Reflection: The Resurrection of the Dead

A reflection of 1 Corinthians 15:12-34.

Paul makes an emphatic reminder of Christ's resurrection in this passage.

While there is much that may be expounded from this passage, the one thing I drew from this passage is the nature of Christ's work in the world:

More than just making the sinful righteous, Christ came to make the dead living again.

In this passage, we understand that Paul refers to physical death as "sleeping" and spiritual death (or total death) as "death". He makes it clear that Christ brings everything to his subjection, which includes destroying every rule and authority, the last being death itself. This is a crucial point of detail: Upon Christ's resurrection, we were freed from the bondage of spiritual death; upon Christ's return, death itself shall be no more. 

What does this mean for us?

When Christ died on the cross as the propitiation for our sins, he essentially gave us a chance to escape from dying spiritual deaths. We are, as Jesus previously mentioned, "born again". This would not be possible if Christ had not been raised from the dead, for the one who frees others from death must be free from death himself.

If we believe the resurrection of Christ to be true (the foundation for all Christianity), then we must, in full confidence, believe that Christ has the power to make us dead people living again. We must believe that the one, to whom all things will be subjected to, has the power to destroy all rule and authority, to destroy death, to rid us from living in our sins.

How should we live?

Paul delivers this instruction clearly, in parts:

"...I die every day!"

"Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals"."

"Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning."

As we look upon our lives from the vantage point of death, we are able to live in soberness. When we understand the weight of Christ's resurrection and its implications on our lives, it is natural and right to make a conscious decision towards daily surrendering of our lives to Christ. It is sensible to be mindful of our company, and what we choose to entertain each day in thought and deed. It is sensible to live with the mentality of looking forward to the hope that we have in Jesus, and the faithful anticipation of his return that death may finally be destroyed once and for all. And it is sensible for us to live in what is right and free from sin. 

Christ is our eternal king; he is our divine saviour, the rightful Messiah.

He has freed us from the bondage of our iniquities. He has given us a chance to live right.

We have been given this privilege, brothers and sisters. Let us strive towards that.

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" - Micah 6:8 (ESV) 

Sola Deo Gloria,

Matt

Reflection: Healing at the Pool

A reflection of John 5:1-18.

As John records the incident at the Bethesda, he captures as well the conversation between Jesus and a nameless invalid. There are a few interesting differences that make this different from the other healing events in the gospels. Firstly, there were two encounters between this man and Jesus. The first was by the pool, and the second at a temple. Next, in this encounter, Jesus was the one who initiated the conversation by asking the man if he wished to be healed. Let's take a closer look.

1. "Do you want to be healed?"

Jesus approaching the man and initiating such a request was uncharacteristic of most of the encounters we have witnessed throughout the gospels. Typically, the one who became healed knew of Jesus' identity (barring the ones that were blind). People flocked to Jesus just to touch him, grab his garment, all sorts of things.

It is important to note that Jesus knew this man had been there for a really long time (v.6). When asked if he would like to be healed, the invalid responded, essentially explaining how he had no help from others and how he was always placed behind others. I can only imagine the feelings of compassionate Jesus must have had for this man at that point for him to say to the man: "Get up, take up your bed, and walk."

Scripture makes no mention of how the man responded other than taking up his bed and walking. Putting myself in his shoes for a moment, if I had been lame for the last 38 years, what makes me think that just because a man tells me to get up that I will actually be able to do so? There is something to be said here about the healing of this man: despite not even knowing who Jesus was, he experienced the power of Jesus' healing. Scripture is clear: "at once, the man was healed." The man, upon sensing that he was healed, picked up his bed, got up and walk.

Jesus' healing can be experienced by those that may not know of him yet.

This was reinforced in the next few verses when the Pharisees interrogated him, but he was unable to identify the man who had healed him. This man had not an inkling the identity of Jesus, yet he was completely and utterly liberated from his sickness. 

This brings me to my next observation on how this man responded.

2. "Sin no more."

This man had been lame for 38 years. It was unlikely that he was able to move about, let alone visit the temple routinely. However, it was recorded that Jesus found him in the temple afterwards. My interpretation is that this man took it upon himself to worship in the temple after he had been healed. While this was not explicitly stated in the text, it is a logical reasoning that follows. It is apt, too, since Jesus found him there and here was his second message to the man: "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you."

To be frank, I'm not too sure how this ought to be understood exactly. A few things are clear, however. 

Jesus says to the man that he had been healed. He uses the word "see" metaphorically: the man knew he had been healed, but now he was truly witnessing the source of which his healing was from - Jesus. This is the crux - this man now recognized that Jesus had the power to heal, for he had been personally healed by Jesus himself.

The next bit is just as critical, if not more. Jesus tells him to sin no more, and mentions this for his sake, so that he may not experience anything worse than that which he had been healed from. This has massive implications. It implies that the man's initial condition had been a result of his sins. By extension, it meant that sin has profound implications on us.

Although not much was further expounded on the impact of sin, we do see this man going off and telling the Jews that Jesus had healed him. While we do not know from the text whether this man who had been healed went about his later actions in the heart of thanksgiving, Jesus' expectations are made clear.

The appropriate response to having experienced Jesus' healing is to believe in him, and sin no more.

This is similar to the woman who had committed adultery a few chapters from here. Jesus said the same thing: "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."

So, how do I make sense of all this in my life?

For me personally, I've witnessed far too often how many of us are quick to focus on the sins (whether from ourselves or from others) before addressing one's belief and healing. 

Jesus spared no patience when dealing with this man, who did not even know who he was. He simply reached out, asking if he wanted to be healed. I believe that we ought to follow in that example, by extending healing first. If it is our sin that we are grieving over, then let us first seek his healing. Jesus is patient with us, always waiting for us to turn to him for healing and forgiveness, for restoration and reconciliation. If it is another that we are dealing with, let us extend ourselves as servants of God's healing for them. For even if they do not know of Jesus, just like the invalid, Jesus is fully capable of healing them of their afflictions. 

And when we have witnessed the work of Jesus in our lives, let us respond in kind, by resolving to weed out sin in our lives. Strive to sin no more, regardless of how many times we shall fall, let us strive to sin no more. This is the right way to own the freedom that we have been given through the blood of Christ: freedom from sin.

Brothers and Sisters, let us receive boldly the healing that God has for us, that we may freely believe in His name, and seek His holiness. And then, let us do the same for the many others, who like us previously, are laying around this pool just waiting to be healed.

T'was blind, but now I see.

Sola Deo Gloria,

Matt

Reflection: The Perfect Servant

A reflection of Matthew 12:15-21, passage titled "God's Chosen Servant".

Matthew made it a point to capture Jesus' withdrawal from the Pharisees, his healing of the people, and his ordering them to keep his identity secret. Why was this so? Well, what follows is an explicit reference made to the prophecy of Isaiah in Isaiah 42:1-3. There, comparisons were made to Jesus' gentle nature, his zeal for justice, his mercy for people, his meek and lowly spirit, the significance of his name to the people.

Essentially, this was what Matthew was saying:

Look no further. God's chosen servant, the Messiah, the one who will liberate us and bring justice to victory is here. Jesus is the one!

Matthew was fully aware that the Jews were still looking around for their Messiah. Surely they'd pay heed to the words of their prophet, Isaiah. And while Jesus fulfills numerous other prophecies throughout the Old Testament, in this particular one, a few key points were made known.

1. Jesus is a servant, chosen by God Himself.

What an honour! That Jesus was chosen by God personally to be His servant. However, one will quickly realize how this honour comes with unbearable burden, as we learn that Jesus, while chosen to proclaim justice upon the world, has also been chosen to bear the brunt of injustice of the world. 

There is no other more worthy to proclaim justice than the one who is just. There is no other judge more qualified to judge than the one who was judged and deemed perfect. Jesus was all of them. And what a scandal it is, that the one who is all of these things should come before us to serve us! (Mark 10:45) 

2. Jesus is gentle, he lifts us up.

Matthew describes the character of Jesus through the prophet's words. Jesus takes the route of the meek and gentle. He withdraws himself from the Pharisees to avoid angering them further. Even as he left, he continued all that he sought to do: he healed the people who followed him. He restores them in justice, yet ordering them to keep him from being known. When others were conspiring to destroy him, Jesus was conspiring to save others.

Far from breaking a bruised reed, Jesus will strengthen it. 

Far from quenching a smoldering wick, Jesus will ignite its flames.

Matthew makes his point fully clear here: Jesus, being the servant that he is, seeks to restore people and lift them up. That is the justice he has come to proclaim. Let the one who doubts come before Jesus and behold, that indeed his spirit is one that is gentle and lowly, and brings rest to any weary soul.

3. Jesus is the name that brings hope.

Interestingly, verse 21 is not an explicit reference from the Isaiah passage. "And in his name the Gentiles will hope" cannot be directly lifted from Isaiah 42. However, if one reads the entirety of the chapter, the message becomes clear:

Jesus is the hope that God pronounces upon His people.

Without going into any analysis of Isaiah 42, I'd like to contemplate the implications of this point. Taking the above as a statement of truth, what then, is an appropriate response from us? Matthew says that Jesus is the name that we shall all hope in: what does that mean?

I'd like to borrow a thought here:

"Unfathomable oceans of grace are in Christ for you. Dive and dive again, you will never come to the bottom of these depths. How many millions of dazzling pearls and gems are at this moment hid in the deep recesses of the ocean caves! But there are unsearchable riches in Christ. Seek more of them. The Lord enrich you with them. I have always thought it a very pitiful show when great people ornament themselves with brilliants and diamonds; but it is truest wisdom to adorn the soul with Christ and His graces."

- Robert M'Cheyne

How true, then, if Christ is the name that we hope in, that we give all we have to pursue him and all that he has in store for us. He who gives up all he has for that which he cannot lose is no fool. Let us seek Christ, his wisdom, his grace, his mercy, and his ways. Till eternity comes upon us.

Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it. 

Seal it for Thy courts above.

Sola Deo Gloria,

Matt

Reflection: The Greatest Testimony

A reflection of 1 John 4: 7-21.

The greatest testimony possible, of anything, is that of love. Love is the grandest expression of that which is real, a true force for good, and the power to change lives. Love needs no explanation, nor can its logic be conceived through any form of rationalization or constructed theory. Love needs no scientific equation to be proven. We know that love exists, simply because we have experienced it, and witnessed its sheer nature.

Then, if love is the greatest testimony to anything, God's love must be the greatest testimony to three things:

1. The depravity of man

"In this love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10 (ESV)

The greatest act of love ever known. God sending His Son to die, a death on the cross, so that man may be saved. It speaks deeply about the human condition - the nature of man's depravity. We are so depraved that there is no way we can ever hope to save ourselves. Our sins are part of our nature, and they bring us the wrath of God for He is pure and just. Let this be clear: without the Son, there is no way we can come before God without being utterly destroyed by the nature of His holiness. 

Therefore, in order that we may come before Him, to reconcile and even dwell in Him, a price must be first paid. This payment was free for us, but costly to God. This was the personal cost of love - this is a personal sacrifice by God, to send His beloved Son to pay the price for the sins of man. This is a personal sacrifice by Jesus, who gave his life willingly so that the wrath of God may not fall upon us. He alone took on the sins of man, the one who is pure, blameless, and perfect in every way.

2. The identity of Christ

That it took one who had to be pure, blameless, and perfect in every way to pay the price for our sins is a testament to the identity of Christ: Jesus is Messiah. Jesus is God himself. 

"Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God." 1 John 4:15 (ESV)

While John does not explicitly make that claim here, it is entirely congruent with the claims of Jesus, where it was said: "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides by the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." John 15:4 (ESV) This parallel is clear: Jesus had to be fully God.

However, I'd like to be more concerned with the implications of the identity of Christ here. It was him, and him only, that could take on the sins of man. The blood of Christ was pure. It had the power to cleanse us of our unrighteousness. With full knowledge of this, it is crucial then, that we consider how we respond to our sin.

As it was said, unless we abide in him, there is no way we can bear fruit. Should we wish to see the fruit of the spirit in us, we must abide in him. This is true, for it is said:

"By this we know that we abide in him and he in us because he has given us of his Spirit." 1 John 4:13 (ESV)

To the ones who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he died for our sins, God gives his Spirit. By abiding in the Son, we testify to this; by abiding in the Son, we love.

Love is our greatest testimony to what Christ Jesus has done for us. Love is the only appropriate response. Love is abiding in Christ.

Which brings me to the third thing...

3. An abiding in Christ is perfected in love through our love for others.

God's love testifies to this truth. 

"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19 (ESV)

The commandment to love others is more than a commandment. It is the fundamental response that any one should have if he truly believes in the identity of Christ, his love for us, and the imperative to abide in Christ. It is often preached that one cannot love God (whom he cannot see) if one does not love his neighbour whom he has seen. 

There is no mistake. God's love for us is more than a story to believe in. It is one that we take part in: because we have received his love, more than we can ever repay or understand, the only appropriate response is that which is an outpouring of love from the depths of our souls. And we do this unrelentingly, not withholding it from whomever we come across - for the nature of love is to flow from he who abides in God, and is not dependent on one's worthiness of love. In fact, if love were to be demonstrated on the basis of worth, it'd be a tragedy for none of us are worthy.

God's love is perfect - it is given to all freely but costly to the heavens. It requires nothing from us, the only demand is that we allow love to flow through us freely and that in itself is a form of love as well. And through our love for others, we will slowly start to understand, as the days go by, the depths of His love - when He first sent His Son to die for us on that ragged cross.

Final Thoughts

It has certainly been a long time since I've had a reflection piece like this. I've spent the last half a year wondering what I had to do to gain peace, wondering if there was something I had to do... but the Word is clear: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us. 

Therefore, there is nothing to do other than to take God's word as an examination of my life. The rest will be as He leads. The one who abides in Him shall overcome the world, and I shall continue to hope and pray that Jesus will be present in my every moment of living and breathing, and till my dying breath.

Friend, no matter where you are in life, know that the door to Jesus is always open for you. He welcomes every one of us with open arms. He invites us to feast with him. He is always waiting for us to return and to pour on him our woes and our joys. Jesus is the greatest gift we have, and in spirit, he will never let us go. Take heart, despite how you have been in life: it doesn't matter whether you've been living well or not; it doesn't matter if you feel too shabby to enter his house. If you truly believe in Him, all of that does not matter. In Him, you have a new tomorrow. 

"There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future." St. Augustine

Sola Deo Gloria,

Matt