the pilgrim's promise

As a hiker I have always had a fascination with pilgrimages. Whether it be the Jesus Trail in Israel, the Pilgrim's Way in England, or the Camino de Santiago in Spain, there is something very compelling about going on a pilgrimage. To be on a quest, out in the wilderness, seeking truth, upward and onward, just you and God.

It turns out that I'm not alone. Millions of Christians go on pilgrimage every year, traveling all over the world to all kinds of places for all kinds of reasons. This is no recent phenomenon. Since at least the 4th century, Christian people have been traversing the globe for holy purposes.

It's no wonder why the book The Pilgrim's Progress has been so popular over the years. It was at one time second only to the Bible in popularity. It is the classic tale written by John Bunyan in 1678 about the journey of a young man named Christian from the City of Destruction through toil, trial, and trouble all the way to the Celestial City. It's an allegory, a great piece of literature, one of the first novels written in the English language.

There are many positive aspects about the book. It is filled with interesting characters like the Giant Despair of Doubting Castle, as well as creative place names like the Slough of Despond. From a theological point of view there are certainly some positives as well. The Bible is rightly held up as the only authority for faith and life. Sinfulness is shown as the natural condition of all men. The world is exposed as corrupt and broken, and salvation is needed for people to escape death and hell. That's all fine and good. But there's something missing - especially at the beginning of the story.

It's an element that, if it had been there in the first few paragraphs, the book could have been a whole lot shorter. So what is it? In short, it's the Gospel.

Before he leaves on his quest, Christian is burdened by his sin and the coming judgment upon the city. He meets the Evangelist and asks him, "What must I do to be saved?" Now, what Evangelist should have done (if he were really an evangelist) is preach the gospel to him! What he should have said was, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved! You and your whole family!" (Acts 16:31). But instead he hands a parchment to him that says, "Flee from the wrath to come." He can't even bring himself to say it, and he hands him a religious tract instead.

Another problem right at the outset is that Christian leaves his family behind to go on his quest. What happened to his vocation of husband and father? Even when they come running after him, he puts his fingers in his ears and runs away, caring only for his own salvation. We could spend a lot of time here on the doctrine of vocation, but that’s probably another article for another time.

It’s interesting to note that Martin Luther went on a pilgrimage at one point in his life. In the year 1510, while at university in Erfurt, Germany, he traveled all the way to Rome on foot - a journey of over 1,000 miles that took 70 days one way. He was excited at first to see the grandeur of Rome, but when he got there he was quite disappointed to find widespread corruption and abuse taking place at the highest levels of the church. It was an important reality check for him, and he came back to Germany more determined than ever to clearly and boldly proclaim the truth of God’s Word.

In the fall of 2010, for the 500th anniversary, a writer named Andrew Wilson  retraced the journey that Martin Luther made from Erfurt, Germany to Rome. One thing he came to realize is that Luther would have been a hiker his whole life long, not just during his long pilgrimage to Rome. He would have had to walk pretty much everywhere. Just like Jesus.

They say that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. What they don’t tell you is that Jesus has already made the journey for you. He’s already walked the road. He’s already made that pilgrimage. He’s paved the way as our pioneer and perfector, the founder and finisher of our faith. For he went the way of sorrows, the Via Dolorosa, all the way to the cross and to the tomb for us and for all.

That’s a good reminder for us as we continue to celebrate the Reformation, this year highlighting  Luther’s important work from 1520, The Freedom of a Christian.  For that is what the Reformation was and is all about. The freedom that comes by God’s grace through faith in Christ alone. For ultimately the Christian life isn't about progress, it's about a promise. The Pilgrim's Promise.

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the gospel is a noun

The men of the city had gone off to war. The women and children and elderly remained back home, anxiously awaiting word of the results of battle. Good news would mean great joy and celebration for the people, while bad news would mean distress and despair. Finally, the scout spotted a lone figure running over a hill toward the city. It was the herald bringing news from the battlefield! As he approached, the townsfolk began to hear his proclamation, “Good News! We have overcome the enemy! We have won the victory!”

This is the original usage of the word gospel in the ancient Greek world. A herald or messenger (keruks or angellos) would bring a message from the front lines of battle back to those awaiting word on how things were going. A “euangelion” was the good news message that the victory (nike) had been won, which was followed by great joy and celebration. Whether it’s greek, latin, or english - euangelion, evangel, good spell, or gospel - it all means a good report or a good message.

Today the word gospel is used in all kinds of different ways, often as an adjective. There’s gospel music, gospel tracts, gospel projects, gospel cruises, gospel churches, etc. There are all kinds of gospel things out there in our world today. But the Apostle Paul reminds us that there is really only one true gospel, and that is the good news gospel message about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and his death and resurrection for us in our place.

“Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel, you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born” (1 Cor 15:1-8).

As Dr. Rod Rosenbladt is fond of saying, there’s not a single thing about us in that entire passage. It’s mainly objective truth and not subjective experience. Although we are involved in the process of hearing and believing the gospel, it’s ultimately something that is done to us and for us from the outside. It’s a delivery of historical facts that tells us who Jesus is and what he has done for us through his dying on the cross and his rising from the grave.

St. Mark begins his book, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” That’s what it’s all about. The titles of the four books we know as “Gospels” in the New Testament bear this out. The Gospel, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. There are four books - but not four different gospels. There is one good news gospel message witnessed and testified to by four different people.

Paul goes on to explain the meaning of this gospel in the first chapter of his letter to the Romans:
“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God - the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord ... For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, as it is written, ‘the righteous will live by faith.” (Rom. 1:1-4, 16-17).

The gospel is the dynamite power of God in Christ for you. The gospel says that it is finished, that the devil is defeated, and that death is destroyed. The gospel says that Christ is risen and Jesus is living and that in him, you have free forgiveness and full salvation forever. Not because of anything you have done, but simply because God loves you enough to come save you and rescue you. That is the greatest good news the world has ever known. And it’s not just any good news; it’s good news for you. “The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

In ancient times, after the herald would bring his message of good news to the people, they would often go out to meet the conquering leader as he came back to the city. After they all went out to meet him, they would return to the city to continue the victory celebration. This is a picture of what Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem looked like on Palm Sunday, as well as his return on the last day when he comes again as our conquering king, bringing the heavenly Jerusalem with him in the new creation.

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come and see

A few weeks ago I saw a video of fireworks going off in Nazareth on New Years Eve. The person filming was on the roof of his building, so he was able to capture quite a spectacular panoramic display. There was an anticipation and excitement in the air, as the sky was filled with color and flashes of light. Everyone in Nazareth that night would have been able to see the light.   

Quite a contrast between Nazareth now and Nazareth of two thousand years ago. The light of the world, the light of light, the very god of very god had come to dwell with them - but hardly anyone seemed to notice. Isaiah 9 states that "the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light." But had they? It sure didn't seem like it.

When the holy family returned to Nazareth from their sojourn in Bethlehem and Egypt, they began to lead a fairly provincial life. Joseph went to work in the carpentry shop while Mary worked at home, raising Jesus and the other children who would come later. Nothing much happened out of the ordinary (as far as we know) until Jesus turned twelve and they traveled to the temple in Jerusalem for the Passover. That's when his parents lost track of him and weren't able to find him for several days. When they finally found him teaching the teachers at the temple, he said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49)

That's the only episode we have in Scripture from the events surrounding his birth until the beginning of his ministry that seems to show that there was something special about this boy. From all accounts, everyone in Nazareth would have just thought of Jesus as a very good boy who obeyed his parents and worked hard with his father as a tekton's apprentice in the family trade. (A tekton was a builder who worked with wood and stone.)

That's why the townspeople in Nazareth were so shocked when Jesus began his ministry in Galilee preaching, teaching, and healing people. "Isn't this Joseph's son, whose father and mother we know?" (John 6:42). "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where did this man get all these things?” (Matt. 13:55,56).

It's also why Nathanael responded the way he did when Philip told him that they had found the Messiah in Nazareth. "Nazareth? Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip's response was simple and to the point. "Come and see."

That's our invitation this Epiphany season as well. Come and see Jesus being baptized by John in the Jordan as he begins his earthly ministry. Come and see him overcoming the devil's temptations in the wilderness. Come and see him turn water into wine in Cana. Come and see him on the mountain peak, as he gives us a peek of his glory. Come and see him descend to the plain, as he sets his face toward Jerusalem and to the cross, to die for our sins and the sins of all the world.

Five years ago I was on a tour of Israel and had opportunity to be in Nazareth to see the massive bronze door at the Church of the Annunciation. It has six main panels that depict scenes from the life of Christ - from his birth, to his baptism, to his ministry, and finally to his death on the cross.

It's too bad that door wasn't there for the local townsfolk to see 2,000 years ago. It might have cleared a few things up for them. But the good news is - it's there for us now. And not just over there in the Holy Land - but right here in the palm of our hand through the Word of God.  During this Epiphany season Jesus is not only the Light, he is also the door - the way to forgiveness, salvation, and life eternal. Come and see!

what will your verse be?

One of my favorite commercials of all time debuted at the Super Bowl in 2014. I'm usually one of those football nerds who just wants to watch the game and mutes the commercials, but this time it was different. This commercial mesmerized me and captured my imagination. I kept hoping they would show it again later on in the game. Since then I have watched it many times.

It was a commercial for the new Apple ipad Air, and it featured the voice of Robin Williams from the movie "Dead Poets Society" along with images of beauty and wonder from around the world. The commercial ends with these words - "the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?"  

The commercial is affective and effective because it combines words and images together in a way that draws you into the story. But it's not just any story. It's not just Apple's story or the world's story. By the end of the commercial you realize that it's actually your story. "The powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?"

I believe the same can be said of Holy Scripture. You begin to read a passage of the Bible thinking that you are reading an old story about someone else. But as you continue to read and reflect, you begin to realize that this is not only God's story or man's story, it is also your story as well. It's about your sin, your grief, your pain, your loss - as well as your forgiveness, your freedom, your redemption, your restoration. 

It's kind of like a Disney Star Wars ride.  At first you think you are just watching a show - and then suddenly you realize that you are in the show as one of the main characters! Instantly you find yourself engaged in the action of a new adventure and a new way of seeing the world. This is what the Bible does to us as well - as we read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest God's Word. The Word of God, the Eternal Logos, Jesus Christ Himself is revealed to us by the power of the Holy Spirit, and pretty soon, God's story becomes our own. It's funny - we think that we're the ones who are reading and interpreting the Bible, but we soon discover that it is really the Bible that is reading and interpreting us.

Martin Luther writes in his explanation to the Third Article of the Creed, “The Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.” 

 This is what Epiphany, "the season of light", is all about. The first words God ever spoke were "Let there be light", and there was light, and it was good. That's how He began and that's what He has been doing ever since - making something out of nothing, bringing light out of darkness, creating life where there was only death. The Apostle Paul writes that "this grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." (2 Tim. 1:9)

One of our liturgies for evening prayer states - "enlighten our darkness by the light of your Christ." That is our prayer this week as Christmas turns to Epiphany - and December turns to January - and a new year and a new decade begin. Epiphany means appearing - revealing - manifesting - making known. It is the time when we take all of the gracious gifts we received during Advent and Christmas and let them shine for all the world to see.

By the light of a star and the light of God's Word, the Epiphany season proclaims that God's salvation in Christ has been manifested and made known to us and to the world. A new year awakens, a new day dawns, and the great and grand story of God's salvation in Christ, the greatest story ever told, begins to play itself out in the church and in the world. And as it does so it becomes our story too, as we are swept up into the divine drama to play our part in the narrative. 

The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be? What part will you play in God's great story of reconciling the world to himself? What are you going to do - now that God has taken care of everything in Christ so you don't need to do anything? Well, the 10 Commandments are a good idea. Your vocation is a good place to start. As Luther famously said, "God doesn't need your good works, but your neighbor does." 

"Now is the time of the Lord's favor. Today is the day of salvation."  (2 Cor. 6:2)

"Arise, shine, your light has come." (Isaiah 60)

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joy to the world at 300

“Sing to the Lord a new song all the earth!” (Psalm 96)

Isaac Watts was a minister and musician in England in the early 1700's, and he thought it was time for the church to have a new song. But he didn’t just come up with one new song; he composed a whole host of them. Known as the “Father of English Hymnody,” he is credited with over 700 hymns, many of which are still in use today. In 1719, he published a collection entitled “The Psalms of David,” a new paraphrase which included a hymn based on Psalm 98. It would become his most famous hymn, especially when it was later paired with a tune by Handel. We know it today as “Joy to the World,” and this year, it turns 300 years old.

Joy to the World; the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King!
Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing.

Joy is the second fruit of the spirit mentioned in Galatians 5 and is also found in many other passages throughout the Scriptures. C.S. Lewis famously said that “joy is the serious business of heaven.” After we believe and receive God’s love for us in Jesus Christ, we are full of joy and gratitude over our newfound faith. But we must also remember that this joy is not just for us; it’s a joy that is meant to be shared with the whole world! Why? Because the Lord himself has come down to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth with the offer of free forgiveness and full salvation for all.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy.

We don’t have to wait until the last day for Jesus to begin his reign. He is ruling and reigning over all things right now and has been ever since his ascension into heaven. That’s why some people have said that this is more of an ascension hymn than a Christmas hymn. And though the whole creation is indeed groaning as it awaits the consummation of all things, it is still full of worship and praise at the glory of its Creator. All creation joins together to repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.

It’s fascinating to think that the thorn, one of the signs of the fall, would also be instrumental in the event that would reverse the curse of the fall: namely, the crown of thorns placed on Jesus’ head before he was crucified at Calvary for the sins of all the world. He wore a crown of thorns so that we might wear a crown of life. He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love.

Truth and Grace: two of the most foundational truths in the whole Bible. Another way for reformation-type folks to say it is, law and gospel. This is what the entire grand story of God’s salvation is all about: the truth about ourselves as sinners and the truth about our gracious God and  love and mercy and compassion towards us in his Son, Jesus Christ. Because of his first advent, we can be full of hope and joy as we await his second advent, when we will, together with all the saints, behold the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love.

Joy to the World, the Lord is Come!

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son of abraham

“Father Abraham had many sons, and many sons had Father Abraham. I am one of them, and so are you, so let’s all praise the Lord.”

Many of us probably remember singing the song, “Father Abraham,” as children in Sunday School, but have we ever really thought about the words? Father Abraham? How am I a son of Abraham? How can we New Testament Christians possibly say that we are sons of Abraham? Well, that’s what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown.

“A wandering Aramean was your father.” That’s how Moses describes Abraham at the end of the book of Deuteronomy (Deut 26:5). He was a wanderer, all right. He traveled all the way from the land of Ur, to Haran, to Canaan, to Egypt, and then back to Canaan. Abraham’s life was full of twists and turns, setbacks and surprises. The biggest surprise of all came when he was nearly 100 years old when God told him that Sarah would bear him a son in her old age. His name would be Isaac, and he would be a child of the promise.

Another surprise came a few years later when God told Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Tim Keller makes the point in a message entitled, “The Story of the Lamb,” that Abraham may not have been as surprised as we think. He would have known that this child was God’s child and that as his firstborn son, God had the right to his life. But Abraham also knew that this was a God who kept his promises. Even if Isaac had to die, his God would have to raise him to life again.

“Father?”
“Yes, my son?”
“The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
“God himself will provide the lamb, my son” (Gen. 22:7-8).

That is exactly what happened. The angel of the Lord (the pre-incarnate Christ) intervened just in time, staying Abraham’s hand and providing a ram for the sacrifice. Abraham called that place Yahweh Yireh, the Lord Will Provide. We know it as Mt. Moriah - the mountain on which the temple of Jerusalem was built - where Jesus would come to die as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world. The Lord will provide, indeed.

“The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me” (Gen 22:15-18).

When he first called Abraham back in Genesis 12, God said that he would bless him to make him a blessing to all people. Now that Abraham passed the test of faith, God again promises to bless him and his descendants, declaring that through Abraham’s offspring, all the nations of the earth would be blessed.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is also the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Rom 8:32).

God spared Abraham’s son, but he did not spare his own Son. He sent his one and only Son down from heaven to earth on a rescue mission to save, deliver, and bless the whole world. This Son was born in Bethlehem, came up out of Egypt, and then grew up in Nazareth. He was baptized by John in the Jordan river and was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. During his three year ministry, he blessed the children, taught the crowds, healed the sick, and raised the dead.

Finally, the time of testing came for him, and this Son of Abraham obediently picked up the wood and marched up the hill. But this time, there was no ram in the bramble bush to take his place of sacrifice. Instead, Jesus himself is the sacrificial lamb who dies to take away the sins of all the world. In him, all the nations of the earth will be blessed. In him, as adopted sons of Abraham, we are blessed.

As you read the Christmas story from Matthew this year, may I suggest that you begin at the beginning?

“A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matt 1:1).

"Father Abraham had many sons, and many sons had Father Abraham. I am one of them, and so are you, so let’s all praise the Lord!

Blessed Advent and Merry Christmas!

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back in time

There are certain dates that are emblazoned into our collective memory:

Dec. 7, 1941 - the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Nov. 22, 1963 - the assassination of JFK.
Sept. 11, 2001 - the collapse of the Twin Towers.

Everyone remembers exactly where they were when these tragedies took place. I remember my dad talking to us about Pearl Harbor, and telling us how he heard the news as his family was returning home from church on Sunday afternoon. I distinctly remember the morning of 9/11 being a bright and beautiful fall day as several of us drove to a circuit pastors meeting in rural Kansas. The radio was off, and the conversation was hearty, so we didn’t find out what happened until we arrived at the church later that morning.

It’s almost as if these moments are captured and frozen in time, indelibly inscribed upon our memory. Earth-shattering events like these have a powerful impact on us at the time that they happen, but they also have a way of haunting us as they shape and mold our world for generations to come. There’s always a part of us that wonders, “Why did it have to happen in the first place?”

What if there was a way to go back and change history? What if someone was able to come in from the outside to change things for the better?

That’s the premise of Stephen King’s 2011 novel, 11-22-63. The story is centered around a teacher named Jake Epping, who unwittingly finds a time-travel portal in the closet of a local diner. He and the diner owner get together and concoct a plan to travel back in time to stop Lee Harvey Oswald and save President John F. Kennedy’s life. There are many misadventures along the way, but eventually, Jake completes his mission and becomes a national hero (for a while at least).

Interestingly, JFK was not the only national figure who died on November 11, 1963. Though his death certainly took up most of the headlines, the acclaimed writers C.S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley also died that day as well. All three men were well known at the time, but for very different reasons. They were all diametrically opposed to one another in philosophy, outlook, and worldview. Kennedy was a secular humanist, Huxley was an atheist, and Lewis was a Christian apologist. And yet they all sought to answer the question: “What if someone was able to come in from the outside to change things for the better?”

In 1944, Aldous Huxley wrote a novel called, Time Must Have A Stop. It is a story about a young poet named Sebastian, who is living the high life on holiday in Florence with his rich atheist uncle. When his uncle unexpectedly dies, Sebastian resorts to thievery and ends up selling one of his uncle’s paintings to get by. Consumed by guilt over what he has done, he seeks out another relative for help, his distant cousin Bruno, a religious bookstore owner. Bruno is able to help him get back the painting that he had stolen but at a high cost to him and his life. Transformed by Bruno’s sacrifice, Sebastian embarks on his own spiritual journey by the end of the book.

In 1943, C.S.Lewis published, Perelandra, the second book in his popular Space Trilogy. Dr. Edwin Ransom travels to Perelandra (or Venus) at the behest of the ruler of Malacandra (or Mars), whom Ransom encountered in the first book of the series, Out Of The Silent Planet.

Ransom’s mission is to counter an attack on Perelandra by the ruler of Thulcandra, or Earth. This satanic attack on the paradise of Perelandra is like Satan vs. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, except on a different planet. Ransom eventually takes on a man named Weston, who has traveled there to do the Tempter’s bidding and lure the innocent king and queen of the planet into iniquity. Ransom (as the Christ figure) finally does battle with Weston and defeats him in mortal combat, leaving Perelandra pure and unstained by sin.

So what if there was a way to change history? What if someone was able to come in from the outside to change things for the better?

As it turns out, that’s exactly what happened. It is in the life, death, and resurrection of the God/Man, Jesus Christ, that the curse is reversed, every evil is undone, and everything sad finally comes untrue. It is indeed the one true myth – the one event that seems too good to be true – yet still actually is.

It all happened in real-time, in a real place, to real people. And the best part? It still happens for us today as we come to him in faith and gather around his word and his supper, and as we join together with all the saints in every time and place, from every tribe and nation who surround the throne saying, “Blessing and honor and glory and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen!”

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