Cross Examination

When he [the Counselor] comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment. – John 16:8

It is never easy to serve as a witness in a court room. The challenge starts when the oath is taken to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” After the testimony is given, an even greater challenge follows. It is the cross-examination. Here attorneys from either the defense or the prosecution will try to find flaws in the testimony. Certainty of facts will be questioned, as will eye-witness accounts. Even the reliability of the witness will be scrutinized. It is a stressful process, but it becomes necessary to either refute or convince.

It is interesting that Jesus chooses this concept to explain the work of the Holy Spirit, who is the Counselor. When he comes, he will cross-examine the world and its testimony about sin, righteousness and judgment. It is a cross-examination to which I need to pay careful attention.

It is easy for me to adopt the world’s wisdom and ways. I downplay the severity of my disobedience. I lower God’s standard for my life. I maintain false notions about Judgment Day. However, will my adherence to these ways pass the Counselor’s cross-examination?

Worldly ways and wisdom will be refuted when compared to the wisdom that comes from God’s Word. The truth will always stand. It will clearly define God’s position on sin, righteousness and judgment. God’s truth is that I deserve his sentence of eternal punishment for my sin. My righteous works will never measure up to God’s perfect standard. It is impossible for me to stand on my own accomplishments on the Day of Judgment.

With worldly ways and wisdom refuted, I cling to the truth God provides. That truth directly leads me to Jesus. Through his work as my Savior, I am forgiven. Through his sinless life of obedience, I am clothed with his righteousness. Through his humiliation and exaltation, I am declared not guilty and ready for Judgment Day. What Jesus has done will always stand as true, and will always stand up under cross-examination.

That is why I put my confidence in Jesus alone. He is my Savior from sin. He is my righteousness. He is my Rock and my Hope. He also assures me, when I put my confidence in him, I will never be put to shame.

Prayer: O blessed Savior, you have promised to send me your Holy Spirit. Fill me with his power. Lead me through his counsel. Strengthen me with his presence, so that I never fail or fall. Amen.

Lord, Open My Eyes

 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him – Luke 24:31

The two disciples who were on their way to Emmaus had a problem. They were blind. That blindness was not a physical disability. Rather, it was one of the heart. While they walked to their destination, they talked about the events of the past week. They discussed everything that had happened to Jesus – his suffering, death and resurrection. Unfortunately, none of it made any sense, because it didn’t match what they wanted to see.

It is a blindness which affects me. I may have an acquaintance with Jesus. I may even appreciate his commitment and the example of his life. Still, I am disappointed because I want Jesus to match my view of him. I want him to be in my life, but not too involved. I want him to be ready to help me, but only when I am in a desperate situation. I want him to be ready to guide me, but only when I am completely lost. If this is how I see Jesus, then I am just as blind as the Emmaus disciples.

This is when I need Jesus to come to my rescue, just as he came to those disciples. The Bible says that “he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself”(Luke 24:27). Jesus explained everything he did according to what God said he would do. He also drew them back to the upper room where he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it them. In these acts of love, Jesus opened their eyes to the truth.

In humility I am thankful that Jesus does not abandon me in my blindness. He reaches out to me in love even though I have turned away from him. He offers me forgiveness even though I didn’t seek it. He opens up the Scriptures to me even though I have neglected them. Jesus even offers me a stunning picture of his loving faithfulness through the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

Jesus’ sincerest desire is that my eyes are open to the great things he has done for me. He withholds nothing so that I can clearly see him and see what he has done for me. Certainly, I will have to deal with daily distractions. The devil will try to deceive me, as will the world with its disappointments. Consequently, every day I will need to rely on what the Lord has revealed to me. I will also need to pray daily:  “Lord, open my eyes!”

Prayer: O gracious Savior, through your holy Word and the gift of the Lord’s Supper, open my eyes to see you as my Savior, and as the giver of everything I need for this life and the life to come. Amen.

God’s Hand Holds Us

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him: “‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’ “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. – Acts 2:14a, 22-32

When we were children and we were scared, wasn’t it good to have somebody’s hand to hold? I can remember as a child once being lost in the grocery store.  n a panic, my mother nowhere in sight, I began to cry. A nice lady rounded the corner of the aisle, hearing my sobs, and extended her hand. She offered to help me find my mother. I no longer felt alone.

Peter’s words to the crowd on Pentecost echo some of these thoughts. He begins with the guilt of sin. Sin caused Christ’s horrible, painful death. And the horrible truth of his death is that it was our fault. “You…put him to death by nailing him to the cross,” Peter says. Though none of us were actually there, we did nail Jesus to the cross. It is the guilt of our sins that demanded his death. And by God’s plan, Jesus died instead of us.

As Christians we rejoice in this fact. Jesus Christ died to pay for our sins so that God’s anger over our sin would be removed. But Peter goes even further. Our joy is that “it was impossible for death to keep its hold on [Jesus].” Quoting one of King David’s psalms, Peter gives us a beautiful way to think about that truth. The Savior speaks through David’s words. He describes his strength and confidence even in death because God was at his right hand. Picture God the Father holding Jesus’ hand as if to remind him that God had not abandoned the Savior to death, but that life was just around the corner.

The Christian’s greatest joy is that Jesus not only died but was raised to life again. By the disciples’ firsthand witness we are able to testify about these facts in our lives. We know sin’s guilt was paid when Jesus died. We know he wasn’t conquered by death. He rose again. Together, these facts bring comfort. We know the payment for sin is made. We live free from guilt and fear. Because of Jesus’ power over death, the death we face someday won’t be able to hold us either. We can walk through life and even enter the grave with the confidence that God’s hand is firmly wrapped around ours. In Jesus our Savior, we are safe with God forever.

Prayer: Lord, in your Son’s death and resurrection you assure me that I’m your dear child. As I study your Word, lead me by the hand, guide, and care for me today and every day. Amen.

Something Greater

These [trials] have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine. – 1 Peter 1:7

Think about something for a moment. Think about gold. Imagine taking all the known gold that’s ever been mined in all of human history. Now picture this: If you took all that gold and melted it into one cube, that cube would easily fit on the infield of any baseball diamond. Listen to that little factoid again: The infield of a simple baseball diamond would be more than enough to hold all the known gold that all of human history has used and possessed.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget how precious and rare gold really is. It probably should come as no surprise, then, that in these days of an uncertain dollar and a shaky economy, many people are choosing to invest in gold.

But as rare and precious as gold is, the apostle Peter points you to something greater. He points you to your faith.

Let’s assume for a moment that some truly difficult times are coming in the months and years ahead. Is it wise and prudent to economize, to live more modestly, to manage money carefully? Of course. But you could have the investing prowess of Warren Buffet and still lose everything that matters if you ignore what Peter has to say to you about your faith.

Which brings us to why the Lord often gives us hard times in the first place. Peter says, “These [trials] have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, … – may be proved genuine.” In other words, God often allows trials into our lives to refine for us the most precious possession we have – our faith in Jesus as our Savior from sin.

Gold is precious. But in the end it’s only a soft, yellow metal. It cannot fill the empty place in your soul. Your faith, however, is something greater. Through it your Lord gives you everything you need.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, through faith in your Son I have forgiveness of sins and I have your promise that you’ll take care of me. Refine my faith, Lord. Make it strong. Amen.

Return to the Shepherd

For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. – 1 Peter 2:25

From time to time, the Bible calls us “sheep.” That isn’t very flattering, is it! If a wolf is bearing down and baring its teeth, how could a single sheep protect itself? The score every time is: Wolf 1, Sheep 0. If there is a drought, where would the sheep find decent water and grass? Sheep might eat paint chips for all they know. And the very worst? If sheep could talk, as they are going astray into real but invisible danger, they’d say, “No problem.  I can handle it.”

But a sheep can’t handle it. Ever!

How incriminating to hear, You were like sheep going astray. You thought you could handle a little temptation on the computer. You thought you could get drunk just once and then get behind the wheel. You thought you deserved the right to stay angry at so-and-so, for everyone can easily see that it was the other person’s fault and not yours. The danger became oh-so-real, oh-so-fast.

It’s time to return to the Shepherd. No more excuses. No more wandering. No more thinking you can stare temptation in the eye and handle it alone. No more thinking you can solve all your problems. No more being deceived that you’re in control when you are not. Return to the Shepherd! Let him be your Overseer. Let his promises guide your way. Listen to him as he tells you, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28.” There you are safe for eternity.

Prayer: Dear Shepherd, I don’t want to wander from you. I beg you, please watch over me that I might never go astray and be safe under your promises. Amen.

Someone You Can Trust

Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” – John 11:25-27

Jesus asked Martha a very pointed question, and it came at a most difficult time. Lazarus, her brother, had just died. Emotionally she was conflicted. Physically she was drained. Mentally she was confused. Although Jesus did offer her words of promise and assurance, he also added that key question, “Do you believe this?” In reality, the question was even more direct, “Do you trust me?” Martha’s answer is a testimony to her confidence in Jesus and an example for me.

Every day I face many challenges. Some are easy to overcome. Others are more difficult. Still, with persistence I manage. There are even times when I find a source of strength I didn’t know I had. Throughout these times I am able to say with some certainty, “I believe.”

This certainty will be seriously challenged in extreme situations. How will I respond if someone close to me dies? How will I respond if I am diagnosed with a disease that will permanently alter my life? How will I find a new source of strength when emotionally, physically, and mentally I am empty? Will I still say with certainty, “I believe?”

This is where Martha becomes a wonderful example. When Jesus asked her, “Do you believe this?” she gave a resounding and inspiring answer. More than saying, “I believe this,” she said, “I trust you.”

Here is where I need to re-examine and reinforce my faith. At the worse possible time, Martha said, “I can trust you, Jesus.” I need that same unshakable trust. What is reassuring is that Jesus goes to great lengths to provide that trust. Certainly his loving promise to be with me always tells me I can trust him. He offers me more. By his death on the cross, Jesus rescued me from the punishment for sin. As my Savior, he offers me the great assurance of forgiveness and the gift of God’s peace. And by his resurrection, Jesus proved his victory over the devil, my greatest enemy, and he takes away my fear of eternal death. I have every reason to trust him for this life, and for the life to come in heaven.

In this life there will be many disappointments, and many people will prove to be disappointing, so it is often difficult to find someone or something I can always trust. There remains one bright hope that will never fail to shine even in the darkest of times, and that is Jesus. He is someone I can always trust.

Prayer: O dearest Jesus, work in me through your never-failing presence and your precious promises. Give me the strength of faith to trust you in this life, and to trust you for the life to come. Amen!

Set Your Heart on Things Above

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. – Colossians 3:1-4

What is your heart set on? Are you set on getting outside with the warmer weather and doing some springtime planting? Are you perhaps just itching to get out fishing? When your heart is set on something, notice how much of your life revolves around your mindset. If you can’t wait to plant, you are now getting all the things prepared and purchased. If it’s fishing, you’re working to prepare gear and tackle so that everything is ready to go.

We are just a few days removed from Easter Sunday. Do you remember what Christ’s heart was set on? He made it his entire life’s goal and passion to win our eternal salvation by crushing the head of Satan, giving up his life, and then rising in three days. If Christ would have been distracted by the things of this world – power, prestige, earthly wealth, he would not have won our salvation and we would still be dead in our sins. Praise God that Jesus set his heart on things above – on doing his Father’s will, so that we might now have forgiveness, life and peace.

The apostle Paul shares with us what it means to have our minds set on things above. He says that we died. That is to say that the controlling power of the sinful nature inside each of us is now dead. Christ has set us free and truly made us alive, just as Christ Jesus is alive and alive in us by faith. No longer does the sinful nature rule, but Christ lives and rules in us. What is more, we know that nothing can separate us from God’s love.  Jesus lives in us to preserve us to the end. When Christ appears in glory on the last day, then we will be with him in glory where we will be free from all sin, sadness and suffering!

May our hearts and minds always be set on these things above. In the same way, may we also reflect what’s in our hearts and on our minds as we speak to one another about Christ’s victory sin, death and hell. It’s the best mindset to have and an even better one to share!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me a heart that filled with love for you and a mind that is focused on all that you have accomplished for my salvation. Preserve me in saving faith and finally bring me to share in the glory that you have prepared for me and all believers in heaven. Amen.

Words That Changed Everything

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” – Matthew 28:1-10

In times of shock and grief sometimes the only thing a person can do is just go through the motions. This seems to have been the case with the women as they journeyed to the tomb. It’s hard to even imagine everything that was going through their heads. Just days earlier their world had been turned upside down when their dear Lord was arrested, sentenced to death, and violently executed. They witnessed the intense hatred of his tormentors; they saw the blood running down his body; they heard his cry of anguish, and probably even saw the Roman spear pierce Jesus’ already lifeless body. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had quickly prepared his body for burial, but now the women wanted to perform this one last act of love for their dear Savior.

But the stone was removed. The tomb was empty! What thoughts rushed through their heads in the seconds before the angel spoke? Is this the wrong tomb? Did someone steal his body? Can it get any worse than this? First Jesus is wrongly condemned to death, and now he won’t even get the dignity of a proper burial? But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” Those words changed everything.

He has risen, just as he said. You can imagine all of the times that Jesus predicted his resurrection replaying in their minds like flashbacks in a movie. Could it really be? The truth was almost too much for them to digest at once. Is this what he meant? While it was too much to digest all at once, the Spirit would slowly help them understand. The joy that began that morning would fill their hearts and lives as they proclaimed the good news to others.

The angel’s words have changed everything for us as well. Jesus is risen! Your sin is gone! Death has been destroyed! Don’t stop looking into the empty tomb, and don’t stop telling others what you have seen!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, help us to continue to ponder the truth of Easter and cause our hearts to be filled with joy and peace. In your name we pray. Amen.

Welcome a Different Kind of King

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” – Matthew 21:1-11

Who would have expected it? The King of the Universe comes to win the greatest victory, and he comes riding not on a war-horse, or in a golden chariot, but on a beast of burden – a humble donkey! He even needed to make the arrangements himself. What conquering army commander needs to plan his own victory parade? But Jesus has to give his disciples specific instructions on how they should prepare his entrance into the Holy City.

Jesus is a different kind of king. Instead of saying, “Here I am, carry me!” he chose to carry our sins and burdens. Instead of announcing that all should bow down and serve him, he says, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).  The crown he wore was not laced with diamonds, but woven together with thorns. The throne he ascended was not plated with gold and padded with velvet, but made from wood and covered with splinters.

This is exactly how Jesus wanted to come. Not in all of his power and glory as God’s Son, but humbly as our Savior. Why? Because in his deepest humiliation he found his greatest glory. In lowliness he suffered God’s wrath for a world’s worth of sin. But under the deepest humility was the perfect life and innocent blood of the Son of God. With these he conquered sin and death and freed us from the threat of hell.

How can we not help but shout with the crowds, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”

Prayer: We praise you, O God, for the great acts of love by which you redeemed us through your Son, Jesus Christ. As he was acclaimed by those who scattered their garments and branches of palm in his path, so may we always hail him as our King and follow him with perfect confidence; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Get a Good Start in Life

The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. – Genesis 12:1-8

Everyone wants to get a good start in life. Most parents see that as the most important part of raising their children, to make sure that they get a good start. They teach them about life, send them to school, take them to church, get them interested in sports or hobbies, and maybe even send them to college. If children get a good start, they have a better chance of having a good life. Most will also agree that having a good role model is important to getting a good start.

Our Bible reading today is about Abram, later known as Abraham. It is the beginning of the record of his life and if you read it carefully you can see that he would make a good role model. He shows us how to get a good start in life.

First of all he listened to God. God told Abram that he wanted him to move to a land far away from his home land. Even though he didn’t know where God was leading him, Abram listened to God’s word and obeyed. (God was going to guide Abram to the land of Canaan.) Listening and obeying God’s word is one way to get a good start in life.

Next Abram believed God’s promises. Along with promising to bless Abram’s life, God also promised that the whole world would be blessed through him. Abram recognized those words of God as a promise that the Savior of the world would come from his descendants. Abram trusted God as his Savior, another sure way to get a good start in life.

Then we are told that as he traveled and settled in the land, Abram stopped and took time to worship God. He saw the Lord’s hand in his life, and he took the time to acknowledge the Lord’s blessings and thank him. A person who sees his life as a gift from God has a good start in life.

After his good beginning, the Bible records the rest of Abram’s life. Like most people’s lives, Abram had a lot of ups and downs, but God never left him. God kept his promises; he prospered Abram and protected him. Most importantly, he fulfilled his promise of bringing the Savior into the world from the line of his family.

It’s interesting that the “good start” that Abram got in life began when he was 75 years old! It just goes to show you that it is never too late to get a good start.

Prayer: Lord, help me to hear your word and obey it. By the power of your Spirit, like Abram, help me to believe in you as my Savior. Amen.