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The Empty Tomb

Can you imagine the devastation Jesus’s disciples were feeling that Thursday night and Friday as they witnessed the most crushing scene conceivable. They had invested everything—their lives, careers, families, future—into one person based on their conviction that He was the Messiah/King, the God/Man. And this man had given them every reason to believe that He was indeed legitimate; but now they were faced with that haunting, gut-wrenching prospect that their beliefs and convictions were misdirected and unfounded.

The Twelve had stuck with Him through thick and thin. Perhaps they had some questions during that unsettling trend when Jesus’ popularity waned, but they remained true. And then, when the multitudes affirmed and celebrated Him the previous Sunday, they began to see everything come together; the stage was set for the Messiah/King to launch His reign and rule over the earth.

But they watched those hopes and dreams die a dreadful death on a Roman cross at the hands of those whom He was supposed to conquer.  Even more, He had preached against the false and twisted religion of the Pharisees, but apparently they were right, because they won—convincingly.

On top of that, they watched someone whom they deeply loved falsely tried and wrongly executed. Their hearts had to have been crushed to see a loved one treated in such a way, and then to have His life and His love ripped away from them. This should not have happened—how could it have happened?

This was not what they expected. Jesus’ broken and lifeless body had been placed in a tomb, and they believed that was the end.

They weren’t expecting the tomb to be empty that Sunday morning, but it was, and the empty tomb changed everything.

You see, the empty tomb validated all of Jesus’ claims. Over the course of His ministry, Jesus repeatedly and consistently identified Himself as the Messiah/King, fully understanding all of the implications for His followers. But honestly, anyone could make that claim, and in fact many have over the centuries.

Jesus set Himself apart from the rest in one very unique and powerful way. He is the only one in history to raise Himself from the dead. And in that resurrection, He validated every truth He proclaimed and every claim He made.

When Jesus stood before the Pharisees, He enraged them with His blatant admission to being the Christ. But His resurrection confirmed that assertion and reality. While they refused to accept the broader implications, it was impossible for them to ignore the truth of an empty tomb. In that encounter, Jesus ultimately won—convincingly.

And the Roman authorities who had the authority to crucify Him, and who stood guard outside His tomb, didn’t have the authority or power to keep Him dead and confined to that tomb.

That morning, what had once been a dark and dismal symbol of devastating defeat was transformed miraculously into a glorious beacon of ultimate and conclusive victory.

But more than demonstrating His power and authority over the Pharisees and Rome, the empty tomb testified to the reality that the King accomplished the Kingdom agenda for which He came the first time. Jesus’ mission was not to launch an insurrection, it was to address the needs of sinners. It was to flesh out God’s love in such a way that sinners could be reconciled with the Father. It was, as the Lamb of God, to pay the price and penalty for our sins. The empty tomb testifies to the fulfillment of that mission. And even more, it demonstrates His victory over death.

Sin entered this world in the Garden of Eden, and the universal impact was physical and spiritual death for everyone. The empty tomb bears witness to our King’s absolute, undeniable, conclusive, and ultimate victory over both!

The empty tomb changed everything. Because of that empty tomb, we can be assured that our deepest needs have been met: the need for sins to be punished—Jesus took that punishment for us; the need for forgiveness—because of Him, we can be; the need for reconciliation with the Father against Whom we have rebelled—His death secured that reconciliation; and the need for deliverance from eternal death—the empty tomb confirms that our King has indeed conquered death, once and for all time.

Perhaps you have found yourself confused and disillusioned by the crushing blows of life. Perhaps you’ve even been confused and disillusioned by the Lord’s failure to do what you expected Him to do. Perhaps you’ve felt you had a need that He failed to meet.

Just remember what He accomplished on the cross for you, and remember that the empty tomb verifies and validates everything He said and did.

And that changes everything.

When I awoke to the election news this morning, I immediately thought back to my reflections from four years ago; the biblical truths I referenced then are just as relevant today—perhaps more so—as they were then:

http://gettingthemost.wordpress.com/2008/11/05/a-defining-moment-change-has-come-to-america/

As we consider the implications and absorb the impact of yesterday’s election results, there are additional biblical principles and perspectives we must recognize and embrace if we are to be effective in accomplishing the Lord’s Kingdom agenda here on earth.

First, we must remember that when we hang our hopes and dreams on a candidate or campaign, we set ourselves up for grave disappointment. This is true regardless of who had won the elections yesterday. We must never lose sight of this universal truth: every candidate in the election yesterday was, is, and will be a sinner. Regardless of who might have won yesterday, that fact would not have changed. And sinners are experts at doing one thing—sinning! No elected official has ever done otherwise—each one, universally, has been impacted and swayed by the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the boastful pride of life. No candidate or political party will ever usher in lasting hope or the most essential change. Only One Person can do that, because only One Person can change hearts; and He wasn’t running for office yesterday. Only when we hang our hopes and dreams on Him—only when we become obsessed with obeying His mandate—will we see the kind of change we need in our nation.

Next, it is never appropriate for followers of Christ to express disdain or disrespect for any individual, but especially for elected officials, even if they oppose us and our faith. Instead, we are to pray for them, and honor them. Paul wrote:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way (1 Ti 2:1–2 ESV).

This, from a man who was eventually put to death by the government and king for which he prayed.

Peter wrote:

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor (1 Pet. 2:13–17 ESV).

Again, this from a man who was eventually put to death for his faith by the government and king he honored and to which he submitted. Jesus Himself submitted to—and indeed died for—officials in a hostile civil government. He loved those in government who took His life.

The commands are for us to submit to, pray for, and honor government officials. Much of the Internet chatter I’ve seen from Christians is not in keeping with these passages—there is no room in the life of a Christ follower for such attitudes, comments, or behavior. They bring shame on the name of Christ and destroy the witness of His people. They place barriers in the way of the Gospel, linking Christian faith to one political party or another. How can we preach love if our Internet language is hateful? How can we expect adherents of a particular political persuasion to hear our Gospel if we demonize their leaders? This applies to all sides of the political landscape, regardless of our preferred candidate yesterday. We are all commanded to show honor to all people, especially our government officials.

Finally, the King was not up for election yesterday, and His assignment has not changed. Jesus is still King over all creation; He was not surprised or disturbed by the results, and His plan remains in effect. Our primary focus is the same—taking His Gospel to the ends of the earth and making disciples of all nations. There is no reason for any follower of Christ to miss a step in obeying this assignment. The setting in which we accomplish the command indeed may shift in coming months and years, and we should not be surprised if we face increased societal, cultural, and perhaps even governmental obstacles as we strive to obey Him. But ever since the cross, His followers have faced such challenges and have faithfully held forth the light of the Gospel in the darkest corners of the earth—why should we expect to be exempt from such challenges today? We may need to consider a paradigm shift in the way we minister and evangelize in this country—I believe we need to start viewing ourselves as missionaries in a hostile land, and embrace an approach that is consistent with the growing reality. If so, so be it. Let us not sit around bemoaning the poor state of affairs in our land; rather, let us embrace anew the privilege and honor of denying ourselves, taking up our crosses, and following Him, demonstrating and declaring the Gospel of the Kingdom for all to see and hear. Let us be overwhelmed by the Lord’s love for us (and for those in all political parties), and let His love constrain us and compel us. Let us embody His example, so all the world can see this truth of Christ in us:

Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:6–11 ESV).

Let us remember and flesh out daily the mindset and mission of Jesus, our King, keeping our eyes fixed on that day when He will be recognized by all as Lord of all.

Over the last few years, I’ve been telling folks that I have shifted into a “regret management” mode. By that, I mean that when I face a decision, I try to make a choice based on how I will view that choice in 20-30 years, and even more, in eternity. I ask myself, “Down the road, when I look back on this decision, with all things considered, which choice will likely have the lowest level of regret?” That perspective may seem like it should be blatantly obvious, that it would be our default mode, but I realize that I have made so many choices based on what is most expedient at the moment, or on what would give me the highest level of immediate satisfaction/gratification. Most often, those choices have not lined up with biblical priorities.

After more than 56 years of life, I am starting to experience and appreciate the long term benefits of good choices, and the haunting reality of bad choices. I am personally experiencing the glory associated with making good, biblically consistent choices, while at the same time becoming painfully aware of the far reaching impact of failures, in every aspect of life–as a son, brother, husband, father, minister/pastor, employee, and friend. I’ve made good choices and bad on every level, and now I live with the consequences of those choices.

I forget who gave the advice, but it is such good counsel: Make your choices VERY carefully, because the consequences of those choices will accompany you the rest of your life.

Which brings us back to the Gospel and the amazing grace of our Lord–He has been compensating for–and mitigating the consequences of–our wrong choices since the Garden of Eden. Praise God for His loving intervention, for His mercy, for the cross, and for His forgiveness. If He had not made the choice to offer these, we would all be doomed to any number of levels of hell, both now and for all eternity.

When the sun rose

On Friday night, all day Saturday, and Saturday night, Jesus’ disciples were facing the deepest darkness of their lives.

They had just experienced ultimate disaster: Their King—Whom they expected to overthrow the Roman empire—had been humiliated and executed by the Roman authorities. They had bet their lives on the legitimacy of His claims, and they had just lost the bet.

They were experiencing devastating fear:  Their leader had just been executed for treason, and there was every reason to expect the religious leaders and Romans to seek them out and do the same to them.

They were grappling with deep shame: They had deserted—and even denied—Jesus after they promised to stand with Him to the death.

They were facing crushing loss: They had just watched a person Who loved them deeply—and whom they deeply loved—as He was arrested, tried, convicted, beaten, executed, and buried.

And they were struggling with debilitating uncertainty: They had tied their futures to the reign of a King who had been defeated by the foe. What would they do now? What could they do now?

But when the sun rose that Sunday morning, everything changed…because the Son rose that Sunday morning!

Disaster was erased by boundless joy, because Jesus demonstrated that He had everything under control the whole time.

Fear was exchanged for fixed confidence, because Jesus demonstrated His absolute authority over those who executed Him.

Shame was replaced with overwhelming solace, because Jesus still loved them—indeed, His death was so they could know forgiveness for all their sin.

Loss was eclipsed by endless celebration, because they had not lost Christ—you can’t lose God…and He won’t lose us.

And uncertainly was traded for absolute assurance, because they realized that God alone is God, and that He has a plan. His plan all along was to provide a sacrifice for our sin—our rebellion against His rightful reign and rule over our lives—and that the sacrifice would pave the way for our redemption from that sin and reconciliation with God. Their future in Christ was certain because of His death, burial, and resurrection.

Perhaps you have struggled under the weight of disaster, fear, shame, loss, and uncertainty. He has addressed and conquered all of these and more. His death, burial, and resurrection have addressed our greatest need—our need for forgiveness and redemption. The events of that first Easter weekend opened the door for us to have a right relationship with the One whom we have denied.  

When the sun rose that Sunday morning, everything changed…because the Son rose that Sunday morning.

As Super Tuesday unfolds, and as the remaining primaries approach, Republican voters are being subjected to an onslaught of political rhetoric and rationale. One of the prominent challenges is the admonition to vote for the candidate who is most likely to defeat the Democratic incumbent. However, there is a larger issue at work for people who claim to be followers of Christ.

Too many of God’s people, for too long, have chosen to act based on pragmatism rather than principle. We are so inclined to ask, “what will work best,” rather than “what will reflect God best?” As God’s chosen people (Ex 19:5-6; 1Pet 2:9), we are expected to take actions and make decisions in all of life, including elections, that best and most accurately reflect His concerns and priorities. That was a major point Ken Connor and I emphasized in our book “Sinful Silence.”  Those outside the Household of God are supposed to be able to draw accurate conclusions concerning God based on our values, priorities, and behavior.

God places a high value on human life, so we should do the same and vote for a candidate who best reflects that conviction. God places a high value on justice as He defines it, so we should do the same and vote for a candidate who best reflects that conviction. God places a high value on the family as He established it, so we should do the same and vote for a candidate who best reflects that conviction.  And as we do, the world gets a truer glimpse at the heart of God.

Sadly, all too often we are inclined to act based on our pursuit of a perceived likely outcome—but doesn’t Hebrew 11 teach us that we should act based upon God’s command and desire rather than upon potential eventualities? Each of those heroes of faith acted based upon their commitment to the Lord, not upon an anticipated outcome—and for some, the outcome was not pleasant at all; but that wasn’t what drove them. They were pursuing something far greater than earthly pleasure, financial gain, or political success.

Obviously, political pundits outside the family of faith can’t conceive of such a notion, and we shouldn’t be surprised if we are ridiculed for living our lives accordingly, but we are called before the Lord to live by this principle…and then we trust God for the results.  If a person believes one candidate reflects the Lord’s priorities better than another, that person is duty bound to vote for such a candidate, regardless of popularity or even political party. We are not Democrats or Republican or Independents first, we are His people—a people who should decide based on the principle of Who God is and what He desires, not pragmatism.

And just a post-script reminder—as we make those decisions, we are compelled to act lovingly and graciously toward those who come to different conclusions about the candidates; again, people will draw conclusions about God based upon our behavior.

 

In case anyone is interested in the Kindle version of “Sinful Silence” here is the link:

Hey everyone…just wanted to let you know what the Lord is doing in
our lives. Many of you know the burden the Lord has given us for
making disciples. Four months ago Stamford Baptist Church in Stamford,
CT, contacted us to see if I would be open to becoming their pastor
and implementing the discipling model that we have been applying in
Delta and Gamma Chi. After four months of prayer and searching for
God’s clear direction, we spent last week with the church. Sunday they
voted unanimously to call me as pastor, and I accepted.

Debbie and I will be here the next four weeks, then we will pack up
and move to Connecticut.

We are so excited at the prospect of this new ministry, but so sad to
leave the deep relationships that we have formed here over the last
fifteen years. We covet your prayers as we embark on this amazing
adventure.

Thanks!

Sinful Silence

Hey everyone, the third edition of my book “Sinful Silence” is now available in Kindle format for $4.99

http://amzn.to/iHvDId

Spread the word!

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