God's Irony

Anyone who digs into the scriptures will find loads of irony. Sarah was 90 years old before she had a baby. Israel escapes oppression in Egypt, only to become an empire (centuries later) that oppresses its neighbors and its citizens. David, the runt in his family, becomes a conquering king. The boldest disciple can't admit to a servant girl that he follows Jesus. Jesus wins by losing.

And at Easter time we see the death of death. In Christ, God kills death. God does so by surrendering his Son to death. Death should be the last word: when someone dies, it's all over. The forces of evil in the spiritual realm rejoiced when Jesus died. But on the third day, he defeated death. He went through death to emerge on the other side. Death had lost its power over Jesus. Death took its best shot and Jesus defeated it.

Now in Christ, death is dead. Yes, all people will die eventually. But because Jesus defeated death, death no longer has the last word. Those who trust in Christ can know that when we experience physical death, Jesus sees us through to the other side. He walked this path ahead of us and defeated that enemy.

This is why Christians make such a big deal about Jesus's resurrection. We celebrate his victory. And we know that he gives us a taste of that resurrection life here and now. Because death is dead, we can truly live. Today.

The Sting of Forgiveness

Sometimes we get what we don't deserve...in a good way. Someone lets you into traffic, when you selfishly passed the line of cars to get ahead. A shopper lets you have the last one of that scarce item on the shelf, even though they picked it up first. You drop the ball on that work project, and a coworker picks up your slack--and doesn't tell the boss. 

Those experiences make us swallow hard, if we take time to think about it. Someone else has sacrificed for us, and we benefit. We don't deserve it. It is the kindness, even love, that gets our attention. We could rationalize and say that we really deserve those gifts of kindness: 

I was in a big hurry, and really needed to get ahead of those other drivers. 

I saw the item on the shelf first, but could not reach it before the other shopper. 

I have helped out that coworker so many times...she owes me.

It feels better if we can convince ourselves that we have earned those acts of kindness. But sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we can't find any way that we deserve them. 

That's when forgiveness stings. All we can do is say, "Thank you." This is the kind of love that pulls us up short and leaves us speechless. 

That's the kind of forgiveness we really need, and that's the kind of forgiveness we have in Christ. Lent is a time to sit in that forgiveness, to savor the sting, and humbly thank the Lord.

Death and Digestion

When Jesus died on the cross he truly died. Some suggest that he only looked dead, and was revived. But the time frame involved shows this was no resuscitation. He was dead dead. Jesus took all the evil of the world, and it killed him. As pastor Brian Zahnd says, death swallowed Jesus, but death could not digest him. 

When sin and death hit Jesus with their best shot, Jesus took all of it. He took their best shot, and it took him out. But even death itself could not overpower Jesus. When it looked like it was all over, Jesus pull the ultimate surprise. He defeated sin and death by being raised back to life. Jesus defeated the enemy that every person must face. And he won the victory for us.

If Jesus can defeat death itself, he has won the ultimate victory. And he invites us to experience this new life with him. "Come to me," he says.

Confronted by Jesus

No one has ever confronted evil like Jesus did. While he preached his message of love and forgiveness, healing and restoring, he also confronted evil. He told a rich man to sell everything and give to the poor. He called out religious leaders for twisting the commandments for their own benefit. He challenged the religious authorities for taking advantage of the needy.

Jesus also confronted evil in the Temple. All four Gospels describe Jesus clearing the Temple of the money changers and those selling sacrificial animals. He flipped over tables and scattered coins. John says that Jesus fashioned a whip to drive out the animals. Such was the Lord's anger at the way his Father's house was misused. 

What kind of confronting would Jesus do with you? What habits, what grudges, what attitudes would he challenge?

It is during this season of Lent that we actually ask Jesus to confront us. He wants to restore us, of course. Sometimes he first has to confront us.

The Everything Test

Jesus had the chance to gain everything. In his last temptation in the wilderness, the satan offers to give all the kingdoms of the world to him. The satan claims that these have been given to him, and that is partly true. The world's systems are clearly influenced by dark forces. Wars and oppression are, sadly, just part of the human condition.

And so the satan offers Jesus complete control of all these spheres and systems. But this control depends on Jesus bowing down to worship the satan. But if Jesus were in control, he could end all the wars and oppression. He could use this power, gained by surrendering to evil, for good purposes. 

It wasn't hard for Jesus to find a Bible verse saying we should worship the Lord and serve him only. But there is so much more to Jesus's rejection of this offer. Jesus knew that the Father would give him all authority in heaven and earth. He would receive this authority only after destroying the power of sin and death. Winning this victory would be painful, as Jesus allowed all the horror of evil to destroy him. He bore physical pain as he received all the evil of religion gone wrong, government conspiracy and abuse of power, and abandonment of his best friends.

It takes a lot of trust in God to believe that he will give his goodness to you, even while you are struggling or suffering. For those who are in Christ, we have the promise that we will also inherit the blessings of God's kingdom. But it is really tempting to take things now through earthly power. Like Jesus, we have a choice.

Drama Test

Jesus's second temptation in the desert (according to Matthew) was to get dramatic. The satan suggested that Jesus throw himself down from the Temple mount. The accuser quoted a Bible verse about God protecting his servant. God would not let Jesus splat himself on the stone walkway. Everyone would see the rescue, and right away, Jesus would have proven his Messiahship. What could go wrong?

Jesus also quotes a Bible verse, that one should not put God to the test. Even as Jesus is being tested, he realizes that he should not put his Father to the test.

Again, Jesus dismisses a sure-fire, fast way to being crowned king of Israel. The fast way to success, the easy way to power, is not the way of God. Jesus knows that his crown will be of thorns, and his throne will be a cross. It will be painful. And resisting this temptation is painful.

Jesus refuses dramatic fame. His path to greatness will be through defeat.

How often do we choose the way of losing, in order to win true victory?

A Hungry Test

Before he began his ministry, Jesus went into the desert to be tempted by the satan. He had been fasting for 40 days when the tests began. Jesus had must have felt, let's say, uncomfortable. But he had been praying for 40 days, so he was spiritually prepared.

The satan's first temptation came like this: "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Surely Jesus had the power to do so. His 40 day fast was almost over. Matthew (4:2) tells us that indeed he was hungry. 

This is a powerful temptation for a hungry man. He could satisfy his physical desire, and he could also prove to himself and the satan that he truly was the Son of God.

But he could also use this power to feed the world. Jesus would return to villages full of hungry people, those on the margins who suffered want because of unfair circumstances. What better way to announce the kingdom of God than to offer free bread, supernatural bread, bread from heaven? Jesus would immediately have a following who would stand with him against corrupt Temple leadership and against Roman oppression. 

But Jesus declined. "It is written, 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Jesus would provide bread in his ministry, but not to satisfy his own hunger or to buy the support of a mob. 

Every day we are tempted to take short-cuts. We can get what we want and look like we are helping people in the process. We can gain popularity or power. But Jesus knew the power of self-denial. When we practice self-denial, we open ourselves to the real power of God.