Heartlight Articles - Two Minute Meditations

Greater Things: Boldness

phil@heartlight.org (Phil Ware) — Sun, 27 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

"How many times have I driven past that and never knew it was there?"

"We've been in the same church for years, but one Sunday when everyone was introducing themselves, the folks in the rows between us moved out of the way and there he was. We met that day and nothing was ever the same again!"

"Driving down North 1st in the afternoon was always something I hated -- the sun blazing away right in my face, blinding me even with sun glasses on and making it hard to see. Then on this one afternoon, as I was running a little late and the sun was disappearing behind a few fleecy clouds, I saw the most spectacular sunset as the sky filled with a dazzling array of colors -- you couldn't even begin to describe how beautiful it was!"

God has a way of surprising us in the middle of our routines if we let him. It was that way for a lame guy by the Beautiful Gate going into the Temple in Jerusalem one afternoon. He was carried there by the same friends, to the same place, at the same time, to beg from the same people when a couple of unfamiliar guys passed by him.

The two guys were Peter and John, passionate followers of Jesus. The lame man looked at them expectantly -- new guys might mean a few more coins and maybe a little dinner. But as these two hesitated, then looked him in the eye, an amazing thing happened. The apostle Peter asked the man to look him in the eye and then said to him:

Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk (Acts 3:6 NIV).

And the man walked!

Yet his walking is not the truly astonishing thing. The astonishing thing is that for the next three chapters, the name of Jesus dominates the story:

The man is healed in the name of Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 3:6).
Twice Peter emphasizes to the crowd that it was in the name of Jesus the man is healed (Acts 3:16).
Peter and John are brought to the ruling council, the people who condemned Jesus to die, and the question is on what name did this do this (Acts 4:7).
Once again, they emphasize it was done in the name of Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 4:10).
They are ordered by the men who put Jesus to death to no longer preach in his name (Acts 4:18).
They pray for God to continue to heal in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:30).
Before the ruling council again, they are warned to no longer speak in the name of Jesus (Acts 5:40).
They left the ruling council rejoicing, after having been beaten, finding joy in being counted worthy to suffer for the cause of the name (Acts 5:41).

The religious and political powers thought they had rid themselves of Jesus when they crucified him. They hoped to never hear the name of Jesus of Nazareth again. They wanted his influence to be as dead and gone as he was when he was taken down from the cross. They assumed his followers would cower back to Nazareth, never to be heard from again. But Jerusalem soon became filled with this name: Jesus, the servant of God, the Son of God, the Messiah, the Jesus from Nazareth. These once cowardly men are now turned bold. This once dead enemy of the state is resurrected in power and his followers are passionately sharing his story. This is the truly amazing thing. These unlearned and powerless men wouldn't shut up about the name of Jesus and changing the world by the power and authority of that name!

So how did this timid, small, insignificant group of Jesus’ followers become so bold? Three things were crucial:

They were absolutely convinced Jesus was raised from the dead and were willing to risk everything to share their eye witness testimony to anyone regardless of the cost.
The Holy Spirit was empowering them to be able to do what they did and say what they said and to have the power that they demonstrated.
They were willing to pray for boldness rather than protection.

Jesus promised his followers that they would do greater things than he did once he returned to the Father (John 14:12-13). Now they were doing it. Simple folks from Galilee, once fearful and in hiding, were speaking boldly the name of Jesus and the number of disciples was growing exponentially in Jerusalem and beyond.

So what about us? Why do we seem so timid? Why do we feel so powerless against the tidal flood of culture’s skepticism and unbelief? Could it be that we need to go back to those vital three things that marked the early church? Of course we should! So I want to encourage you one more time to go read Acts chapters 3 through 5. Notice the emphasis on the name of Jesus. Watch as these fearful people become powerful witnesses. Take notice of the special prayer they prayed (Acts 4:23-31). And I invite you to join me, and many others, in praying this prayer each day this summer:

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus (Acts 4:29-30 NIV).

You can download a free copy of this prayer with a set of summer daily recommended spiritual practices here -- http://hlt.me/LDnJ1P

Phil Ware is minister of the Word at Southern Hills Church in Abilene, Texas. For the past 15+ years, he has also been co-editor of HEARTLIGHT Magazine. For more details, click
here.

Website: The Phil Files

What's the Goal Here?

phil@heartlight.org (Phil Ware) — Sun, 20 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Many years ago, my dad bought a small camper trailer and we set out from Texas to go to Michigan on a family vacation -- three boys, two of them teenagers, my mom and my dad whose health was in serious decline. He wanted us to have a family bonding experience and see sights off the Interstate.

We were in a camper that would have been great for a newlywed couple, but was seriously undersized for a small family -- and way too crowded for three boys! Plus, dad snored loudly and vibrated our little tin can hooked to the trailer hitch behind our "wide-track" Pontiac Bonneville. Mom couldn't sleep because of the noise, my bed was too short for me, and my brothers tried to sleep in the same bed. The only up side to all of this was that most everybody could sleep during the day during our long trips on backwoods "scenic" roads. Don't even get me started about forever adventure in the mountains following the Trail of Tears or losing one side mirror in rush hour traffic in Indianapolis or the other one on a small bridge outside of Memphis.

One night after over 480 miles on the road, we set up the trailer, had supper, and about the time we were finally asleep, we were awakened with the trailer shaking violently in the whipping winds. Jagged bolts of lightning and the crackle of thunder with blinding streaks of light transformed our discomfort into terror. When the hail started, one of my brothers shot up in bed and "crowned" himself on the roof of the camper above his top bunk, setting off waves of laughter and streams of tears.

By the time we arrived at our Michigan destination, we were never so glad to sleep in a motel with two adjoining rooms and a bed for each one of us. We hated the camper trailer and had long ago lost sight of why we went on this family vacation in the first place. Whatever the opposite of bonding might be, we arrived there pulling our camper behind us.

Life in many of our churches is eerily similar to our camper trip to Michigan. We fuss and fight among ourselves, end up on detours and winding roads, and all too frequently forget why we are on the journey in the first place. We lose sight of our goal and frequently just try to survive by keeping everybody happy. So let me remind you of Jesus' last words:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20).

Many of us have simply forgotten the three-fold call to "make disciples," even though they were empowered by His authority as the Son of God and fueled by the knowledge these were the Lord's last words on earth. So here is a three-point reminder of the Jesus call to us:

Cross cultures to reach all peoples and nations

Baptize everyone in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Train my followers, old and new, to obey what I have taught

Others of us pay lip service to this call, but get caught up in "churchland" with all of its stuff and fuss, finding so many of Jesus' harsh words directed at the religious of His day applicable to ourselves.

Others of us have tried to personalize Jesus' "Great Commission" into a mission or vision statement for our own churches or for our own personal lives. This usually occurs with complaints -- "Isn't the Bible enough, why do we need something else?" or "Don't forget about keeping our folks happy, too!" Clearly, Scripture and the will of God must be our defining call with Jesus as our Lord. Certainly we must care for Jesus' sheep, binding up the hurting and caring for the wounded. However, as we look at Christianity's shrinking influence in our culture and the little difference in morality lived by those claiming to be Christians and those who are not, we have to admit the harsh reality. We have too frequently forgotten why we are on the journey.

So when I came across Paul's words to the new believers in the small town of Colossae and heard in them the echo of Jesus' last words, I was stopped in my tracks:

To them [the Lord's people] God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me (Colossians 1:27-29).

Compare Paul's words in Colossians 1:27-29 to Jesus' words in Matthew 28:18-20. And please note that the highlighted words "nations" in Jesus' statement and "Gentiles" in Paul's statement are the same word. If you look carefully, Paul's words are a personalization of Jesus' Great Commission. They are his personal mission statement: his vision of what he must do to fulfill Jesus' call in his life.

What about you? How would you verbalize your life's mission? More than worrying about what your church should be doing, what should you be doing? How are you going to live out the life of Jesus in the sphere of influence the Lord has placed you?

Now to keep this from being merely a rhetorical question, I want to challenge you to prayerfully take some time and write out your own statement and go live it. Of course I'd love for you to share it with us on my blog, but most importantly, I want to encourage you to write it down, put it in your wallet or in your purse or on your mirror, and go live it.

We've spent enough time with cabin fever going nowhere while getting on each other's nerves. Let's remember Jesus' last words were a call to make our lives matter ... to a world that needs Him and needs us to bring His message to them.

Phil Ware is minister of the Word at Southern Hills Church in Abilene, Texas. For the past 15+ years, he has also been co-editor of HEARTLIGHT Magazine. For more details, click
here.

Website: The Phil Files

Greater Things: Presence

phil@heartlight.org (Phil Ware) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

How do you feel about surprises? Some folks love them. Some people hate them. Some of us ... well, we hate some and love others. I've had surprises that ripped my heart out and others that have delighted me beyond belief.

When it comes to faith-related surprises, to God's surprises, I'm afraid most folks have simply lost nearly all expectation. You see it in the eyes of so-called worshipers at church and you feel it in the predictable answers of those in small groups and you see the yawns in Bible classes or hear it in the flatness of the forced praise phrases where they are an expected part of the Christian lifestyle.

If that sounds cynical, look at surveys, churches, and the many people who confess to be Christians. Their lives, values, and sense of God's presence are not much different from their unbelieving neighbors. Where are the "greater things" that Jesus promised us (John 14:12)? Where are the grand surprises of the book of Acts, God's brief look at life in the earliest believers in Jesus? The early followers of Jesus had all sorts of surprises, both good and bad. These surprises help create the expectation that Jesus would be present with them no matter what happened and no matter where they went!

Peter and John went to the Temple one day. A beggar who had never been able to walk looked to them for alms -- a little money to help him make it through another day. Instead, these two poor men said: "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene -- walk!" (Acts 3:6 NLT -- for the whole story read Acts 3:1-16).

The newly healed man was thrilled, jumping up and down as he ran around through the Temple's outer courtyard. The people who had seem him for years with his withered body were amazed and rejoiced. The religious leaders who had Jesus crucified were mortified that the name of Jesus was again being shouted with joy by the people. This was one grand SURPRISE!

A few chapters later, the meanest persecutor of the early church, Saul of Tarsus who would later become Paul the apostle, was on his way to Damascus to arrest and persecute other believers in Jesus when he got a huge surprise. A bright light shined and the Lord spoke to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (Acts 9:4 NLT -- for the whole story read Acts 9:1-22).

Saul was shocked, blinded, and then turned his heart fully to follow Jesus by being baptized and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Ananias, a believer who knew Saul's reputation of trying to hurt and destroy Jesus' followers, ended up leading Saul to the Lord rather than being thrown in prison for his faith. Those who expected Saul to help them persecute Christians were unable to refute Saul's testimony as he tried to convert them. Again, this was a great, big, SURPRISE from God.

A big part of what opened the door for these great surprises can be found in the conviction of the early believes. They believed Jesus' promises to be present with them and do "greater things" through them than they could even ask or imagine (John 14:12; Ephesians 3:21). In fact, the New Testament part of the Bible is full of this kind of expectation of Jesus' presence and power:

Through the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-39; 5:42; Ephesians 1:17-20; Ephesians 3:16).

Through the work of Immanuel, God with us in the story of Jesus (Matthew 1:23), in authentic community (Matthew 18:20), through service to those in need (Matthew 25:40), and through efforts to cross cultural boundaries to share Jesus' life with others (Matthew 28:18-20).

Through the proclamation, prayer, and pursuit of life in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:12 -- this concept is found at least 35 times in the book of Acts).

To pray, proclaim, and pursue life in the "name of Jesus" is to live in holy expectation of Jesus' presence, power, and authority being released among his people! The "name of the Lord" was their assurance that Jesus would empower them through life's struggles and enable them to do the will of the Lord and accomplish his mission in the world! Living in the power of the "name of the Lord Jesus" invites Jesus to invade all of life and bring his purpose and power to bear in every circumstance:

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father (Colossians 3:17 NLT).

So how do we live in expectation of God's grand surprises?

How do we rekindle our expectation that Jesus will do his "greater things" among us?

Sorry, I don't have a paint-by-numbers kit for us. There is no magic recipe, book, chant, or slogan. But, a great place to start would be to go read the book of Acts and start asking God to do in our day what they did in their day, using us to his glory as we seek to live all of life "in the name of Jesus"! And as we do this, why not begin by adding a few intentional times to recommit to this purpose each day?

Let's start and finish each day by asking God to help us live "in the name of the Lord Jesus."

Let's stop and pray during the pauses of our day and pray that God will refocus us on living for his glory "in the name of the Lord Jesus."

Let's live in expectation of God's surprises as we recognize Jesus' presence and power in our lives as we seek to live each day "in the name of the Lord Jesus."

One of the saddest moments in all of the Bible is when Jesus returned to his hometown and he could not do any great things there because those who had seen him grow up would not believe he could do anything great (Mark 6:1-6).

Unfortunately today, many in the family of Jesus no longer expect him to surprise them with anything great because they do not expect his presence and power to be at work in them and among them. Let's change that. Let's remember that Jesus' promise to do "greater things" in us is tied to our asking "in Jesus' name" for his presence and power to be released:

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son (John 14:12-13).

Phil Ware is minister of the Word at Southern Hills Church in Abilene, Texas. For the past 15+ years, he has also been co-editor of HEARTLIGHT Magazine. For more details, click
here.

Website: The Phil Files

Greater Things: Devotion

phil@heartlight.org (Phil Ware) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father" (John 14:12 NIV).

I know, this sounds a lot like a rah-rah religious poster you'd find in a Christian bookstore that makes you feel good, but you are not sure you really believe. But, look closely again at this promise of Jesus and notice to whom it is directed -- "whoever believes in me"! There's not much confusion in these words: this promise if for every believer.

So I have a question: where are these "greater things" in our day?

The question is not new to our time. In fact, it's a lot like the one Gideon had thousands of years earlier. When the angel of the Lord showed up and wanted Gideon to lead God's people to deliverance, Gideon asked, "If the Lord is with us ... where are all his wonders our ancestors told us about ...?" (Judges 6:13).

When we open up the book of Acts, the continuing story of Jesus after he has gone back to the Father (Acts 1:1), we see all sorts of "greater things" happening in the lives of ordinary, powerless, simple, and everyday people who believe in Jesus. So what's the difference between them and us? Let's be honest with ourselves:

God didn't suddenly get less powerful.
The promise of Jesus didn't expire.
The Holy Spirit didn't leave the scene.
The message of Jesus didn't lose its radical convicting edge.

So let's be courageous enough to ask ourselves, "Is the reason we are not seeing these greater things a problem with us?"

For the next several weeks, I want to invite you to journey with me through Acts chapters 3 and 4 and look at the "greater things" Jesus did through his followers and see if we can't come to expect those same things happening in us and through us. However, we need to start where those who first believed the message of Jesus began (Acts 2:41):

Believing that Jesus is Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).
Turning their hearts and lives to him through baptism to be forgiven and filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
Because they wanted to be saved from their corrupt generation (Acts 2:40).

When this conviction touched their hearts and they responded in faith, they became part of a community of people who "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42).

Notice the key word: "devoted"! This word surfaces several times in the early chapters of Acts (Acts 1:14; Acts 2:42; Acts 2:46; Acts 6:4). Devotion was clearly a key part of the early church's experience of the "greater things" that Jesus promised. Unfortunately, this is a quality often lacking in those claiming to follow Jesus in our Western churches today!

So here comes the really convicting question for you and me: How frequently does devotion to these things mentioned in Acts show up in our lives?

We're not talking about adding these four areas of devotion to our already busy lifestyles. No, we're talking about these four being the ordering principles around which we arrange our lives. That's what it means to be devoted! We lean in and attach ourselves to these four commitments as the ordering priorities of our lives as followers of Jesus.

Jesus longs to do "greater things" in us. Our hearts yearn to experience God in all of his holy power in our lives. Our churches ache to be something more than a weekly show within four walls that seems absolutely disconnected from our everyday lives.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for "greater things" and not just the old things! So if Jesus' promise to do "greater things" is for "whoever believes" in him, isn't it time we followed their example by doing what they did and devoting ourselves to what they did?

To help me in my focus on expecting "greater things" to be part of my walk with Jesus as my Lord and Christ, I'm engaging in a set of daily spiritual practices in addition to my daily Bible reading during April and May. You can download these daily practices on a one page pdf by following this link: http://hlt.me/HIK1QV

Phil Ware is minister of the Word at Southern Hills Church in Abilene, Texas. For the past 15+ years, he has also been co-editor of HEARTLIGHT Magazine. For more details, click
here.

Website: The Phil Files

UNPREDICTABLE: MY Lord!

phil@heartlight.org (Phil Ware) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Mary Magdalene wasn't even sure exactly why, but she was coming in the pre-dawn darkness to the tomb of Jesus. It was early on Sunday morning and she felt drawn by some irresistible force in her heart.

She had watched from a distance as Jesus had been humiliated, mocked, brutalized, and murdered as a form of execution for crimes had not committed.

Mary was at a loss why Jesus didn't use his power to defend himself. She had experienced his power herself when Jesus delivered her from her own darkness and despair. Seven demons controlled -- at least that is what her friends told her. All Mary knew was that her life had been crazy: darkness enveloped her with what felt like unending evil -- a darkness she couldn't escape on her own.

Jesus had the power to stop this great evil controlling her: why didn't he stop it for himself? Maybe that is what drew her this morning. Something about his power ... and his love ... and what happened on that cross ... still drew her to him.

She had seen the tomb where Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had placed him after they had tenderly cared for Jesus' mutilated body. But now, on Sunday morning, after the Passover and Sabbath had passed, Mary had come back to care for that same mutilated and lifeless body.

Welcome to Resurrection Sunday! We join Mary Magdalene at the tomb of Jesus, just as light is breaking into dawn.

Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!" (John 20:1-2 NLT).

Did you notice what Mary called Jesus? Mary called Jesus, "Lord!"

How could she call him that? He is dead. Her dreams are shattered. Her hopes are crushed. Yet something inside her tenaciously clings to a belief that even in her darkest of moments, Jesus is still Lord!

Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. "Dear woman, why are you crying?" the angels asked her.

"Because they have taken away my Lord," she replied, "and I don’t know where they have put him." (John 20:11-13).

But more than Jesus being Lord, Mary says that Jesus is, "My Lord!" For her, Jesus is personal. Jesus is real to her. And despite tragedy, hurt, disappointment, discouragement, and even despair, she is willing to say, "Jesus is MY Lord!"

And notice what happens when she does hang on to Jesus as her Lord through everything, no matter how confusing and hopeless.

She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn't recognize him. "Dear woman, why are you crying?" Jesus asked her. "Who are you looking for?"

She thought he was the gardener. "Sir," she said, "if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him."

"Mary!" Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, "Rabboni!" (which is Hebrew for "Teacher").

"Don’t cling to me," Jesus said, "for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, "I have seen the Lord!" Then she gave them his message. (John 20:14-18).

Now imagine the excitement in her voice! Listen to her breathless and joyful wonder as she tells the other disciples, "I have seen the Lord!"

This is resurrection Sunday.

Jesus is raised from the dead.

So we join Mary and say with all our heart, "Jesus is my living Lord!"

May you, on this blessed Sunday, be able to experience the presence of the living Lord. May you be able to share with others that you have seen the work of the resurrection Savior in your own life because ...

... Jesus is living and among us and is Lord.

So this, my dear friend in Christ, is a reason to celebrate. This is why we say, "Happy Easter!"

Phil Ware is minister of the Word at Southern Hills Church in Abilene, Texas. For the past 15+ years, he has also been co-editor of HEARTLIGHT Magazine. For more details, click
here.

Website: The Phil Files

Nicodemus and Joseph Save Easter?

phil@heartlight.org (Phil Ware) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you -- unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said (1 Corinthians 15:1-4 NLT).

Nicodemus had heard a rumor that Annas and Caiphas were going to illegally call a secret night meeting of their closest allies among the priests, ruling council, and teachers of the law. It was to be held at the High Priest's palatial home and it would be a mock trial to see if they could muster up enough evidence, real or contrived, to convict Jesus. They were determined to find a reason to convict and kill Jesus (Mark 14:53).

Nic had stopped this from happening earlier in Jesus' ministry, so he hoped the rumors of the clandestine meeting were not true! However, Nic knew he would not be included in the illegal proceedings this time (John 7:50-51).

It didn't matter that he was a highly respected teacher, Pharisee, and leader in Israel, the other leaders in the Jewish ruling council suspected that Nicodemus was interested in Jesus' and his teaching. They would hold their mock trial without any Jesus sympathizers nearby (John 3:1; John 3:10; John 7:52)!

These leaders couldn't even wait for the official ruling of the whole ruling council. Their hatred spilled over into violence, humiliation, and ridicule of Jesus. In their minds, Jesus had to die, and the more demeaning his death, the better. They would make sure Jesus was a mess before he appeared before the whole ruling council for the "real" trial (Mark 14:64-65).

By early morning, when the whole ruling council was officially gathered together, there was a brutal determination to convict and execute Jesus. Nic and Joe both knew that there was too much momentum for the few, fearful followers of Jesus to derail the treacherous plans that were set in motion. It did not take long for the ruling council to send Jesus to Pilate wanting the guilty verdict (John 12:42; Mark 15:1)!

To Nic's and Joe's amazement, the High Priests and their conspirators managed to convince Pilate to let a murderous revolutionary, named Barabbas, go free. And as unthinkable and unconscionable as this was, their hatred and bloodlust didn't stop there (Mark 15:7; Mark 15:10).

To Nic's and Joe's horror, Pilate had Jesus scourged. Neither could watch Jesus or look at each other as they heard the lashes of the scourge whistle through the air and the bits of broken pottery, bones, and lead fragments land against the back and tear the flesh of Jesus as the soldiers mocked and ridiculed Jesus (John 19:1-2).

Something stirred inside Nic's heart as the Holy Spirit brought back lines he had long ago memorized from Isaiah about the suffering servant of God. Realization slowly washed over him as he was watching Isaiah's prophetic words acted out with brutal ferocity by Roman soldiers and the Savior offer himself for the failures of his followers and the silence of those too afraid to speak up, like Nic and Joe (Isaiah 53:5-8).

Maybe it was Isaiah's reference to the lamb or it being around Passover, but Nic knew something was going on here far bigger than the political maneuvering of Pilate and the jealousy of his fellow religious leaders (John 19:14).

Reality hit Nic like a hammer-blow. Nothing would satisfy this bloodthirsty crowd except Jesus' death ... on a cross. "Away with him, crucify him," they screamed (John 19:15).

"Shall I crucify your King?" Nic wasn't sure Pilate was asking or taunting. Pilate already knew their answer, but let them scream it back: "Crucfiy him! We have no other King but Caesar!" As Pilate sent Jesus to die, Nic and Joe both shuddered at what lay ahead and at the blasphemous words of the leading priests: "We have no King but Caesar!" They were sure that heaven shuddered, too (John 19:15-16).

Suddenly, Nic's disorienting fog of fear and shock cleared and the words that Jesus spoke to him that dark night when they first met became clear (John 3:2).

Yes, Jesus had said he came from God. But, he also said things Nic didn't understand that long ago evening. Cryptic things that a great teacher should have known or at least have figured out with prayer and study (John 3:13).

Things about being born again, from above, and about faith that saves. And things about being lifted up ... about being ... CRUCIFIED! And suddenly, Nic realized he was witnessing prophecy -- Isaiah's words, Jesus' words -- all coming true. He was caught up in God's story of salvation (John 3:14-15).

And why would God allow this horror to happen? Why would Jesus withhold his awesome power and might? Why allow himself to be humiliated, abused, and murdered? And Nic remembered ... LOVE! Redeeming love. Sacrificial love. God's love. The Savior's love ... for even the ones who were attacking him (John 3:16-17).

God is taking humanity's worst and turning it into saving grace, just as the Scriptures had promised. God is revealing the worst of the human heart and showing the Savior's sacrifice to redeem it ... to turn it's darkness into light (John 3:19). To turn Jesus' torture and death into the world's salvation ... and our hope ... and heaven's glory! To demonstrate the drawing power of the cross and the redeeming power of the Savior's love. To make clear that what Nic was seeing was not an accident, but the plan of God to redeem his lost children (John 12:28; John 12:32-33)!

Nic's once fearful and hidden faith is transformed into a burning passion. "I may not have honored Jesus in his life, but I will honor him in his death! I believe, O God, that Jesus is our Son and I don't know what the future holds, but I will hide in darkness no longer!" (John 12:46).

Something similar must have stirred in Joe's heart, too! Somehow during the agonizing ordeal of the Cross and Jesus' agonizing and humiliating death, Joe found Nic. And when Jesus breathed his last and died, these two went to Pilate and boldly asked for permission to take the body of Jesus away for burial (John 19:38-39; Mark 15:43; Matthew 27:57).

Without even thinking about it, these two once again fulfilled prophecy about a rich man providing a place for God's servant to be placed in death (Isaiah 53:9). And they gave Jesus a burial fit for a King (John 19:39-41):

75 pounds of spices!
A new tomb, never before used!
The loving hands of servants to prepare his body!

Two fearful, but rich and respected and righteous followers of Jesus, named Nic and Joe, suddenly become courageous believers, risk everything, step forward, get personally involved, and save Easter!*

What? What? What does that mean? What are you talking about, saving Easter?

At the worst possible time, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea step out and demonstrate faith -- real faith does that to you when you suddenly become aware of God's plan, presence and love in Jesus' death!
They make a commitment that can't be denied -- tender loving care for the mutilated body of Jesus, making themselves unclean for the Passover. Their absence as leaders would be conspicuous. Their responsibilities couldn't be fulfilled. Their allegiance to Jesus would be undeniable. They would be vulnerable to arrest and execution.
They experience death so God can resurrect hope -- John's simple words that describe Jesus' death testify to the world that Jesus truly died and was buried by those who knew him and knew he was dead -- and these were respected witnesses whose word couldn't be easily challenged. Nic and Joe and the new tomb and the strips of cloth they lovingly wrap around Jesus' body with spices placed between each strip of cloth all make undeniably clear that Jesus is DEAD! This is not a trick. It is not a mistake. Jesus is dead and buried.

And without all of Jesus' death and burial, there can be no resurrection Sunday -- no saving good news and no light in our darkness. But, because Nic and Joe demonstrate Jesus' death and burial are true, validate that they really happened, lovingly risking everything in Jesus' time of death, they save Easter ... they make clear that Jesus has to be raised from the dead to be present that resurrection Sunday morning ... and they remind us that we have a choice to make!

Will we sit quietly by and let Jesus' death be an unspeakable tragedy that we hold at a distance ... that makes no lasting impression on our lives?

Or, will we recognize God's plan, presence and love in Jesus' death and trust in Jesus' resurrection and come out of the shadows of our own darkness?

Don't you think it is time for us to ...

Step out and demonstrate our faith!
Make a commitment that can't be denied
Experience Jesus' death so God can resurrect our hope!

Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives (Romans 6:3-4).

* By Easter, I am of course referring to the resurrection of Jesus and our faith in the resurrection and not the cultural or pagan celebration of Easter.

The image above is from Pietro Perugino (1448–1523), Compianto sul Cristo morto.

Phil Ware is minister of the Word at Southern Hills Church in Abilene, Texas. For the past 15+ years, he has also been co-editor of HEARTLIGHT Magazine. For more details, click
here.

Website: The Phil Files

Everything on the Line

phil@heartlight.org (Phil Ware) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

What would you do if you knew you had the power and money to do anything you want & your time was short? Would you ...

Buy a professional sports team like Mark Cuban or Jerry Jones?
Have your own TV show to flash your power, money, riches, family, business, and ego like Donald Trump?
Try to become (or remain) president and rule the free world like Barak Obama and Mitt Romney?
Have huge business success and then set up a foundation to help the world's impoverished like Bill and Melinda Gates?
Play quarterback for your self-selected NFL team like Peyton Manning?
Keep the world safe for democracy and kids like "The Hunger Games" Katniss Everdeen?

How about this as interesting answer to question:

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him (John 13:1-5).

This is Jesus: the one who orders out demons, cures diseases, walks on the water, calms the storm, feeds the 5000, cures the lepers, makes the blind to see, restores the limbs of the paralyzed, and raises the dead. So what he does, he does out of complete love and unlimited power! So, Jesus takes these crucial moments before his betrayal, trial, death, and burial to share what is most important to his heart with those closest to him -- his disciples, his "friends."

But, Satan is in the room and in the hearts of some of his followers. In the room with him are men who will betray, deny, and abandon him. Yet he stoops down to wash their feet and share his last words before dying!

That's why Jesus reminds them:

"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:15-17).

Jesus is going away and will no longer be with those he loves to protect them. They are about to go through the wringer. Darkness is about to descend upon them like an evil, suffocating blanket. Sadness, sorrow, grief, disillusionment will reign over their hearts. So Jesus repeatedly reminds them of two great gifts he is leaving them to help them have victory even when their hearts are troubled, broken, and overwhelmed with grief:

The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom he will send to them.
Prayer in His name in his name that will help them do even more than their Master has done.

So Jesus promises them:

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

"If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever ..." (John 14:12-16). ... "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

Jesus not only shows us how God would live among us, but also of how we should live with each other. Our priorities are based on what Jesus does with his last words before the Cross and for his closest followers. As we remain connected to him, we become like him. We live to serve those Jesus loves with what Jesus calls "no greater love":

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:12-15).

So much of what happens at this point in Jesus' ministry is about bringing God, the Father, glory. Yet this is not the glory of a palace, a throne, a thronging crowd shouting "Long live the king!" It's about the glory of the cross and obedience in the face of an angry crowd crying, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" And with that kind of glory, his followers are drawn closer together in unity to honor him as they follow his example and people of all nations are drawn to him as Savior. That's why Jesus prays:

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one (John 17:15). ... "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one -- I in them and you in me -- so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:20-23).

Jesus takes his last crucial hours, minutes, and seconds before the Passion to demonstrate and teach what is most important to his closest friends.* And as we watch Jesus, and listen to his words, we must realize:

Who Jesus was to his disciples in that upper room, we are to be for each other in God's family. Unified through the Spirit, our service and love for each other, and prayer.
Who Jesus is to the world when he leaves that upper room, we are to be for lost outside the walls of our churches, our homes, and our nice little Christian circles. We are to be so united with the heart of the Savior, and our Father in Heaven, and each other, that the world will know Jesus.

* This can be found in John chapters 13-17.

Phil Ware is minister of the Word at Southern Hills Church in Abilene, Texas. For the past 15+ years, he has also been co-editor of HEARTLIGHT Magazine. For more details, click
here.

Website: The Phil Files