a sheep of Jesus’ flock, drop those doubts and believe these words of your Good Shepherd! There is no requirement you or I could ever meet – nor is there a need to, because our Good Shepherd has met them all.    

At the cross, we see the Good Shepherd double as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29). The price he paid is how we know we are his sheep – sheep who will never perish or be snatched away! These words of Jesus this morning are not a “how to” primer on what is required in order to be Jesus’ sheep; they are so much more! They are the blessed assurance that what the Good Shepherd has already done is what alone qualifies us to be his sheep. 

Notice that of all that Jesus says about his sheep, he only mentions two actions on the part of his sheep – listening and following (and even those are only to direct us to the source of eternal life!); the rest is all on the Good Shepherd, Jesus.

So he consoles concerned sheep not by emphasizing the need to act more like good sheep or behave more like sheep should so you can be sure, but by pointing out what he has done and who he is. It’s what the Good Shepherd has done – and not the sheep – that lets us know where we stand before him! Let these words of Jesus be what they are: comforting assurances for shy sheep unsure of where they stand before God. 

Don’t let Jesus’ promises here be stripped of their power and peace! Do not immediately ask yourself, “Well how can I be sure of this? How can I know that this promise applies to me, that I will never perish or that I will never be snatched out of his hand?” Stop the self-evaluation that insists on tying the confidence of our salvation to what good sheep we are! Stop evaluating whether or not this truly applies to other Christians on the basis of what good sheep they are (or aren’t)!

Jesus says nothing about the sheep being good enough or too bad to be his sheep; he is simply describing his sheep, the ones he redeemed, the sheep he brought into his flock by his grace – not because they were “good enough” sheep!

We rob ourselves of the comfort and peace that are so unique to Christianity when we insist on twisting Scripture into a metric or a gauge which has as its sole purpose to help us determine who’s in and who’s out! 

The Scriptures were not given for that purpose, but rather to point us to Christ, to the Good Shepherd, so that if we truly want to know if we are his sheep, then we don’t look in the mirror; we look to the cross and to the tomb. There alone will we see all the proof we need that Jesus’ promises are true: we – his sheep – will never perish or be snatched away. Thank God for our Good Shepherd! 

Victorious Over Failure

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(John 21:1-14)

Have you gotten used to it yet? Being a failure? Wait, am I not supposed to say that? Is it not OK for me to say that about you? Why not?

After all, you say it to yourself more than anyone else, don’t you? Where would you like to start? How about relationships? Single? You can try to convince yourself that it’s because you’re picky or have high standards or that there are too many jerks in the world, but the whole reason you try to convince yourself of that in the first place is to counter the much louder voice in the back of your mind contending that you’re single because you’re not good enough and you’re a failure when it comes to relationships. Married? The same voice calls you a failure as a spouse when compared to that other wife or husband. Would you prefer to talk about your job? Why are you still stuck at the same job or haven’t advanced at all? Try to convince yourself it’s because you like it or that it’s good enough to pay the bills, but the reason you have to convince yourself of that is to counter the louder voice inside your head that is constantly murmuring what a failure you are. Would you like to talk about how you rate as a Christian? That might be the loudest voice of all: “Failure.”

Failure, or more accurately, our fear of failure, is crippling. Have you ever stopped to think about how many absolutely amazing advancements, how much progress, and how many good things have never happened simply because people with great ideas and the ability to back them up were afraid of failure? How many times have we let past failures predetermine future failures and give up? And how many times have we legitimately been crushed by failure?

I don’t know that they were crushed by it. Perhaps they were used to it and realized it went hand-in-hand with the profession of fishing, but the disciples who made a living by it had just experienced it again. John tells us, “It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. ‘I’m going out to fish,’ Simon Peter told them, and they said, ‘We’ll go with you.’ So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing” (v.1b-3). Again, it not an uncommon experience as fisherman to come up empty-handed. But any way you look at it, they failed at catching anything all night.  

While this definition of insanity has repeatedly been misattributed to Albert Einstein, you’ve likely heard someone share it: the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting different results. The point of the expression is to state the foolishness of continuing to take the same actions or make the same choices that haven’t worked, but expecting that eventually, you’ll get different results. The intent is to encourage a person to stop wasting time doing what isn’t working and try something else. Change it up. If doing the same thing over isn’t netting you any result, then do something different.

So how do you suppose it sounded to the disciples to hear a voice from the shoreline engage them: “‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’ ‘No,’ they answered. He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some’” (v.5-6). Basically then, what Jesus was saying to them was, “You know that thing you’ve been doing all night that hasn’t worked yet? Do it again and this time it will work.” Remember that they didn’t know this was Jesus speaking to them, so it would have made perfect sense for them to respond by saying, “Thanks for the advice, but we’ve been at it all night and haven’t caught anything, so we’re gonna call it a day.” 

But they didn’t. Perhaps they were compelled by the fact that they had nothing to lose – after all, what’s the worst that could happen? Their empty nets would remain empty? Or maybe they reasoned that the man from the shore had seen evidence of a school of fish on the other side of the boat. Or, maybe they recalled a previous miraculous experience when Jesus had told them to do something similar and the haul of fish nearly sunk not one, but two boats (cf. Luke 5)! 

Whatever it was that compelled them to follow the advice, the results were far different from the experience they had had all night: “When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish” (v.6). Where they had failed, Jesus blessed them with success. Throw out whatever definition of insanity you have – Jesus changed the rules. 

Doing the same things over and over, spiritually speaking, is not insanity at all. It is in fact the recipe for spiritual growth. And when we don’t tap into it, we don’t grow. Or, when we tap out of it too soon, we miss out on the benefits.

Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seed illustrates this. The new believer who is overjoyed by the good news of the gospel suddenly shifts the focus to the cares and concerns of the world and away from the Word, and what happens? Shallow roots. Weeds. Growth is stunted because the new believer stopped doing the same thing – feeding that newfound faith with the Word. 

We pray… once. Twice. Nothing happens, so we stop praying for that thing. We commit to worship for a couple of weeks. Nothing happens, so we fall back into old routines of not worshipping. We give a little bit more in our offerings, but don’t see any return on my “investment,” so we resort to giving what we were previously. I do the devotional thing for a time, but it doesn’t immediately fix all of my problems, so I go back to neglecting it.

If there is one area of life in which that definition of insanity does not apply, it is in the realm of spiritual things. Our problem is not doing the same thing over and over and not getting any results; our problem is a lack of committing long-term to doing the same things over and over. Or, we give up doing the same thing before we ever see the results. We quit too soon. In that regard, in these spiritual applications, in our faith life, let’s fess up: we truly are failures. Yes, in that regard we are failures.

No, actually we’re not. The Resurrection changed that. We were failures, but Jesus’ victory over sin means our sin no longer counts against us as failures. But in order for that to all take place, Jesus had to first appear as a failure. 

There was not a single person witnessing the Crucifixion on Good Friday who would have come to any other conclusion than that Jesus had failed. Some, certainly his disciples and followers, must have put the best construction on it and concluded that his failure was no fault of his own, but the fault of a corrupt trial system and government that ensured Jesus would not get a fair shot. But still, there Jesus was, hanging on the cross, a failure.

To others, the cross was seen as the exclamation point of Jesus’ failure. Those harboring hatred and animosity toward Jesus, who had maliciously plotted his demise, were undoubtedly delighted to claim responsibility for Jesus’ failure – that was their goal all along! 

It was not only earthly opponents rejoicing in what appeared to be Jesus’ failure, but also the hoards of hell, the demons, the evil angels, collaborating to bring down the Son of Man and Son of God. They viewed Good Friday as their crowning achievement, their revenge on the God who had cast them out of heaven for their rebellion. The failure fixed to the cross was to them the view of victory.

How right they were! The cross was the symbol of victory! The death he died was the sacrifice necessary to cement certain victory! Yes, everything had gone according to Satan’s plan.

But remember that Satan is not omniscient. He had come up woefully short in his estimation of God’s almighty power and eternal plan. Satan did not even know that he and his plans were merely putty in the hands of the Designer of the universe and every living thing, and that just as he had shaped everything out of nothing, so also had the infinite God shaped his purposes out of the devil’s deplorably defiant act of rebellion.

Jesus hadn’t failed. Jesus wasn’t a failure. Not once during his lifetime, and not even in his death! Rather death meant victory! In crucifying Christ, in the ultimate act of irony, Satan was responsible for offering up the very thing sacrifice that would be his undoing. By hammering nails into Jesus on the cross, Satan effectively hammered the nails in his own coffin. 

This is all true because Jesus is gone from the grave. This is all true because the tomb is empty. This is all true because Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead! For that reason, seemingly insignificant accounts like the one before us this morning are so significant. With each resurrection appearance, Jesus rubbed his victory in Satan’s face. He turned the tables on Satan and made it abundantly clear that it was not Jesus, but the father of lies who had failed. Satan had failed. Satan is a failure.

Do you remember to remind him of that when he whispers words of failure in your ears? Do you remind him of that in the thick of the battle when he presses his hardest against you in the heat of temptation? Do you remind him even then that he has failed, that he is a failure, and that in Jesus Christ and the power of his resurrection you are a victor who refuses to be his victim? Do you remind him that even in the moments when your sin appears to hand the victory trophy over to him, he still has no right to it because grace and forgiveness flow from the tomb with such a force that not even his successful temptations can withstand it?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, Easter Sunday means that grace wins! Forgiveness wins! Jesus has won – and his victory frees us to live in the supreme confidence that we are victorious over failure. Now then, dear friends, do just this one thing: live like it! 

This wasn’t the first miraculous catch of fish for the disciples. The disciples had previously had an experience with Jesus nearly swamping their boats with a huge haul of fish.

But the outcome this time was different. Peter previously was wrought with fear at his realization of who Jesus was in that former experience, pleading that the Lord depart from his presence, for he was a miserable sinner. Now we see Peter behave quite differently! He doesn’t shy away from the Savior in fear, but rather jumps out of the boat in an effort to get to him as quickly as he possibly can. “Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.” (v.7). He can’t get to his risen Savior soon enough! And notice, even though John is very specific about how abundant their catch of fish was, the disciples are hardly distracted by the fish because they’re so focused on Jesus!

What accounts for the totally different reactions from the disciples in these otherwise somewhat similar miraculous events? The Resurrection. Jesus lives, and the impact, the difference it makes, is shown in how changed their reactions and their lives are. 

The Resurrection has really changed your life, too. It turned failures into followers. It took us from failure to faithful. So be unafraid to do the same thing over and over and over – to put your faith into practice again and again, because the result will not be failure, but fruit – fruit in your own life and fruit that the living Jesus will use to build up his church.