Love, Trust, Obedience

Easter is a glorious day, a wonderful day, the Resurrection Day. Because of the events of this day everything changed for all of time and beyond. With the cross we have salvation. Our sins were paid for and forgiveness is available for anyone who seeks it. But the cross is the stepping stone to something unbelievably fantastic. On this day death was beaten. On this day a new creation was revealed. This is the day of a new beginning and it started when the Father brought his son from the dead. He is Risen!

The thing that has really fascinated me this year, as I have reflected on the events of the cross and the empty grave, is the Father's will. Jesus told us all the way along that he did not come in his own authority but the Father's and he demonstrated this relationship of love in word and deed:

I tell you for certain that the Son cannot do anything on his own. He can do only what he sees the Father doing, and he does exactly what he sees the Father do. (John 5:19, CEV)

It astonishes me that despite what Jesus declared about his death, some still believe that he died at the hands of the Jews. It was his Father's will that he die in our place:

The Father loves me, because I give up my life, so that I may receive it back again. No one takes my life from me. I give it up willingly! I have the power to give it up and the power to receive it back again, just as my Father commanded me to do. (John 10:17-18, CEV)

You see, the cross was more than just Jesus loving us and dying for us. It goes deeper than that and speaks of the relationship we are suppose to have with God. Jesus went to the cross because he loved his Father and would never do anything in rebellion against his him. His love meant that he trusted, even through the torture and death of the cross. Each step he took was taken in obedience and was an act of love.

Easter should be a lesson to us of love, trust and obedience for we are born of rebellion. There isn't a parent reading this who does not understand about love, trust and obedience. When our children are young they have nothing but love and adoration for us. Obedience is not always easy to children because of their rebellious nature but love is a great restraint. Although never perfect, our children loved to do what we said. If we asked them to get our slippers they would. If we asked them to help us with the dishes they would, eagerly. But as children get older, things change.

Children become more self-absorbed. The world starts revolving around them. They want to be their own bosses. They choose to no longer recognize the authority of their parents. Love has diminished so trust of the rules and their parents' wisdom also diminishes. Parents' hearts are crushed and there is natural consequences to rebellious acts. Sound familiar? It should. It is what happened in the garden.

Before the cross and the resurrection  rebellion is all we knew, all that we could do. We could not obey God no matter how noble our intention. Look to David as an example. A man who loved God and who God loved. But that love could not save David from rebellion because only Jesus can save. Jesus' resurrection and the giving of the Holy Spirit ushered in a new era, the era of the new creation. The authority of the old nature was cut and we were given the freedom to choose.

Obedience is a choice; a daily choice; a moment by moment choice. But we have problems with choices because we are also an undisciplined people. We know what is good for us. We know that smoking kills but we choose to smoke. We know we need fruit and vegetables for our bodies to function properly but we choose pop and chips. We know that we need proper exercise to feel great and have plenty of energy, but we love our television and video games. We are bad at making good choices.

Jesus has done everything that needs to be done for us. He has opened the doors wide and said walk through. He became the first born of a new creation so that we may have all that has been promised. He did not stay so he could send to us the Holy Spirit. We are equipped to be obedient. But obedience is only possible when love is the motivation:

If anyone loves me, they will obey me. Then my Father will love them, and we will come to them and live in them. But anyone who doesn’t love me, won’t obey me. What they have heard me say doesn’t really come from me, but from the Father who sent me. (John 14:23-24, CEV)

In death and in life Jesus has set for us the example of love. He loved the Father, represented the Father, taught what he was told to teach, did what he was told to do. He faced the cruelty of the cross, the ugliness of the grave and in obedience, rose from the dead to take his place at the right hand of the Father.

Easter is about victory won through love, trust and obedience. Our life should be about the same. Yes, let's celebrate the victory won on this day but let us also ask the question, "Do I love Jesus? Do I trust him? Do I walk in obedience to him?"

The Door Is Blown Off Its Hinges

I think we started Christmas off with the best of intentions but it kind of morphed on us. We hi-jacked a pagan celebration to replace it with a greater celebration but we have lost control and it has slowly slipped back into a worthless celebration of ... stuff. Honestly, when you wake up Christmas morning are you worshiping and celebrating the significant moment of God changing everything with the tiny breath of a baby?

Of course this was only the beginning of the big change but it was significant. God changed himself, never to be the same again, to become part of his own creation, to set the example, to make a path and blow wide open the door to a new way, his way, the only way if we decide to choose life.

Not in a billion years would we have been able to achieve what Jesus did for us. It goes way past salvation. The forgiveness of sins was one thing but Jesus made it possible for us to enter into eternity. That tree of life that was guarded by a flaming sword was suddenly made available for anyone to eat from; and the tree is Jesus.

First there was the manger, then the baptism of the Holy Spirit, then the cross and finally the great victory of the empty grave. All significant. All vital steps of God's plan. But consider the impact of the last step for us. Consider eternity for a moment because I think we sometimes forget. I think we live our lives too much like this is all there is. When you wake up tomorrow, or day after, or on Christmas day, consider this:

He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (Colossians 1:18)

Did you hear the door being blown off its hinges? Jesus is the first in all things. He was the seed for everything in creation, including the new creation. He was the instrument that brought light to the Universe, that cause land to form, that breathed life into the first man. He was the instrument, the seed, the firstborn so that the rest of us could follow. Jesus is the promise of eternal life. Yes, through his blood we are saved but our salvation goes beyond this place and it is the empty grave that is the promise that Jesus is that Tree Of Life.

We don`t have to live this life with any regrets. We are not missing out on anything here. Live your life to the fullest for Jesus in this place. Don`t worry about whatever presents you don`t get because it has no impact on the more important eternal matters. Love large and allow forgiveness to cover everything. Don`t take offence here because the only significance here has is as a training ground for the greater thing to come. So, live, laugh, represent Jesus, tell everyone the good news, relax, don`t worry, trust God, remain faithful, work hard in Kingdom matters, and realize this place is less than a blink compared to what Jesus has opened up for us.

We don`t have time to let this world steal away our joy because our joy is an eternal thing. So, this Christmas determine to make worship of the Firstborn the foundation of your Christmas celebration, in word and deed.