The End

Matthew 27:45-61

 

Linda Ellis wrote a poem called, The Dash. The main point of this poem is that it is the “dash” of our lives that is most important. Let me explain. My tombstone will someday read as follows:

Joseph B Williams: 1950 – 20_ _

 

 

What will the dash represent for me? Whose lives will I have impacted? What difference will I have made in this world once I have left it?

 

What happens during the dash is important for all of us, but for Jesus the end is what made the difference. The passage today tells us about the end and why it had to happen.

 

^46 “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

 

Imagine Abraham taking his son Isaac to be sacrificed. “But where is the sheep father? God will provide my son. And then raising the knife to sacrifice his one and only son, God suddenly provided the sacrificial lamb.”

 

What was the depth of Jesus’ pain and agony as he cried out?

 

His Abba Father who had always been there for him; had sent angels in the wilderness to minister to him; had been there in the early morning to commune with him; had sent the Holy Spirit down in the form of a dove to empower him; had declared for all to hear, “this is my son whom I love, with him I am well pleased”.

 

This same Abba Father had now turned his back on Jesus; had deserted him in his hour of greatest need. Or in the visual of Abraham and Isaac - had driven the knife into his heart. Oh what dreadful pain for both of them.

 

But it had to been done. Someone had to bear the judgement. The perfect sacrificial lamb, had to take the sins of the world; your sins and my sins. The Scapegoat had to go into the wilderness alone to die taking with him the sins of Israel. The living Passover lamb made it possible for all to go to the Promised Land.

 

Jesus’ dash didn’t matter anymore. Only the end.

 

 

(If you would like to read Linda Ellis’ poem The Dash, click on the link below.)

 

http://www.linda-ellis.com/the-dash-the-dash-poem-by-linda-ellis-.html

 

 

“What do you want me to do for you”?

Matthew 20:29-34

 

Wouldn’t you say that Jesus was pretty observant? He had an uncanny ability to know what people were really thinking. He was able to see behind the masks that people

wear to hide their true self, and understood what was actually motivating them. He could look into your soul, and know what your greatest need was.

 

So then, why did he ask the two blind men, “What do you want me to do for you”?

 

Was he preoccupied with what was going to happen to him in Jerusalem? Maybe he was distracted by the large crowd around him? Or, was he still upset that two of his closest disciples had just asked the most self-centered question possible right after he had told them he was going to be crucified? I don’t think so.

 

I believe that he was making a point. It was obvious that these men were blind, and despite their handicap, they knew who Jesus was. By calling him the “Son of David”,

they were using a title that referred to the anticipated Messiah. It would have been easy for Jesus to just walk up to them and heal them; but he didn’t.

 

The passage tells us that “Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes”. Jesus always had a personal touch when he ministered or healed. He interacted with the woman at the well; with Nicodemus; with the woman who dried her tears on his feet. In other words, he had a personal relationship with them.

 

The same is true for us. Jesus desires to know us personally. He wants to interact with us. He wants us to admit our need; to recognize who he is and to approach him, not like he is a celestial genie in a bottle, but as our Lord and Savior.

 

There is a booklet titled “My Heart, Christ’s Home” by Robert Boyd Munger. In it, he

compares our life to the rooms of a house. He suggests that Jesus wants to interact with us in every room; but mainly that he wants to fellowship with us.

 

Revelation 3:20 states, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends”. Jesus is constantly standing at the door of your heart and knocking, not just as your Savior, but also as your Lord. Will you open the door for him?

 

He asks us every day, “What do you want me to do for you”. What will your answer be?

Will you ultimately respond like the blind men who once Jesus touched their eyes, “immediately they received their sight and followed him”?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do You Make Everyone Around You Better?

Acts 3:17-26

 

Peyton Manning, at age 39, retired this past week from the National Football League. During his NFL career of 18 years, he set numerous records while winning five league MVP awards and two Super Bowl championships. Following his emotional speech, there was a huge outpouring of tributes from other players.

 

Perhaps the greatest praise of all came from Manning’s rival and friend, Tom Brady, who posted this on his Facebook page. “Congratulations Peyton, on an incredible career. You changed the game forever and made everyone around you better. It’s been an honor.”

 

In the passage today Peter is preaching to a crowd in the temple. No doubt, these are many of the same people who wanted Jesus dead. Listen to his words:

 

^25 “And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ ²⁶ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”                        NIV

 

The initial covenant that God made with Abraham had to do with inheriting land and becoming a great nation with many descendants. But Peter was pointing to a far greater meaning. He was stating that ultimately Israel was blessed because God had given them the message of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.

 

As a result of Peter’s outspoken preaching, Acts 4 tells us that, “the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand”. You might say that Peter was blessed by God, and as a result he was a blessing to others. You could even say, that he made everyone around him better.

 

As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, you will have opportunities to be a blessing to others. You do that by investing in people’s lives; by ministering to those who are unable to help themselves; by sharing the Gospel in word and deed.

 

I have no idea if Peyton Manning is a Christian, but he embodies God’s promise to Abraham; “You are blessed to be a blessing”. And like Manning, when you do that, “you make everyone around you better”.

 

Do you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a Home Going, not a Funeral

Revelation 21:1-8

 

While teaching in the Columbus City Schools, my wife was invited to attend a funeral service by one of her students. Only when my wife referred to it as a funeral she was corrected by her student. “It’s a home going, not a funeral”.

 

According to Wikipedia, “the history of the home going service can be traced back to the arrival of African slaves in America. Early during the slave trade, slaves believed death meant their soul would return home to their native Africa.”

 

“When slaves were introduced to Christianity, the Old Testament stories of God and Moses freeing a captive and enslaved race resonated with them. The New Testament stories of Jesus and promises of glory in heaven and a far better after-life allowed slaves to forge through the turmoil of mortal life and look forward to the day when they would return home to the Lord.”

 

^2 “And I, John, saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. It was a glorious sight, beautiful as a bride at her wedding. ³ I heard a loud shout from the throne saying, “Look, the home of God is now among men, and he will live with them and they will be his people; yes, God himself will be among them. ⁴ He

will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. All of that has gone forever.”            TLB

 

This is a beautiful picture of our final home going. John’s words are a message of hope for all of us. The group MercyMe has a song that articulates that hope and how we might feel on that day when we are in the New Jerusalem in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus.

 

I can only imagine what it will be like
When I walk by your side

Will I dance for you Jesus
Or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah
Will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

 

What could be any better than to be in the presence of the One who created us and faithfully loves us?

 

 

 

That will truly be a home going.