Christ
It’s Christmas Morning. Why Am I So Angry Again?
The world so often sees my anger.
It so often sees my chronic frustration with contemporary Christian culture and it’s treatment of God’s holiness.
It so often sees my tyrannical, self-absorbed bent to highlight the faults of heathens, punks, posers and misfits.
Misfits, mind you, like me.
But do they ever sense my grief?
That quiet but habitual sorrow over sin’s devastating effects?
Do they ever hear about that low-grade, sad restlessness over the wreckage in another person’s life because they’re barreling down the road AWAY from God?
No. Not much.
What they usually hear is judgment. Mostly because I only wear one emotion on my sleeve: Anger.
Here’s the deal.
Yes. I have peace with God. I have a future hope based in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I nurse an unshakable joy for his second coming…
An unconquerable glee in my redemption and sanctification…
An awe at God’s mind-blowing fashion of stooping so low to redeem a rebellious people…
And an utter fascination at the majesty of his creation that extends billions of miles in all directions…
That allows me to say this: “I love you.”
Not in some flimsy, self-esteem enhancing way, but in a concrete, Christ-affirming manner that suggests this: ”You were made for much more.”
That is my motive.
And before you wring your hands over my emotional state during this celebration of Christ’s birth, know this: It’s Christmas morning and, yes, I’m a little angry. A little sad. A little pensive…
But those emotions are overpowered by a colossal sense of the bliss created by the cross that inevitably follows the birth of Christ…
And the fact that Christ was born for you so that he could die for you so that you could live a fruitful life in beautiful submission to our reigning king.
God bless you and Merry Christmas.
How Do You Know Christ Is Real? 5 Reasons
In a recent small group discussion this question was asked point blank:
How do you know Christ is real to you?
One thing I wanted to do when answering that question was NOT rely strictly on personal experience or feelings.
But that’s somewhat difficult.
We are beings with a heart, a spirit, a mind and a body.
We encounter this world with our emotions, with our spirits, with our minds and with our bodies.
Yes, our feelings inform us. And fail us. Our minds inform us. And fail us. And our sense of observation. Or smell. Or sight…
They inform us. And fail us, too.
That’s why I insisted on rounding out my list of reasons why I know Christ is real to me with an undeniable, objective anchor. You’ll see what that is in a second.
After you scan this list, leave your own reasons why you know Christ is real to you. And make sure you answer the questions that follow this list.
1. Internal Testimony of the Holy Spirit
Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.” The holy spirit plays a valuable role in a believer’s life, especially when it comes to doubt and persecution. And while this is a subjective assurance of Christian truth, it provides a concrete assurance for the believer.
2. Spiritual Growth
I’m not where I want to be, but I’m not where I was two years ago. What kind of spiritual growth am I talking about? A growing love for the lost. A sharper eye for spiritual truth and error. A deep appreciation for Christian fellowship. A fierce will to obey God.
3. Appetite for God
Christ’s reality–birthed in me at the time of my salvation–planted an unapologetic, incessant hunger for God and for the things of God. Things like prayer, the Bible, mission work, intense study of his saints and their material.
4. Repugnance Towards the Things of This World
On the other hand, Christ’s reality created a revulsion in me for immorality. Though this world offers and tempts in multiple ways–and I feel myself getting drawn at times–I’ve found the desire AND the ability to stiff-arm those temptations that cause me to lose spiritual traction.
5. The Word of God
Of course, the historical record of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ stakes all the prior reasons into objective ground. What I know about the above reasons for Christ’s reality in me I learned from the Bible. And what I know about nurturing spiritual growth I know from what the Bible teaches. Our faith is not a groundless faith. A blind faith. It’s a historical faith. Rooted in a flesh and bones being.
Now, it’s all well and good when we can account for the reasons that God is real to you. But I’ve got two follow up questions for you: Is his reality changing you? And can he be more real in your life?
We should never get satisfied with the reality of Christ in our life. In fact, our thirst for Christ should always increase.
Thus, I’ll commit to pray for you if you commit to pray for me that our appetite for Christ’s spirit-growing reality would flourish in us to the praise of God’s glory. Cool? Cool.
Death: The Messiah Commits His Soul to God
Not long after a challenge to crawl down from the cross–an accusations that Christ was not who he said he was–a Roman centurion makes an unusual statement.
It was noon when darkness covered the whole land.
A sign that satisfied Amos 8:9. A sign that satisfied Jeremiah 15:9.
A sign the Jews didn’t expect. Nor even noticed as such.
But a sign that signaled their blindness. Their subjection to spiritual darkness.
The darkness remained for three hours. And in that darkness Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
Jesus didn’t complain of Peter’s betrayal. He didn’t complain that his followers fled from him.
He complained that God had forsaken him.
And made a sacrifice of sin for us, Jesus now suffered God’s fury and wrath. The wrath Jesus feared in the garden. This was the agony he suspected he’d endure.
Wrath seen in the Old Testament consuming fire. Fire that consumed the sacrifice. Fire that should’ve consumed the sinner. It fell on Christ. A sacrifice that pacified God. A sacrifice that cried long and bitterly.
Startled by this sudden appearance of life in Jesus, someone soaked a sponge in sour wine, put it on the end of a long stick and raised it to Jesus’ lips.
They intended to cool his mouth. Not to nurse him. But to mock him. As if to say, “He’s crying for the prophet Elijah to rescue him. What other crazy thing can we get him to say?”
Then, Jesus died.
And at that instant, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom, a signal that the nation of Jews would eventually be destroyed…
…Ichabod, the glory is departed from Israel…
And it signaled comfort to Christians: Here is a new and living way into the holiest by the way of Jesus’ blood.
And now we come to the centurion’s statement. Convicted and convinced, the centurion who oversaw the execution confessed: “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
The unjust punishment of a sinless man. The honor that heaven declared to the suffering servant.
Even in the depths of humiliation and persecution, Jesus was declared the Messiah. The Son of God. And he was declared to be so with power.
From conquering storms and subduing demons to human worship and heavens that declare his death, Jesus is named the Messiah. The reigning King. Whom we adore and serve. Forevermore.
**Part of The Messiah: Eleven Meditations from the Book of Mark series.**
Crucifixion: The Messiah Mocked on the Cross
Near the end of the story of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we see Jesus nailed to a cross…
A cross standing between two crucified robbers–a subtle insult by Pilate suggesting the king of the Jews was nothing more than a criminal.
The Mocked Messiah
Onlookers cursed Jesus. Spit his way. Even challenged him to crawl down from the cross. The two robbers hurled abuses at him.
Some Jews cried, “He saved others, but he can’t even save himself!”
This is a gruesome antithesis of Mary’s reckless act of worship. A far cry from an otherworldly transfiguration.
Jesus on the cross is not a potent display of power. It doesn’t move anyone to declare, “You are the Christ.”
In fact, in the minds of Mary, John and Peter–in the minds of all his followers–it looks like nothing more than a scandal. A fraud. A huge, out-of-nowhere upset late in the quarter.
This can’t be happening. Not to our Messiah. But it is.
Cursing Christ
The mockery doesn’t stop. Someone cries, “Let Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!”
A final demand for a miracle by the unbelieving Jewish authorities. A miracle they claim would convince them once and for all that Jesus is indeed who he says he is: The Messiah.
Their claim is false. They would not believe. They refused to believe any miracle up to that point. And they would refuse to believe in the resurrection.
In the end, they satisfied the desires of their heart. At the expense of the suffering Christ. But, without knowing it, they established the glory and perfection of Jesus: He saved others but not himself.
What the Work of the Crucifixion Means
This is what we don’t see: The work occurring out of every one’s sight between Jesus and God. The work that darkened Jesus’ soul, broke his body but displayed his absolute perfection.
All the work between himself and God.
And morally rejected by the world there was no longer any room in it for his mercy towards it. He drank in his soul the cup of death and the judgment of sin. His work was complete.
Obedient to the end, he dies. But his death ushers in another world. A life where evil could never enter…and the new man will be perfectly at peace in the presence of God.
How Do You See the Suffering Messiah?
The man who sees the danger in mocking the suffering Messiah will with relentless intensity seek salvation.
The man who sees the forgiveness for sin and the gift of eternal life purchased for him by the suffering and death of the Son of God will rejoice endlessly.
And the man who sees the sins which crucified Christ will mourn with godly sorrow.
How do you see the suffering Christ?
**Part of The Messiah: Eleven Meditations from the Book of Mark series.**
The Messiah: Eleven Meditations from the Book of Mark
For the last two months I’ve been posting on specific events in Jesus’ life found in the book of Mark.
Eleven events that proclaim who Jesus truly is.
Events that demonstrate his unlimited power over nature, sickness and demons.
Events that strike terror. That create awe. That even hardens hearts.
But hardened hearts indicate one thing: They knew Jesus to be dangerous.
Jesus is dangerous. And glorious. And worthy to be worshipped. He’s not tame nor tranquil, but terrifying to the wicked and triumphant to the humble.
It’s these events that provoked Peter to declare, “You are the Christ.” And it’s these events that provoke the righteous to fall to the ground and declare, “You are our Savior.”
And that is the appropriate response to the one who came to earth to bear the punishment for our sins so that we might live. Jesus is God as man. In the end, that is who these events declare Jesus truly is.
Son of Man: Something You Will and Won’t See
Several things happened the day Jesus healed a crippled man. Several things nobody saw but believe in fact did happen. [Mark 2:1-12]
How the Conquered Storm Points to Christ
The story of Jesus stilling the tempest demonstrates Jesus’ unlimited power and the two ways we can respond to this power. [Mark 4:35-41]
The Demoniac Proclamation of Christ
There’s something quite potent to the story of the demon-possessed man that drives the heart of a Christian to it. [Mark 5:1-20]
The Scandal of Jesus in Nazareth
In the small, isolated village of Nazareth Jesus taught one Sabbath day. Everything as it should be. Except for one thing. [Mark 6:1-6]
The Messiah: Peter’s Confession of Christ
Peter confessed Jesus was Christ. Who do you say Jesus is? The answer will determine your eternal destiny. [Mark 8:27-30]
Discipleship: The Law of the Cross Prevails
What does it mean to follow Christ? In just 100 words Jesus taught his disciples the price they must pay to follow him. [Mark 8:34-38]
Transfiguration: An Otherworldly Peek at the Messiah
Jesus’ transfiguration had two very specific purposes. Here’s what you need to know. [Mark 9:2-13]
Anointed: A Reckless but Beautiful Act of Worship
Jesus said Mary’s one act of reckless worship was beautiful. What are you willing to risk for Jesus that he might describe as beautiful? [Mark 14:3-9]
Failure: Peter’s Denial of Jesus Christ
All four gospels record Peter’s betrayal. The purpose? To draw a vivid distinction between man and God. [Mark 14:66-77]
Crucifixion: The Messiah Mocked on the Cross Obedient to the end, Jesus dies on the cross, rejected and mocked. But his death ushers in another world. [Mark 15:31-32]
Death: The Messiah Commits His Soul to God Even in the depths of humiliation, Jesus was declared the Messiah. Declared by a person you’d never expect. [Mark 15:33-39]
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