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CHRIST’S PASSION - A STORY OF HATRED AND LOVE |
I am sure there are numerous times that you and I as Christians have asked the question: "Why did Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Man, suffer and die on the cross?" The Bible makes it clear that He did it in payment for "our sin" and the "sin of the whole world." Christ’s Passion History makes this truth crystal clear.
If we want to be a little more specific, we might even mention the ugly sin of "hatred." We’ve all known hatred. We’ve read of it. We’ve seen it. We’ve experienced it. We’ve even been guilty of it. None of us is immune from hatred. There are times when children in anger and disgust have displayed hatred toward their parent/s, siblings and others. There are times when parents lose their temper and express hateful words or actions toward their children. There are times when we express hateful feelings toward those who have hurt us, humiliated us or cut us down unmercifully. In short, you and I and all people have added our share to Christ’s Passion by our sins and our hatreds. Our sins and the sins of the whole world made it necessary for Jesus to suffer death on those painful planks of perdition on the cross.
While it is our sinfulness and our sins that helped drive Jesus to the cross, it was Christ’s divine love for us sinners that kept Him on the cross. We remember how that angry and hateful mob taunted Jesus while He was hanging on His cross. They ridiculed Him, shaking their heads and saying: "Save yourself, if you are God’s Son, and come down from the cross." Believe me, Jesus—the true God-Man—did not remain on the cross because He was powerless to remove the nails that kept Him riveted to the cross. LOVE kept Him there..
It was Divine love that moved Him to pray for the hateful mob: "Father, forgive them: they don’t know what they are doing." It was Divine love that moved Him to say to the penitent thief on the cross: "Today you will be with Me in Paradise." It was Divine love that moved Jesus to comfort His mother who was standing near to John by saying:: "Woman, there is your son!"and to place the care of His mother into the hands of John by saying to him: "There is your mother!" It was Divine love that moved Jesus to suffer the eternal torments of hell for us sinners while hanging on His cross when He said: "My God, My God, why did You forsake Me?" To be forsaken of God is to suffer the torments of hell.
It was Divine love that motivated every act of Jesus, His miracles, His compassion for people, His prayers, His preaching and teaching, and His sinless life that He offered into death willingly on the cross of Calvary to redeem us dyed-in-the-wool, bred in the bone and death destined and hell bound sinners.
Because of His perfect love for our sinful human race, all who believe in Christ Jesus are now forgiven of all their sins—including their sins of hatred. They can now serve the Lord with a peaceful conscience until they reach the eternal peace of Paradise. They can now live in peace with family members, friends and others as the love of Jesus motivates them to love others—especially by telling them of God’s saving love for them in Jesus Christ.
In Christ Jesus,
Rev. David V. Dissen,
Lutheran Chapel of Hope
903 College Hill Pl.
PO Box 1465, Cape Girardeau, MO 637602
Telephone: Home: 573-334-5736 Cell: 573-837-0969
Campus Website: www.lutheransonline.com/chapelofhope | |
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CHRIST’S CROSS IS A SYMBOL OF SIN AND GRACE |
Today, February 17, 2010 is Ash Wednesday. It is the beginning of the Lenten Season in which our focus centers on the Passion History of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His ultimate death on those terrible timbers of torture, the Cross of Calvary, where He suffered and died to make full payment for all your sins, my sins, and the sins of all people.
Most people today don’t like to think or talk about "sin" or even mention that word. When did you last hear the word "sin" used on campus? Pastors who are "people pleasers" seldom mention "sin" in their sermons or Bible Classes. They don’t want to offend people. Sin never has been a popular subject. 21st century society is quick to place "any other label" on sin except "sin" such as "Errors in judgment" ... "Bad choices"... "Minor mistakes" ..."Slip ups" ..."Goofs" ... "Flaws in character" ... and "Different life-styles."
Today people use euphemisms to avoid mentioning "sin." "Open immorality" and "flagrant violations of God’s Holy Commandments" are nothing more than "freeing us from mid-victorian hang-ups." "Homosexuality and lesbianism" are nothing more than being "gay." Indulging sexual lust by "hooking up" with someone is nothing more than "free love."
If we Christians have not committed any of these flagrant sins, then what about the sins of gossip, backbiting, family fights, cheating in the classroom, so called little ‘white-lies’ etc. We all commit sin because we are all sinners. King Solomon said in his prayer at the Dedication of the Temple: "There is no one who does not sin." (2 Chronicles 6,36)
None of us can cover our sins and hide them from the just punishment of God. The fig leaves that Adam and Eve used after committing the first sin didn’t work. They couldn’t cover their sin and shame from God. But God covered their sin "His way"when he killed an animal and covered them with the skin (Gen. 3,21). God shed blood out of His love for rebellious Adam and Eve. The repeated shedding of blood of Old Testament sacrificial animals never could pay for the sin of human beings. Instead, this shedding of blood pointed forward to the time when Christ’s holy blood would be shed on Calvary as the once, perfect all sufficient sacrifice for the sins of all people of all time. Hebrews 10,10 tells us that we "have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus once for all."
God the Holy Spirit not only invites us to believe this Good News. He also creates in us the faith to believe it for the salvation of our souls. When God’s Word shows us our sins, when our conscience condemns us and we penitently confess our sins to God, we have God’s unbreakable promise that the holy blood of Christ shed on the cross in payment for all our sins not only covers but also washes them all away. Trusting in Jesus Christ, we are now clean, holy and righteous in the sight of God. God’s Word assures us that there is forgiveness for everyone by faith in the crucified Christ. In Christ, we—the doomed and damned—are now changed into the saved and the redeemed. We Christians love this clear message of Lent.
In Christ Jesus,
Rev. David V. Dissen,
Lutheran Chapel of Hope
903 College Hill Pl
PO Box 1465
Cape Girardeau, MO 63702
Tel: Home: 573-334-5736 Cell: 573-837-0969
Chapel Website: www.lutheransonline.com/chapelofhope | |
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ALMOST BUT NOT QUITE |
It has occurred thousands of times that something "almost but not quite" has happened! It happens in our lives. It happens in the lives of others.
"Almost but not quite" the St. Louis Cardinals advanced in the 2009 Post Season Play-Offs—that is, until Matt Holliday attempted but dropped what seemed to be an easy catch of a line drive. The Cards lost the game. That eventually ended their post-season play.
"Almost but not quite" Lot’s wife made it out of Sodom when she was fleeing this wicked city with her husband and their two daughters—that is, until she turned around and looked once again at this idolatrous and ungodly city in direct disobedience to God’s command and was turned into a pillar of salt. Read about it in Genesis 19.
"Almost but not quite" St. Paul ended up being put to death by more than forty men who had made a solemn vow that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul (Acts 23). But, as has often been said, "walls have ears." God intervened. A nephew of Paul heard about this murderous plot. He went straight to the barracks where Paul was staying. He told Paul what he had heard. Paul sent his nephew with one of the centurions to the commander. Thereupon, the commander ordered Paul’s nephew to keep silent and arranged for Paul, under the cover of darkness, to be brought to Felix the governor.
"Almost but not quite" King Agrippa, before whom Paul appeared to defend his faith in Jesus Christ, was persuaded to become a Christian by Paul’s proclamation of the Gospel to him and his wife Bernice. King Agrippa told Paul: "You almost persuade me to become a Christian." As far as we know neither Agrippa or his wife ever made a personal confession of faith in Jesus Christ. If that is true, then both of them departed this life damned to an eternity in hell. The Bible says: "he who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
Only God knows how many outwardly respectable people that we know, both on and off campus, both in Cape or back home where you live, will not be in heaven! Why? It’s because they were too proud to confess their sins, repent of them and be led by the Holy Spirit to confess: "Jesus loved me and all sinners. He died for my sins that I might live eternally."
"Almost but not quite" did I get that passing grade that I wanted or that job for which I applied or something else. Yes, "almost but not quite"may apply in many things in our life but how grateful we are that the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are not for us who believe in Jesus Christ an "almost but not quite" occurrence. By the power of His Word, God has opened our eyes to turn us from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that we have forgiveness of sins and the inheritance of heaven by His gift of faith in Jesus Christ. May we always trust in the saving merits of Jesus Christ & rejoice in our salvation.
In Christ Jesus,
Rev. David V. Dissen, Rev. 2,10b
Lutheran Chapel of Hope
903 College Hill Pl
PO Box 1465, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702
Tel: 573-334-5736 Cell: 573-837-0969
Website: www.lutheransonline.com/chapelofhope
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