Till the End

I really have nothing much to say to you this week. The pressures and cares of life weigh hard on an unsure young man. It seems every decision I think of has life-directing implications at this time. I find it so difficult not to worry. I expect you can all understand.

But I have one thing, one light in a midst of uncertainty (I am so over-dramatic aren’t I? I really know nothing of trouble). Despite my frailty, despite my sins which are many, He never will let go. I have nothing to offer you, no great argument, no sophisticated reasoning. But I have read of a Man from Galilee. It says, “when Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (John 13:1). In the midst of His darkness and soon leaving, He did not abandon His followers. His concern was for them even till the end of His life. And so is His love for us. Life can be dark, but He remains sure. If He has loved us once, know for certain that He will love us till the end.

Bless God He will never fail.

Jesus' Biography

Strange to only have two or three devotions that cover the entirety of the earthly lifetime of Jesus. I have thought about slowing down the pace as we come through these central books of the Bible. I feel like a driver in Nascar who wants to stop for a pit stop. Though not because I am out of fuel, but rather because we are racing through the greatest hall of the greatest museum that there is. How can we spend too much time studying Jesus? As Mr. Ryle stated:

"It would be well if professing Christians in modern days studied the four Gospels more than they do.

Now why do I say this? I say it because I want professing Christians to know more about Christ. It is well to be acquainted with all the doctrines and principles of Christianity. It is better to be acquainted with Christ Himself. It is well to be familiar with faith, and grace, and justification, and sanctification. They are all matters "pertaining to the King." But it is far better to be familiar with Jesus Himself, to see the King's own face, and to behold His beauty. This is one secret of eminent holiness. He that would be conformed to Christ's image, and become a Christ-like man, must be constantly studying Christ Himself.

Now the Gospels were written to make us acquainted with Christ. The Holy Ghost has told us the story of His life and death-His sayings and His doings, four times over. Four different, inspired hands have drawn the picture of the Saviour. His ways, His manners, His feelings, His wisdom, His grace, His patience, His love, His power, are graciously unfolded to us by four different witnesses. **Ought not the sheep to be familiar with the Shepherd? Ought not the patient to be familiar with the Physician? Ought not the bride to be familiar with the Bridegroom? Ought not the sinner to be familiar with the Saviour? Beyond doubt it ought to be so.

Surely we cannot know this Christ too well! Surely there is not a word, nor a deed, nor a day, nor a step, nor a thought in the record of His life, which ought not to be precious to us. We should labour to be familiar with every line that is written about Jesus."

-J.C. Ryle "Holiness" chapter 12 Ruler of the Waves

How true this is! I get so lost in the world that I feel I am drowning, but a look to the Savior and all is well. Lost in my performance, my sin, my innumerable frailties--I grow desparate. But my eyes of faith opened to see Him who is a Wonder and all my desparation is quieted. Peace can now attend the soul. My Father knows what He is doing--look at His Son! Weary, beaten, sleepless, homeless, bloody, broken. Yet mighty, healing, praying, responding with power and wisdom to the proud, responding with life-giving words to the humble, crushing death, and ending in victory.

Here is life! Not more than the rest of the Scriptures give life, just seemingly more dense. Delight in the amazing Spirit-inspired biography of the Savior!

Heart Consumption

Jesus does almost too much to keep track of. He is everywhere; He heals an entire country, rebukes an entire religious system, creates disciples, preaches often, and presumably sleeps. Oh, yeah, and He prays a lot too.

"Since it enters not his heart" Mark 7:19.

Jesus is talking about why food is ok to be eaten without the "proper" rituals of the day. But His argument is that physical dirty stuff doesn't enter our spiritual heart, so it cannot morally defile. However, He is implicitly stating that things that are dirty that go into the spiritual heart do defile the man, and He will in the verses following speak of the wickednesses that pour out of a heart that is defiled.

This morning my pastor spoke of God giving to me the greatest gift of them all--Himself. And surely my pastor is right in both respects; God has given us this great gift, and He is the greatest gift of them all. Problem was, I didn't feel like that was true. I know he was right. But in my heart I didn't feel it. This usually indicates a problem when there is a disconnect between my heart and the truth that should affect it. I had no great desire for God Himself.

Jesus is addressing my problem. What have I been putting into my heart? Proverbs 4:23 says to "guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the streams of life." I did not understand that verse till today, because it has a defensive feel to the first half like I am supposed to protect it from without, but the second half is about protected it from itself. Just like Jesus is mentioning. What He says seems to parallel this proverb.

What have I been putting in my heart? Lots of things. A little goofing off. A movie or two. Good conversations about stuff. Deep thoughts on life things--not God but good things. Work. School. Meetings with guys about spiritual stuff. A trip to Maryland next week. Things like that.

But what of great substance have I been putting in? Have I been abiding in the Vine? (cf. John 15) Very little. I was doing stuff, but I was ignoring Him. I was dumping all sorts of nice things into my life and heart. But I did not go to the fountain of living Water. There was/is old crusty stuff in my heart. I do not desire God over all. And I know that if I were wise I would. If I want to obey my Father and enjoy life to its fullest, I would aim for God with all my might.

Do you desire, not what He offers, but Him? For His own sake? Obviously the answer is not going to be a perfect yes, so what can we do to change? I have taken so many little bites from the world, I have lost my appetite for the best thing. How is your heart consumption?

A Great Big Boast

“You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).

Back in the early 1900’s, a ship was built that was seen as a colossal human success. The largest liner ever built, the Titanic was instantly famous. Men spoke of its watertight compartments and seaworthiness, others spoke of the luxury of this floating five star hotel. It is reported that one crewmember in response to the uneasiness of a passenger even boasted, “Not even God can sink this ship.”

That was a great boast. And it was not entirely without warrant (from an unbelieving perspective), as the ship was a class act. Weighing in at an admirable 45,328 tons she wasn’t too shabby. If you were going to boast about something that humans made, this was not a bad choice. But obviously one of God’s ice cubes decided that God’s reputation was worth defending, huh?

But you want to see another great boast? It is this, Jesus has not even been born, yet the angel says, “He will save His people from their sins.” If you are not a Christian, your response is probably in the line of “that is no big deal.” But if you know anything about a holy God, and His hatred of sin and the wrath that was aimed at the people that partake and enjoy this sin, you would know what a big deal this really is. This is no ordinary rescue mission.

This boast contains the death of the God-Man. This has never happened before and will not happen again. Nor should it. For anyone to save numerous people from sin requires the death of a life worth all of those lives put together. Who then could do that? There is only One who could. But how can God die? Enter serious mystery exhibit A. How can God be three Persons and yet only one God? Enter perplexing and serious exhibit B. How can God become anything if He is unchangeable? Enter, well, you get the picture. Mystery is a huge element in this Divine rescue. The angel speaking carries faith in God, not necessarily understanding of how He will do it. After all, these are things “into which angels long to look” (I Pet. 1:12).

I will fail to get the weight of this boast across to you. It takes the Holy Spirit to bring such wonderful things with power to the mind of man. And even then our minds are simply just too small.

But I do know this: Jesus fulfilled His name. Jesus, or Yeshua, means Yahweh (or Jehovah) is salvation. That is why He was named that.

Maybe the difficulty of the task has not yet been portrayed. Walk beside Jesus for a moment then. Watch Him perfectly answer His parents with grace and truth—always. Even when Mary is being irritable. Watch Him being a perfect gentleman and care for His sisters in the flesh. Marvel at His perfect teen years; no lust, no perversion, no arrogance! Should I say no arrogance again? Obeying every law of the “thou shalt not” type, and every law of the later “consider one another more important than yourself” variety. No question about it, this Man is a Champion in every way. But there was a harder thing about this rescue.

Spurgeon mentioned the fact that many men have been martyred for what they believe, many killed wickedly. Men burned alive, sawn in two, even crucified. But they seem to be solemn affairs. I have not heard of many men who were mocked even at their deaths. Yet here is the Son of God; He has been physically destroyed. His breath is all but gone, His mouth parched from thirst, pain screaming through his arms and legs. Most momentous of all, His perfect relationship with His Dad is severed—entirely. Though we can’t see it, Jesus is experiencing hell. Literally. Let that sink in. Now throw in mockery. Can you think of a situation more tempting to respond to the jeer, “He saved others, but He can’t save Himself” and “come down if You are who You say You are.”

He held the Roman soldier’s atoms together as that man drove a nail through his Maker’s hand. At any time He could have wavered in His decision and everything would have bowed to His desire. For you and me a little indecision is unnoticeable, but if it had been Him the entire rescue would have been aborted. He drank the entire cup of wrath and did not vacillate in His desire.

And He said “It is finished.” With that, He displayed the quality of the angel’s boast. God cannot be thwarted. He speaks, and it comes to pass!

Is He not magnificent?!