Peace Week: How Much Would it Take?
"Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife." (Proverbs 17:1)My good friend Kevin used to play this game with me called, "How much would it take?" It was a simple game. He'd ask me how much money I would need to do something outrageously embarrassing or dangerous. (e.g., "How much would it take for you to moon that big, mean-looking guy with the tattoo on his forehead?")
My responses usually involved huge amounts of money. It's a good thing Kevin wasn't a billionaire, or I would have been in big trouble.
In essence, Kevin was asking me to place a value on my peace of mind. Was there a number that would justify filling my life with momentary and/or ongoing strife?
Today's verse says, "Don't do it." Don't trade your peace of mind for a life of strife. Being broke is better than having a house full of cool stuff if it comes with constant conflict around you or in your head.
Think: Does having money or nice stuff always bring some strife to a household? Why does it sometimes bring strife? Is there anything you could personally do to make your household more peaceful?
Pray: Ask God to help you not to value money or material things over peace of mind. Ask Him to give you the wisdom to know how much of your time and energy to give to chasing either of them.
Do: Ask a parent or two how they feel about the ratio in your household between strife and "peace and quiet."
Peace Week: Bone-Rotting Envy
"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." (Proverbs 14:30)Stress comes in lots of flavors, and most docs will tell you that too much stress is bad for your body. One of the things that stresses us out is sin -- the commitment to live our way over God's way. Today's verse points to envy as the stressor, the peace-stealer.
Envy can be defined as a refusal to be satisfied with what God has given to me because what someone else has looks way better. It's like volunteering to give up our peace of mind.
There's nothing wrong with my saying, "Hey, I think what you've got is really cool." The wrong comes when we say, "Now I won't be happy because you have it and I don't."
To hold on to envy is a choice, one that will "rot your bones." In other words, unless you choose life-giving peace by thanking God for what you have and trusting Him with what you want -- envy will eat you from the inside out.
Don't buy the lie: You really can let it go.
Think: Does envy usually feel like a choice or a feeling that happens to you against your will? Have you ever had success battling envy with gratitude? Why do you think that can be so effective?
Pray: Ask God to help you to let go of envy when it comes. Ask Him to help to choose to be grateful for all He gives to you -- and to experience the peace of mind that comes with gratitude.
Do: If you know a Christian doctor, ask about any connection between physical health and holding on to sinful attitudes like envy.
Peace Week: Chase It
"Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." (Psalm 34:14)Peace is not a virus. It's not something you catch if you're exposed to the right set of circumstances. It's something you catch if you chase it down and wrap your hands around it. Peace is real, and God wants you to have it.
The problem is most of us are really lousy peace-hunters. A) We tend to run in the direction of evil. We make selfish choices to do wrong things. We won't find any peace that way. B) We're not looking for peace; we're just hoping it finds us.
"God, please put some peace in my heart. And give me a pony." God says, "Run toward the peace, and you'll catch it. Run away from me, and you'll miss it." Peace isn't a toy God gives and takes away. It comes with trusting Him enough to obey Him and rest in His arms. Run toward Him and catch it.
Think: When you can't find peace, do you ever check your life to see if you're running toward sin? Do you believe that doing wrong things can keep you from having real peace?
Pray: Ask God to help you to look for peace and to pursue it and to catch it by trusting Him and doing good.
Do: Notice this week how sinful choices impact your ability to feel peaceful.
Peace Week: Good Sleep
"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:8)It didn't seem right to leave us all hanging at the end of Mad Week. So welcome to Peace Week! Peace isn't always the opposite of being angry, but it's close.
Remember what David and Paul wrote about anger last week -- get rid of it before you go to sleep; lie down in your bed, think hard, and let it go. Today's verse from David is part of the secret to doing that.
David was convinced that God was his protector. He didn't have to hold on to his anger to protect himself or get even with his enemies or stand against injustice. He believed God handled all those things far better than he ever could. So he stopped being angry and went to sleep in peace.
Peace comes from trusting the God who loves us to exercise His enormous power to do what's best.
Think: Have you ever noticed the connection between trusting God and letting go of anger? Have you ever noticed yourself become obviously more peaceful after consciously choosing to trust God about something?
Pray: Ask God to help you to trust Him so deeply that you sleep in peace even when the things that make you angry or worried aren't fixed, yet.
Do: Ever have trouble sleeping because you're angry or scared or stressed out? Try memorizing this verse and repeating it to yourself while you're trying to blink out.
Mad Week: Wrong Way!
"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." (James 1:19-20)Have you ever noticed those Wrong Way signs on a divided highways or one-way streets? They're almost funny -- until you realize they're talking to you. It's like the Department of Roads is saying, "If you've missed all of our other signs pointing you in the right direction, this is our last attempt to keep you from having a head-on crash with another car."
We should almost always think of our anger like one of those Wrong Way signs. It's a warning that the way we're going won't get us to our destination. As Christians, anger should tell us, "You're on the path away from the life God wants for you."
The warning also tells us that if we don't turn around soon, we're probably going to get hurt. Or hurt someone else. Or maybe both. Usually, our U-turn option includes shutting up. Thinking hard. And putting anger away, hopefully before we make eye contact with another driver.
Think: What's your most common reaction to feeling angry -- to hit the brakes or step on the gas? Why do we so often do the opposite of what's wise when we feel angry? How can we change that?
Pray: Ask God to help you to remember to hit the brakes the next time you start getting angry, before you do any damage to yourself or others.
Do: Look for Wrong Way signs when you're driving around this week and use the reminder to ask God to help you to listen to and control your anger.
Mad Week: I’m Not Angry!
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." (Ephesians 4:31)"I'm not angry; I'm just irritated." "I'm not mad; I'm just protecting myself." "I'm really not angry; I'm just warning you about what a huge jerk that guy is so, you know, you can avoid him."
One of the lies we love to tell ourselves is that we're not really angry. Either because we think that feeling angry is wrong or that it makes us weak, we don't want to admit it. But that lie keeps us from dealing with the anger; you can't get rid of something you won't admit is there.
Anger comes in lots of flavors: Bitterness is old anger we won't let go of. Rage is fierce anger. Brawling is anger that wants to fight hard right now. Slander is more subtle; we use it to hurt by spreading lies or rumors or by telling unkind truths to people who don't need to know. Malice is anger that wants to bring the pain, whatever it takes.
Paul said none of those feelings are wrong by themselves, but that all of them will lead you in a worthless direction. We've got to ditch them.
Think: Do you ever have trouble admitting that you're feeling angry? Why do you think that is? Which of these kinds of anger have you felt most often?
Pray: Ask God to help you to be honest about your anger and to give you the faith in Him to let it go.
Do: Notice this week if any of your friends or family members seem to have trouble admitting that they feel angry.
Mad Week: Don’t Let the Sun Set
" 'In your anger do not sin': Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." (Ephesians 4:26)Okay, we get it. Although anger is not a sin by itself, it makes it a whole lot easier to sin. After all, add a "d" to "anger" and you get "look out!" But how are we supposed to let it go before the day ends? How are we supposed to stop the sun from setting?
First, you've got to believe it's possible, or Paul wouldn't tell us to do it. With God's help, you absolutely do have the power to stop being angry for today, at the very least.
Paul quotes here from Psalm 4:4, where David says we should go lie down, think hard, and shut up to keep out of sin until we can ditch the anger. That's good wisdom.
Notice also that anger pushes you to the front lines of spiritual battle. Anger nurtured somehow gives Satan a place to stand in our heads. Anger protected and unreleased gives him access to our hearts.
We've got to let it go.
Think: On a scale from 1 to 10, how hard is it for you to stop feeling angry once it hits? What could you do to make it less likely that you will sin when you're feeling angry?
Pray: Ask God to help you not to sin when you're angry and to learn to let go of your anger quickly. Ask Him to protect you from the devil's attempts to use your anger against you.
Do: Read and think about memorizing Psalm 4:4.
Mad Week: Seek and Destroy
"An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins." (Proverbs 29:22)Here's another problem with anger: When we're angry, we're less likely to want other people to be happy. An anger problem is never a personal problem. It's a problem for everyone in the angry fellow's circle of influence.
Today's proverb says that when you've got a good rage going, you go into seek-and-destroy mode. Every person you talk to or talk about is on the menu for yelling at, dismissing, mocking, or worse. You "stir up dissension" by bringing up anything that might make for a good fight between you or others.
Conflict might be one reason people get angry, but angry people also love conflict. It's a never-ending cycle: "I'm angry; let's have a conflict." "Oh, this is a conflict; now I'm angry."
We've got to find the anger emergency brake to stop that vicious cycle before it destroys friendships, months, reputations. More on how to bail out of anger in the next few days.
Think: Have you ever seen a relationship ended over one person's anger? Have you seen angry people break up whole groups? How can an angry person break out of the cycle of conflict and rage?
Pray: Ask God to help you not to be an angry person and to know how to break out of anger when you feel it starting to take over.
Do: Make a quick list of a few people in your life who are known for being "angry people." Notice how that has impacted their relationships.
Mad Week: Letting Anger Fly
"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." (Proverbs 29:11)Everyone gets angry. Period. We just do. It's human, and we'll learn this week that to feel angry in and of itself is NOT a sin. The question is, "You're angry. Now what?"
The fool answers that question by fully expressing his or her anger as loudly, violently, and hurtfully as possible. To give "full vent" to something means not to hold anything back. It means to fire all of the thrusters, open all of the sails, unleash all of the bombs at once. Swear. Throw things. Spit.
Wise people feel that same angry emotion and say, "Stop. Hold. Wait." Sometimes it is wise to express some of our anger in a controlled, sinless, even loving manner. But it's never wise to just crank the volume to 11 and let our rage fly. Never. It doesn't help us, and it doesn't help anyone else.
Think: Can you remember any moments in which you have given "full vent" to your anger? What was the outcome of that? Would you agree now that it was foolish? What might have been a wiser response in that moment?
Pray: Ask God to give you the courage and self-control to slow your anger down and only express it in ways that are not sinful or hurtful to others.
Do: Notice this week how people in your life respond when they feel angry. Who gives "full vent" to anger and who seems to be keeping it under control? Think about asking the controlled ones how they do that.
Mad Week: Angry Friends
"Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared." (Proverbs 22:24-25)The moment I knew the huge man sitting in front of me at the movie theater was "hot tempered" was when someone asked him to be quiet and all of his friends got up and moved away from him. They knew what was coming next. Short version: He left with the cops.
Friends of explosively angry people often lose. Either they get caught in the crossfire between him and his latest blowup -- or they become the target of his wrath themselves. Today's verse mentions the third trap; mad guys' friends learn to be angry people, too.
You can't always avoid angry people — especially those in your family — but wisdom warns us not to get into new friendships with obviously hot-tempered people. Give them grace and show God's love, but build some distance; guard your heart; let them answer to God, above all.
Think: How many of your friends would you say are angry people? Has someone else's quick anger ever gotten you in trouble? Do you think it's wrong to limit a friendship because the other person gets angry too quickly and easily?
Pray: Ask God to help you not to be easily angered or hot tempered. Ask Him for wisdom about how deeply to invest in ongoing friendships with angry people.
Do: On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most "hot tempered," how would you rate your quickness to get angry? Write that number down. Then write down the average anger number for your closest group of friends.
Mad Week: Angry God?
"The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love." (Psalm 145:8)For the next week, we're going to have an anger problem. Okay, we always have an anger problem. For the next week, we're going to try to see our anger for what it mostly is -- a real problem that God can really help us with.
But wait just a minute! Isn't God angry a lot? Isn't the Bible full of verses that talk about His wrath and vengeance and anger, especially in the Old Testament? Well, yes and no. The Bible does talk about God's anger and justice, but it also talks about his patience, mercy, and forgiveness.
In fact, today's verse makes it clear that God's character is built on the fact that He does not get angry easily. What He is known for is not flying off the handle or being hot-headed. He sometimes put His justified anger on hold for whole lifetimes before expressing it against those who had rejected His loving direction.
What we're hoping for as His kids this week is to look more and more like Him in controlling our anger, slowing it down, and not letting our selfish anger drive our lives.
Think: How often do you think of God as being angry? How often do you hear others describe Him that way? How long do you think we would last if God was not always in control of His anger?
Pray: Thank God that He is rich in love, grace, and compassion — and slow to anger.
Do: Notice this week who in your life tends to be quick to anger and who seems better at slowing it down.
The Mirror Changed
"But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation." (Colossians 1:22)Remember the ugly mirror from yesterday? It showed us exactly how we looked without Christ -- rebellious, alienated, evil enemies of God. We were against Him, and the self-made ugliness broadcast itself from our reflection.
But then God took action. He did the only thing that could be done to bring us back into a loving, meaningful, growing relationship with Him. He mysteriously and bafflingly allowed His Son, the all-powerful God in a physical human body, to die for our ugly choices -- and for all His goodness to be counted as our own. How could that happen?
I don't know, but the image in our mirrors transformed on the day we believed. We've been reconciled and changed from enemies to sons, from ugly to beautiful, from sin-ravaged to "holy in his sight." The glass no longer screams out the shame of the sins keeping up from the Father; now it glows with the flawless complexion of newborn creatures. The old has gone; the new has come.
Think: Have you noticed this transformation happening in your life? Is it ever hard to believe that God sees you through the perfect righteousness of Jesus because of your faith in Him? What helps you to believe it?
Pray: Ask God to help you to become more and more convinced that Jesus' goodness is far more powerful than your sin, that your faith in Him is all that is necessary to make you acceptable to the Father.
Do: Think about this transformation for a minute the next time you look in a mirror.
The Ugly Mirror
"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior." (Colossians 1:21)For the first time this week, we take our eyes off of Jesus in His natural state as fully God and in His completely human state as the perfect sacrifice -- and we take a good look at ourselves in our natural form. And what we see is ugly.
We were alienated from Him. He created us, but we rejected Him. Why? Because we wanted to do whatever we wanted to do whether He liked it or not. We chose sin. We chose self. We did evil and became His enemies. We were hopelessly lost, and we didn't want His help.
Why didn't He just let us get what we deserved, what we earned with our evil choices and arrogant thoughts? He had every right to give up on us. He didn't owe us a thing. Why pour His only Son into a body and into time and into pain and suffering and heartbreak for us?
Thank God He did.
Think: If someone exploring Christianity asked you the questions above -- why would God sacrifice Jesus to save people who were rejecting Him? -- how would you answer that question?
Pray: Thank God that He did. Ask Him to help you to be honest with yourself about the fact that you did nothing to earn a moment of eternity in His presence.
Do: In your favorite online dictionary, look up and personalize the words "alienated," "enemy," and "evil."
Peace through Blood
"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." (Colossians 1:19-20)Even more gargantuan ideas about Jesus as both man and God:
1) All of God's "fullness" lives in Jesus. Not only is Jesus the image of the invisible God, He is full of God on the inside, as well. In other words, Jesus is what Bible scholars call "fully God" -- God inside and out.
2) Jesus is the agent God used to reconcile "all things" to Himself. Another way of saying it is that Jesus was (and will be) the way God chose to fix all the broken things in the universe -- to end every conflict forever.
3) God fixed (will fix) every broken thing by breaking Jesus, by crushing Him, by allowing Him to bleed as the sacrifice in place of all who deserved to bleed, instead. He brought peace by killing His Son.
Think: Would Jesus have qualified as the ultimate sacrifice for sin -- the peacemaker who fixed every broken thing -- if He had not been fully God? Could He have been the reconciler of "all things" if He was not also fully man? (Hint: No and no.)
Pray: Thank God that He was pleased to have His fullness live in Jesus. Thank Him that He will eventually bring peace forever through what Jesus did on the cross.
Do: If you started a list yesterday of all the things we've learned about Jesus this week, add today's 3 points to it.
Firstborn from the Dead and the Head
"And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." (Colossians 1:18)Two more huge ideas about the Jesus who is fully God:
1) Paul often described the church -- all of us who believe in Jesus and follow Him -- as a body. We are one thing with many parts. Your part is based on your spiritual gift or gifts. I'm a toe. You're a spleen. We're all one body.
Paul now identifies the above-the-neck portion of that metaphorical body. Jesus is our head. We are his arms, legs, toes, and spleens. He is the brain in the skull that signals us to action. Or reaction. Or inaction. It's His call.
2) He is the first graduate of death. As we learned all over again during Easter week, He is the bandleader marching out of the tomb with an army of future-resurrectees following from our own graves. Because He lives, we will, too.
He rules. All.
Think: How is Jesus' supremacy over the universe the same or different from His "headship" over the church? How is a body's connection to a head different from any random citizen's connection to a king?
Pray: Thank God that Jesus is the head of the church and the first of all those Jesus-believers who will also be resurrected.
Do: Quickly review the Colossians 1:15-22 in your Bible and make a quick bullet-point list of what it tells us about Jesus as God.
Holding It All Together
"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:17)Every verse we read this week seems to double and triple my small-minded ideas of the power and glory of Jesus Christ. It's mind-numbing enough to realize that "all things" were created by Him and for Him. I can't even begin to process that.
But today's verse piles on: All things "hold together" in Him. It's not just that He made it all or that it all had His name on it. His power is active right now. In this exact moment. Holding it all together. Without Him, in other words, "all things" would fly apart in an instant.
No wonder we're more comfortable with Jesus with his sandals and disciples and even His hard words. His "other" identity is terrifying. We need to see His humanity so we can start to believe that a God like that could care about momentary specks in the cosmos like us.
Think: What must it have been like for Jesus, as God, to be trapped in space and time and flesh and blood like a regular person? Imagine the perfect patience it would take to put up with all of our sinful human foolishness and frailty.
Pray: Thank God for Jesus' power in holding all things together and for the love He showed in living and dying as a mere human.
Do: Make your mental picture of Jesus even bigger.
It’s His Universe
"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." (Colossians 1:16)Have you ever heard or used that expression: "It's so-and-so's world; we're just living in it."? This week you might hear someone say, "It's Miley Cyrus's world; we're just living in it."
It's a funny thing to say, but of course it's true for only one being: Jesus. He made everything. Every living thing. Every non-living thing. Everything you can see or can't. Every being that breathes or exists somehow without breath. And it was all made "for him." It's literally His universe; we're just living in it.
Hearing that can either make you feel jealous and small and angry about the inequality of a universe where one being has all that power -- or it can make you feel deeply grateful that such a being is also a person who would willingly sacrifice Himself on a cross to include you in His plans for that universe.
What's your response?
Think: How much power would it take to create everything in the universe? How much control would the Creator have over all that exists in His universe? Why, again, would Jesus let Himself be mocked and killed by a handful of His tiny, weak creatures?
Pray: Thank God for letting you live in His universe and then thank Him again and again for including you in His family through your faith in the Creator Jesus.
Do: Read more about this big idea in Romans 11:33 - 12:2.
Why Jesus?
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation." (Colossians 1:15)Could anyone else have done what Jesus did -- dying for our sins on that ugly cross and rising from the dead to secure the victory? Nope. It had to be Jesus. Period. He is unique in all of the universe; without Him we would be lost. We're going to find out this week what makes Him so special.
First, you can't see God -- but many people saw Jesus. We know Him though the Word and so we have seen the Father. Jesus is the exact essence of the Almighty. Nobody else is God.
Second: Jesus existed before one molecule of creation came into being. He is everlasting. He has priority over everything and everyone because He was here first.
More tomorrow.
Think: How well do you know who Jesus really is? Does the idea of knowing Him better excite you or does it feel like homework? Why?
Pray: Thank God for letting you know Jesus through faith and through studying Him in the Bible. Thank Him that Jesus allows you to "see" the Father -- and that Jesus has always been.
Do: If you've got a minute, go back and read all the verses linked to above.
Risen Indeed
"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. . . . For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:20, 22)Happy Easter Sunday. We celebrate today the hinge weekend not just in Christianity, but in all of human history. The battle still rages, but the victory was secured once and for all on that first Easter morning.
The resurrection of Jesus was the promise of a million resurrections to follow. Paul calls it here the firstfruits of those who would die and be freed from the grave again.
Christianity does not offer the world a grand self-improvement strategy or the secret to a happy life. In Jesus' name, we offer the world nothing less than eternal life after death. Through Him, we offer resurrection.
Happy Easter Sunday.
Think: Do you think the universal impact of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead gets lost in all of our church and family traditions? Is there anything we can do to amplify it?
Pray: Praise God for the power and love He demonstrated in raising Jesus Christ from the dead and making it possible for you to be resurrected, as well.
Do: If you're wondering how and when the resurrection will happen -- and/or what our resurrected bodies will be like -- read through the rest of 1 Corinthians 15.
Not Good Enough
"If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." (1 Corinthians 15:19)Nobody should become a Christian to give themselves a better life on Earth. Why? Because our lives on this side of heaven still suck, especially when compared with what we were built for.
Too harsh? Listen to what Paul wrote in another letter: "The whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for . . . the redemption of our bodies."
He's talking about our resurrection. And then he writes, "For in this hope we were saved." (Romans 8:22-24)
Yes, being a Christian gives power, purpose to our lives, hopefulness in hard times, joy, gladness, and great connectedness with other believers. But none of that is possible -- or good enough in this pain-soaked vapor life -- to make faith in Jesus worth it if there is no sinless resurrection life and body waiting for us on the other side.
Think: Do you think it's possible to put too much hope in what God might do for us in this life and not enough hope in what He'll definitely give to us in the resurrection?
Pray: Thank God that we do not have hope in Christ only for this life, that nobody needs to pity us because Jesus is alive.
Do: Get your heart and mind ready to celebrate the resurrection personally and with your Christian family.
Good Friday Fools?
"For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost." (1 Corinthians 15:16-18)We call this Friday good because it's the day we remember Jesus' terrible sacrifice to pay for every last one of our sins on that terrible cross. We earned His torture. We deserved His agony. He took it for us, instead, so we could be pardoned.
But without the resurrection, that Friday would have been just another day, another execution of a Roman prisoner, another slaughter in a Middle Eastern religious dispute. And our faith in Jesus would not bring forgiveness. We would still be awaiting the eternal torture, the endless agony.
Without Easter, Jesus was a liar. The ancient prophesy and His own prediction said He, the Messiah, would rise again. If He didn't, it was all pointless. And those who died believing died as fools.
The disciples probably felt like fools by the end of Good Friday as the stone was rolled into place over the mouth of the tomb. But Sunday would change everything.
Think: After 3 years of following Jesus, believing He was the Messiah, how do you think the disciples felt on Friday night and all day Saturday? Do you think any of them felt like Friday was a victory before they saw Him again?
Pray: Thank God for Jesus' sacrifice in your place on the cross on that terrible Good Friday. Thank Him for loving you so much He gave His Son's life for yours. Then thank Him for raising Jesus from the dead on Easter morning.
Do: Take the time to remember the cross today, maybe at a service at your church or just in a time of reflection on your own. Try not to skip Good Friday.
No Easter No Point
"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised." (1 Corinthians 15:14-15)If you don't believe Jesus was resurrected — or that those who follow Him will be resurrected — just turn around and walk away. That's what Paul said.
He had already written 14-and-a-half chapters worth of teaching to these Corinthians. And now he said that if you can't get behind the idea of a physical resurrection from the dead for believers, then just wad the whole thing up and toss it in the outhouse.
If we don't rise again, and if Jesus didn't, Paul said his whole ministry would be a useless lie. Anyone who believed him was wasting their time.
How crucial is the resurrection to what Christians believe? Without it, we've got nothing but pews and preachers and pot lucks (if you're lucky). But because of it, we've got everything. It is the evidence that God's goodness, power, and love are all real -- that all this stuff we do together in response to Him has a point.
Easter is the proof of eternal life. Don't miss Easter.
Think: In difficult times, do you ever wonder if the Christian life is really worth it, if it really means anything? Does the reality of Jesus' resurrection help to convince you that it is?
Pray: Thank God that our faith is not useless because Jesus really was raised from the dead and we will be, too.
Do: Have you invited any unbelievers to go to church with you on Sunday? There's still time.
Religion without Resurrection: Why?
"But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised." (1 Corinthians 15:12-13)It's easier for me to understand atheists than to get people who want to practice at religion without believing in anything supernatural. Atheists, naturalists, just refuse to buy anything that can't be seen, touched, smelled, or satisfyingly deduced. At least, that's their claim. And I can respect the intent if not the conclusion.
Followers of Jesus, on the other hand, believe in what can't be seen. Based on the testimony of transformed lives, the reasonableness of biblical truth, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, we put all of our confidence in what is hoped for, what is promised in God's Word. That's faith, according to Hebrews 11:1.
But "religious unbelievers" want to go to church and try to be good and talk to a God that is not so embarrassing as to claim to have done anything that can't be explained in human experience. Why not just sleep in on Easter Sunday?
Apparently, some of these folks were trying to tell the believers in Corinth not to expect to be resurrected after they died. Paul worked the logic of their unbelief, concluding that if nobody is resurrected, then neither was Jesus. And then what is the point of this faith, again?
Think: Do you see any value to a religion that denies the existence of the supernatural, specifically the physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus? Do you think Christ-less religions are better than no religion at all? Why or why not?
Pray: This Easter week, continue to thank and praise God that Jesus lives.
Do: It's just a few days until Easter. Think about inviting an unbelieving friend to go with you to your church service on Sunday.
They All Saw Him
". . . and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep." (1 Corinthians 15:5-6)He'd been burned too badly to believe in Jesus any more. He was done. He'd put all his hope — willingly risked his own life — to follow Christ. And then Jesus just died up there on that cross. Thomas was scared and angry because a dead Messiah wasn't what he'd signed up for.
Paul tells his readers in Corinth that the Gospel is not complete without Easter. The story could not end with the cross and still have any meaning. The resurrection is so important, he said, that if they wanted evidence — as Thomas demanded when the other disciples came and told him they'd seen Jesus alive — they could go and ask some of the other firsthand witnesses. Paul wanted them to know that believing in Easter was reasonable.
We don't have even that option available, beyond reading the 2,000-year-old testimony of a few of those men. Thomas got his proof, but we must take it on faith that Jesus walked out of that tomb. It's still a reasonable faith, but it's also an act of trust, one for which God blesses us with the promise of an escape from our own tombs.
"Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)
Think: Can you blame Thomas for wanting proof? Can you explain to someone why you believe in the resurrection without firsthand evidence of your own?
Pray: Thank God for giving you the faith to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Ask Him to help your everyday choices to reflect your belief that Jesus is alive-again Son of God.
Do: Read Thomas's exchange with Jesus in John 29:24-31.
First Importance
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)Why do we believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead? And what difference does it make, really? This Easter week, those are the questions Paul will answer for us as we listen in on parts of 1 Corinthians 15.
What we call the gospel is built on 3 essential legs, Paul writes in today's verses. The most important parts of the Good News are these: Jesus died for our sins; He was buried; He was raised the third day — all as had been predicted in God's Word long before hand.
If you're a Christian, your relationship with God started with saying "yes" to the truthfulness of all three. But wouldn't it be easier to convince people to join us if we could just leave that last one out?
Sure, Jesus died for our sins. But came back to life? That's where it gets to be a hard sell. Why make a big deal about that one? Stay tuned.
Think: Before we dive into Paul's answers this week, why do you think the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is an essential part of what we believe as Christians?
Pray: Thank God for helping you to believe in the Good News about Jesus: that He died for your sins, was buried, and then made alive again on the first Easter morning.
Do: Notice this week who emphasizes the resurrection and who avoids it when they talk about Easter.
“Kill Them in Front of Me”
"But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me." (Luke 19:27)Whoa! That's kind of terrible, isn't it? Jesus tells a story in which the main character obviously represents Him, the king who will return, expecting to find that His servants have been productive while He was gone. And this is the last line in that story, right before He pushes into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
I sometimes hear people complain that Christians get too caught up in our doctrines and theologies and our preoccupation with sin — and we don't spend enough time just listening to Jesus. I wonder if this is the passage they mean.
While it's true that Jesus did not come the first time to judge the world, He is coming back one day to do just exactly that. Our Jesus is the Savior and the sacrifice who told His followers to turn the other cheek, who taught us to love our enemies, who forgave even His killers on the cross. But He is also the king who will put to eternal death all who wished to reject His reign.
Same Jesus. Different time. The opportunity to join Him is now.
Think: How often do you think of Jesus as the judge who will demand the blood of those who rejected His rule? How does it change your perception of Him?
Pray: Thank God that Jesus is the king and that He only does good. Thank God for His justice, His righteousness, and for His grace and mercy to you because of your faith in Christ.
Do: Read John Piper's excellent breakdown of 10 things believers can and/or should feel in response to this verse.
Competitive Christians?
"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.' 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!' He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.' " (Luke 19:24-26)How seriously do you take the idea that there will be rewards in heaven for those who have served Christ well during this life? Does it motivate you to try harder? Does it ignite your competitive spirit? Does it make you willing to sacrifice more, to get up earlier, to dig deeper?
We're not talking about your salvation here, necessarily. However, this servant's inaction could have been the result of not really believing the king would return. In Matthew's version of a similar story, the inactive servant is thrown out of the kingdom. But many immature believers also seem to have decided that since works can't save us, God doesn't care about works.
That could not be more wrong. God created good works for us to do before we were ever saved. Paul describes his whole life as a kind of fierce competition to serve God faithfully for which he would be rewarded. And Jesus' story here strongly suggests that some will receive more than others for their effective work for Him.
Think: How are you investing your life, the one He gave you?
Pray: Thank God that He rewards those who serve Him. Ask Him to help you to be motivated by that in the best possible way.
Do: Make a quick list of the top 3 rewards you've earned so far in your life. Think about what makes those rewards valuable to you.
Wicked Lack of Effort
"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?' " (Luke 19:22-23) Jesus pictures Himself as the future king in this parable — newly crowned, returned, and seeing how his servants have done with the resources he told them to "put to work." We've already noticed that his rewards for success are extremely generous.
But this king is no pushover. He doesn't tell the servant who just hid his money that everything is okay. He doesn't say, "No big deal; I understand. You were nervous; don't worry about it."
Instead, He spells out the right of kings and grills the man about why he didn't even take the initiative to drive thru at the bank and make a deposit in a low-interest money market account. The king cared about the man's lack of effort. He wanted to see results.
Think: Do you often think of Jesus as a King who will hold you accountable for how you invested your gifts for His glory? Does this story change your picture of Jesus?
Pray: Ask God to help you to make the most of the gifts He gives to you for His glory.
Do: The king called his inactive servant wicked. Look up the word wicked in a dictionary.
Don’t Bury Your Treasure
"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.' " (Luke 19:20-21)Remember the king's instructions before He left? "Put this money to work until I come back." This servant told the king he was so afraid of losing the money by investing it that he just wrapped it up and hid it away -- rather than make the king mad by doing something stupid with it.
The failure of this approach is obvious to us. Our first reaction is, "What a doofus!" But how many people do we know who have lived their whole lives so in fear of failing that they never got around to trying anything worthwhile for God's glory?
But fear of failure was not this servant's biggest problem. What we learn at the end of the story is that he had a faith problem. If he had truly believed the king would return, he would have done something with that money.
If we truly believe God has given us our potential, skills, talents, and spiritual gifts to use for His glory, we won't just sit on them. We will get out there and put them to work.
Think: Have you ever failed to take a good opportunity to do something for God because you were afraid you would fail? Does that show more lack of trust in yourself or in God? Why?
Pray: Ask God to give you the courage to attempt to do good things with the gifts He has given to you for His glory. Ask Him to make you very useful to Him in this life.
Do: Make a quick list of 3 things you could try to do for God's glory in the next year.
The Biggest Gainer
"Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.' " (Luke 19:15-17)In Jesus' story, the nobleman/future king gave 10 servants 10 "minas" with instructions to "put this money to work until I come back." A mina was about 3 months wages, a lot of money. Today's passage describes the best earner.
Jesus was saying to those who would continue to follow Him after He had gone back to heaven, "I'm expecting you to invest what I have given to you and to make it grow until I return — and I will reward you for it in a big way."
What had Jesus given them, especially the 12 disciples? As the Creator, He had given them strength, talents, skills, and abilities. As the Savior, He had given them 3 years of intensive training — 3 years of Himself.
What has Jesus given to you? How are you investing that for the King?
Think: In the story, the servant who earned the most for the king got the biggest reward. Do you think God wants us to be motivated to invest our lives for Him because of the reward He will give to us in return? Why or why not?
Pray: Ask God to help you to invest the gifts He has given to you in a way that pays off for His glory and usefulness.
Do: Make a quick list of things you did during this last month or so that could qualify as investing God's gifts to you in a way to put them to work for Him.
