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What God Gave Up for Lent – Day 40

40. God’s Truth

light reveals1 Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (John 18:37-38)

Say correctly is just one word in the Greek. Most of the time it is translated as some form of say. But this is not speaking for the sake of being heard; rather it is an affirmation and exhortation; and one that is done aloud. It is not just a nodding of the head, nor is it words without a point. It is a declaration of your position. And what Pilate affirmed was that Christ was a king.

Jesus gives the reason why He was born. It is not to be King; rather it is to testify to the Truth. Boy if that isn’t counter-cultural and counter-intuitive, I don’t know what is. See the statement again: “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.” Even though being the King of kings is His birthright as the Son of God, it was not His purpose as the Son of Man, at least not yet. He is King, He shall be King, but why was he born in a manger in Bethlehem? To testify to the Truth.

For this I have been born. Literally, He became flesh, He was born of Mary. Metaphorically, the word for being born in the Jewish mindset has to do with converting. It also has to do with us becoming His sons through faith in Christ (i.e.—being born again).

For this I have come into the world. Come has to do with making an appearance; to be public. But it also has to do with arriving, and Jesus’ arrival was truly from heaven to earth. This is huge.

For those among us who are more driven and intentional, we can say that we were born for this or that. You were born to lead. You were born to be a musician. You were born to be a doctor. You were born to be a missionary. And on you could go. But, none of us can say for this we have come into the world. Our existence has solely been in this world. When we were conceived we were in this world. One day, for those who love Jesus, we will no longer be in this world. Indeed we can say this world is not our home; we are citizens of heaven. But now, today, we have known nothing other than this world.

But Jesus has come outside this world. He came from Heaven to earth. He came from the perfect to the fallen. He stepped from eternity into time and space. He moved from creator to created; from Son of God to Son of Man; from ever-present and all-powerful to finite flesh and bones.

To testify to the truth. Testify could just as easily be translated as witness. And it is where we get our word martyr. We must not miss this. Christ died for the proclaiming this inconvenient (and absolute) truth.

The history behind the word truth is revealing (pun intended). In the Greek is has the prefix a- (which is negative, as it is in English) and the root word is lanthano which means to be hidden or escape notice. So with the negative prefix it then means not to be hidden and not to escape notice. Christ has come to reveal the hidden, and to ensure that it does not escape notice. Also more attributes are exposed in its use: it speaks to its objectivity, its certitude, and its universal application. Certainly a far cry from what truth has become in our culture.

That’s the danger of religion. It buries the truth in tradition and dilutes it so that it is no longer relevant, submerging it in ritual.

But it’s also the danger of the unregenerate life. Truth is merely a personal tool, to be used when convenient, but then to cast off for another, when what’s new fits one’s current worldview better. The world needs to have truth hidden and to escape its notice, because only then can personally manufactured truth stand.

How important is truth to God?

Christ has just spent the whole night in a mockery of a trial, where there was no truth offered, none was heard; and when they finally and only heard the Truth from Christ’s own lips, they called it blasphemy. And that’s how they were able to protect their turf—turning the Truth into blasphemy. Truth obviously wasn’t important to the Jews. But it was at one point, for being a false witness and providing false testimony was a big deal to God.

The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. The rest will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you. Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. ( Deuteronomy 19:18-21)

A false witness will perish, but the man who listens to the truth will speak forever. ( Proverbs 21:28)

The Greek word for blasphemy is from two root words: blapto, and pheme. The former is to hurt, to harm, to injure, to stop, make lame and cripple. The latter is news, or fame, or a report. Isn’t our very misuse of truth by definition blasphemy? We may not be able to completely annihilate it, but we certainly can cripple and injure it. We can make it so disfigured that few will find any appeal in it.

And let us not forget this is why Christ was born, why He had come into the world: to testify to the truth. If this was Christ’s purpose, than it was God the Father’s purpose as well.

This is one of the greatest battles we are in—the battle for Truth. Without truth, there is no commonality, there can be no consensus, nor is there a point of reference. Is there any doubt why we are so fractured, isolated, and defensive. If all we have is our own personal point of view, our own manufactured truth, then a great deal of our time is spent defending and reconstructing. So what happens when we avoid the truth?

For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. ( Romans 1:25)

Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. ( 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12)

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. ( 2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Father, may your Truth break through in my life. Amen.

What God Gave Up for Lent – Day 15

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15. Acquainted with Grief

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A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. (Isaiah 53:3c)

Acquainted is an archaic term and, unfortunately, tends to have a shallow meaning today. Actually, there is depth in this word. Christ knew grief by experience. You might say it was up close and personal.

Grief in the Hebrew is more often translated as sickness and disease. In most of its occurrences, this sickness is the consequence for sins committed. But for Christ, it was sickness which was a result of the sins of the world He took upon Himself.

A significant part of Christ’s ministry in this world was the healing the sick.

Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:23)

When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured. (Mark 6:54-56)

And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:29-32)

Are there any who are not sick? Are there any who are not sinners? In our delusional and deceived state of wellness, and our defectively defined view and practice of righteousness, we miss the opportunity to be healed.

Do not miss Christ’s invitation:

Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, waiting for the moving of the waters; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted. A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. (John 5:2-9)

Do you wish to get well? I’ve often thought this a strange question. After all, the guy had been sick for 38 years, and for had for many of those years, been laying by the pool, hoping he might make it in to the waters when they were stirred. But he just wasn’t quick enough. Had he given up? Was he just there out of habit? You know, that’s the way it can be with our sins; we’ve gotten too used to them to change what we are doing. But like this guy, if you answer Jesus’ question with a “Yes”, you will be healed from your sins. Go ahead… ask.

Singing with the King (65) – Hope

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And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you. (Psalm 39:7)

Waiting5 I had a chat with a friend at work and we were talking about the word hope. And as is often the case, our culture has diluted the meaning of the word. It now has to do with wishes, wants, and desires—things which may or may not happen. And I suppose that makes sense. If your hope is based upon the character and nature of someone (or something) other than God, then hope is little more than a crap shoot.

But when you put your hope in God, hope is much greater than a wish. Consider:

God is not like people, who lie; He is not a human who changes his mind. Whatever He promises, He does; He speaks, and it is done. (Numbers 23:19)

I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. (Isaiah 46:11)

Whatever He promises, speaks and purposes, it is done. And when you have that kind of consistence and trustworthiness, you then have a sure hope; a hope that does not disappoint.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)

Did you see what we must hope in? Not in our circumstances, but in Him. Because we exult in Him which is eternal, we can then exult through our tribulations. Our hope is not driven by wishful thinking or possibility, for it would fail in the midst of trouble. Rather, it is driven by the love of God through the Holy Spirit, which allows us to push past the tribulation and into His glory.

God’s character ensures our hope, empowers our hope, enlivens our hope and enflames our hope. But hope is much more personal than an attribute, or trait, or motivation.

To whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope. (1 Timothy 1:1)

Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus. (Titus 2:13)

So back to David’s question: And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My hope is not only in Christ alone, but Christ Himself is my hope.

May your hope be that personal.

Singing with the King (45) – Glory

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Let the glory of the LORD endure forever; let the LORD be glad in His works. (Psalm 104:31)

Cross and Stars You ever wonder about the personal pronouns in the Bible? They are there for several reasons (and not just grammatical), and here are a few:

When God uses them, they become a way for us to relate to Him, because they reveal a very personal perspective of a Holy, transcendent God.

They are there because we are largely self-centered and selfish creatures.

They are there to allow us to identify with the authors, so when they say “I”, or “me” or “my” or “mine”, we can find ourselves in “their” shoes, saying or doing the same thing.

But the absence of personal pronouns can be telling. Take Psalm 104. It is a song of God’s glory, and His works, and how all creation declares the same. And we don’t get around to a personal pronoun until verse 33. Why is that?

The psalmist (probably David) is completely caught up in Who God is and What He has done. And when he is finally able to gather himself, what does he do? He worships.

I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. (vs. 33)

Notice the extent of this singing and praising. And justifiably so, if we are considering the glory, the grandeur, and the greatness of The One True God.

There’s a scene in Carl Sagan’s movie Contact, where Ellie Arroway’s father talks about the size of the universe. And when he’s done, he states that if we are the only creatures in the universe, then that’s a lot of wasted space. My friend Dr. Ray Bohlin of Probe Ministries made a great comment when we saw the movie, reminding me, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” So it’s not a matter of wasted space. The universe is just doing what it is supposed to be doing. Declaring the glory of God.

Take some time and read Psalm 104. Get caught up in the LORD; join with David and declare the glory of God. Then do it for a lifetime!