Monday March 10, 2008
John 1:29: Jesus the Lamb of God
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb
of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
“Behold the
Lamb of God, who takes away the
sin of the world.” John speaks to the Jews who knew he had reference to the
sacrificial lamb of the Passover. It was at the baptism of Jesus that God
revealed to man that Jesus was His Son. Is it any different with men today? It
was at Jesus’ baptism in the river
The
Lamb of God was a reminder that the people were still in their sins. The Lamb
of God was a reminder that they needed salvation. John pointed to Jesus as the
Lamb of God, the bringer of salvation. They looked, they heard Him, and they followed
Him. How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel. How beautiful
are the feet of those who hear and then follow the Lord when they have heard.
As our hymn for today says, “Buried with Christ and dead unto sin; Dying but
living, Jesus within; Ruling and reigning day after day, Guiding and keeping
all of the way.”
PRAYER: Father,
we see Jesus, made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death
for the sins of man; the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.
Thank You! Thank You, Father, for Jesus. Amen.
Tuesday March 11, 2008
Hebrews
9:26:
Then Christ would have had to suffer many
times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the
end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
The sacrifice of Christ never needs to be made again. God is
accessible forever with this one sacrifice. We are always sinners and always
will be, but nothing needs to be added to what Christ has done to open the way
to God’s love even when we sin.
I serve a
risen Savior,
He's in
the world today;
I know
that He is living,
Whatever
men may say;
I see His
hand of mercy,
I hear His
voice of cheer,
And just
the time I need Him
He's always
near.
In all the
world around me
I see His
loving care,
And though
my heart grows weary
I never
will despair;
I know
that He is leading
Thro' all
the stormy blast,
The day of
His appearing
Will come at last.
Rejoice,
rejoice, O Christian,
Lift up
your voice and sing
Eternal
hallelujahs
To Jesus
Christ the King!
The hope
of all who seek Him,
The help
of all who find,
None other
is so loving,
So good and kind.
He lives,
He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks
with me and He talks with me
Along life's narrow way.
He lives,
He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me
how I know He lives:
He lives
within my heart.
Dear Lord, How can we thank you for your sacrifice? How can
we be deserving? Help our serving in your name to be
worthy of all that you did.
Wednesday March 12, 2008
Mark 12:44:
They all gave out of their wealth; but
she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
The parable of the poor woman in Mark’s Gospel offers few
details. It’s a brief summary of a life
well lived. And to understand Mark’s
message, you have to read between the lines.
The woman was poor and probably always hungry. She searched for scraps and bargains. She may have picked up over-ripe fruit that
fell from the branches of fig trees.
Perhaps she searched for grain that harvesters missed? We don’t know.
If she was poor, how did she get her coins? Did she earn money by washing clothes for the
rich? Did she have children of her own
who gave her a coin every now and then?
Was she a beggar? Mark doesn’t
tell us.
I wonder if this was the only gift she gave. Or was giving, like breathing, an integral
part of her life? I’d like to believe
the woman gave often. Her life was an
oxymoron. She lived with little so that
she might give with abundance. Her story
is the story of the woman buried in a
We are to live simply and give abundantly. Those who give out of their wealth may feel at
risk. There is no need for anxiety. Our needs will be met. God will provide the figs, the grain and
fish. Jacques Ellul,
in Money and Power, puts it this way, “There is one act…which profanes money,…an act for which money is not made. This is the act of giving.” The poor woman understood this
perfectly.
Dear Lord, help us to spend less time thinking about wants
and focus on basic needs. Then, may we
share the rest so many can be filled.
Amen
Thursday March 13, 2008
Matthew
26:26-27:
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my
body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying,
"Drink from it, all of you.
We, as Christians have the distinct privilege of gathering
for a spiritual repast shared by many brothers and sisters in the family of
God. The Lord himself is the host, and those who have gathered have received a
written invitation to meet Him there.
In communion, we remember Christ and testify of God’s great
sacrifice. We also announce to the world that the cross was not the end but
only the beginning. Because of
0
Love that wilt not let me go
I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow may
richer, fuller be.
PRAYER: Father, as we partake daily of physical
food, may we be reminded of the Bread of Life, Jesus Your Son, who provides
sustenance for our souls. May the feast at His table
continually remind us of the loving family of which we are a part and help us to anticipate with
eagerness that eternal feast in glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Friday March 14, 2008
John
19:30:
When he had received the drink, Jesus
said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his
spirit.
The theme for this week is
SACRIFICE, but as I read this passage I am also hearing SURRENDER. The Miriam-Webster dictionary definitions are
also inter-related: Sacrifice is: destruction or surrender of something for the sake of
something else. While
surrender is to give up completely or
agree to forgo especially in favor of another.
This very familiar passage of
Christ’s last moments on the cross describes his final surrender for the sake
of someone else…each of us. This is a
scene full of drama and passion that touches the depths of our sorrow and the
magnitude of Christ’s love and obedience.
Rarely are we contemporary
American Christians called to sacrifice our lives for others, unless we serve
in the missionary field or the military.
But what if we were? Would
we? What is God calling us to sacrifice
today for the sake of others? Is it
giving up our comfort and convenience to combat global warming? I have a very hard
time thinking about giving up one of our two cars, or riding the bus when I can
drive, or not running the air conditioning, not drinking bottled water…
What is God calling us at
Sacrifice is never supposed
to be easy, if it were we wouldn’t call it sacrifice. It is time for each of us to look within
ourselves, our families, and our congregation to see what sacrifices we can and
should make. It isn’t finished yet.
Dear God, thank
you for loving us so much you were willing to give up the spirit for our
sakes. Forgive us for our selfishness
and possessiveness. Help us to give up
the things that take our attention away from you and give you our
attention. Teach us to grow in courage
to make sacrifices within our lives for the good of your children and your
earth. Amen.
Saturday March 15, 2008
Ephesians 5:2:
…and live a life of love, just as Christ
loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to
God.
I
have lots of memories associated with “fragrance.” I can remember the day before many holidays
at my Grandma’s house. The smells would
be abundant…bread, pies, fruit rolls, savory preparations for what was to come
the next day. The smell of the house was
enough to draw me back again and again and those fragrances have stayed with me
in my memory and can transport me back to those joy-filled childhood days even
now. The “fragrance” of the sacrificial
offerings of animals in the Old Testament days was thought to rise to heaven
and be pleasant to God. It was the smell
of meat cooking and that remains pleasurable to many today. It was the smell of life sacrificed to please
God in an offering.
Soon
it will be Easter and the sweet fragrances of flowers and festivities will fill
our church and our homes. In some
churches the fragrance of incense will mark the Easter Vigil service on Easter
Eve. All of it can be for us a reminder
of why we celebrate at all. It is
because of the sacrificial offering of Jesus for us on the cross. It is because it was pleasing to God to find
a way for all humanity to eternally enjoy life within the presence of God’s
love and grace. It is the nonstop good
news that life overcomes death despite the worst that death can offer.
Breathe
deeply. Smell the life that exudes
around you. Sense the gift so freely
given for you. God loves us so much that
Jesus gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Prayer:
With
every breath, O Lord, may the holy fragrance of your sacrificial lovefill me with life and joy. May my life be one of sacrificial giving to
you through others.
Amen
Sunday March 16, 2008
Isaiah
52:13:The Suffering and
Glory of the Servant
See, my servant will act wisely; he will be
raised and lifted up and highly exalted
This passage from Isaiah led
me to think about what it means to be a servant of God. The passage promises good things for those
who serve God, without saying much about what that service might look like, or
what God’s really looking for in a servant.
Like many passages, this one seems to raise more questions than it
answers.
Each of us has to make our
own decisions about what being a servant of God means, and whether we want to
make those kinds of activities part of our lives. I can say personally that trying to be of
service to God has been a great joy in my life, as well as a great
blessing. For one thing, God is a great
boss. If I’m feeling crummy, or
overwhelmed, and can’t seem to get my work done for God, I know that God will
understand. God is the ultimate
compassionate supervisor, who frequently gives a day off, an extra bonus or an
unexpected compliment. At the same time,
God seems to enjoy finding a challenge for me to work on, and putting it in my
path. Just when I’m feeling complacent
about my experiences, I find myself challenged with some compelling
dilemma. Lately, I’ve been blessed to
mull over questions about how we make our church a truly welcoming place, how
we develop strong ties to our surrounding community, and how we balance
renovating our beautiful building with keeping our eyes on our missions.
Obviously, these are
questions I can’t begin to answer by myself…so God gives me other servants to
work with, and in community we struggle with these questions. This is another great thing about being God’s
servant: the other servants I’ve been privileged to get to know. Some of these other servants are around in
person, and some of them I know through words and actions. Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, and Jimmy
Carter all work for the same boss I do, and they turn out to be great people to
turn to with challenging questions.
I will not make light of the
challenges that being of service to God can present, and I could write another
whole devotion on that. We live in a
busy time, and sometimes it seems hard to find time to do everything. As you weigh your own priorities, look at
where serving God fits in. As Isaiah
says, you will be lifted up through
your service.