John 20:19-25

“When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’” vss. 22-23

John combines elements of Luke’s Pentecost story and Matthew’s Great Commission in telling this account of Jesus’ post-resurrection encounter with his disciples. His words are carefully chosen and tell us plainly that the dynamic energy of the Church comes directly from the Risen Jesus through the Holy Spirit. The image of Jesus breathing on the disciples is precious and calls to mind his conversation with Nicodemus in the darkness. The Spirit truly is the wind of God blowing where it wills and surprising us with unexpected energy and power.

And the words he speaks to them are the central message of the gospel! There is nothing more important to the quality of our lives than the sure and certain knowledge that our sins are forgiven. It’s the most important message the Church can give to seekers and deserves to be highlighted in every Christian worship service. Only with forgiveness can we stop being fixated on our brokenness and begin to have hope for restoration and healing. 

Sadly, because forgiveness is so precious, unscrupulous religious leaders have contrived to use it to manipulate behavior, and some even figured out how to monetize it. Still, our misuse has not destroyed its value, and it continues to be the balm that heals our deepest wounds. Praise God!

Thought for the Day: How has forgiveness been manipulated?

1 Peter 1:6-9

“Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy…” vs. 8

Even though these words were written to people living two thousand years ago they offer a precise fit for our situation. We have not seen the Risen Christ and yet we love him. We feast on his words and study his parables, believing that the new life he offers is what our broken world needs. Our spirits are restored by his sweet gift of forgiveness and the power of his love. Even though we do not see him, we know in our hearts what he has done for us. So of course we love him, and more than that we believe in him, trusting that what he has said and done is more than enough for our salvation.

It really is remarkable that we could have such profound faith in one whom we have never seen. It didn’t happen immediately for Thomas–in fact he wanted proof. But the gospel writer John put it well, “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have come to believe that Jesus is the Christ.” When that happens, and it’s not a rare event, Peter says that believers rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, and many know exactly what that means. 

It really is a blessing to have faith and to live securely in these confusing times. We have a Risen Lord, a constant source of peace and joy.

Thought for the Day: When do I feel the deepest peace?

1 Peter 1:3-5

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..” vs. 3

This little letter was probably sent from the Christian community in Rome and carried the name of Peter, who Roman Catholics regard as the first pope. It’s addressed to the large community of believers living in Asia Minor, present day Turkey. Most of them, a mixture of Jews and Greeks, had likely come to faith some years before as the result of Paul’s missionary journey through this region. Peter starts his letter with a blessing directed to God, through whom believers had received a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Because belief in the resurrection has been reinforced by the use of the Apostles’ Creed through the centuries it’s hard to comprehend just what a radical teaching this was. Think of it! These people had come to believe in one generation that death was not the end and that resurrection awaited all the faithful. It was mind-boggling!

And that same hope now belongs to us, and we celebrated it with enthusiasm just last Sunday. The call and response comes easily to us as we worship, “Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!” We know what that means. And blessed are those for whom it is the center of faith!

Thought for the Day: How do I describe my resurrection hope?

Psalm 16:7-11

“You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” vs. 11

The psalmist was sold on the Lord. He had no regrets about casting his lot with the Creator and Sustainer of life. We can rightly assume that he took every opportunity available for singing praises in worship and that he gladly brought his offerings to the altar. That’s how it is when we live in the Lord.

In our communities of faith we will find many who will know exactly how the psalmist felt because they too have been convinced in Christ they have found the path of life. They’re living as they want to live, regularly feeding their spirits, and walking in the Way of Jesus. They daily see and experience the presence of the Holy Spirit and cannot imagine that life could be any better for them. This does not mean that their lives are perfect. We will always see and experience brokenness. But even with the imperfections we can certainly know the fullness of joy. 

No wonder the psalmist reported that with God there was pleasure, not the kind of pleasure that is often confused with self-indulgence. But this is pleasure that comes from an awareness of being blessed. It’s a good life, the best life, and since it’s a complete gift from God, we don’t need to ever fear that it could be taken away. “Goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives.” 

Thought for the Day: What gives me pleasure?

Psalm 16:1-6

“The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.” vss. 5-6

The psalmist was thrilled with his life and he gave all the credit to God. Not only did he have a goodly heritage, he lived in a pleasant place. We don’t know if he was rich or poor but it’s obvious that he was content. He had enough! It’s wonderful when life turns out like this, and many know exactly what the psalmist means. While there are some in our country who live in poverty, often for reasons beyond their control, most folks have plenty. We live in a prosperous land with all the conveniences and privileges that we could possibly want. 

But in spite of all that, unhappiness and discontent are rampant. Anger and bitterness have become our common currency and we regularly bemoan our situation in life. It really is a curious thing! Some believe that the reason has to do with a lack of connection to the Lord.  Mother Theresa, after visiting America, observed that Western wealthy nations were wracked by spiritual poverty, and it could be that she was exactly right.

We read in First Timothy that “godliness with contentment is great gain,”  When the Lord is our chosen portion, everything else falls into place. The external circumstances of our lives will vary, but those who are right with God will have nothing to complain about.

Thought for the Day: What is a goodly heritage?

Acts 2:14a, 22-24

“But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.” vs. 24

Luke reports that Peter assumed leadership of the little community of believers in Jerusalem and summarizes the content of his teaching in just a few paragraphs. Here Peter addresses those he calls Israelites, those Jews living in Judea and in Galilee who were familiar with Jesus. He doesn’t pull punches and accuses them of having killed Jesus by the hand of the Romans even though they were aware of the wonders and signs that he had done. And then Peter boldly asserts that it was impossible for Jesus to have been held in death’s power, and that God had raised him up. These words remind us of Paul’s words of assurance in Romans 8:38-39. “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is one of the great promises of the Christian faith. Indeed, it’s impossible to even calculate the peace and comfort believers have received from these words of grace that have been a part of the Church’s testimony from the beginning. Death simply has no power over us! It’s an enemy that need not be feared. How do we know this? Well, Jesus not only told us, he lived it!

Thought for the Day: How does it feel to not fear death?

Matthew 28:1-10

“But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” vss. 5-6

Each of the four gospels have different accounts of Jesus’ resurrection, but there are two things that they have in common. First, each of them features an empty tomb! The body of Jesus is nowhere to be seen! And second, the first to discover that the tomb was empty were Jesus’ female disciples! Beyond those common factors there are multiple differences among the gospels. There seems to have been no way to capture the wonder of the resurrection in a single report! And the differences are what add credibility to the testimony of the gospel writers! We would be suspicious if everyone described the indescribable in exactly the same way. The story reeks of authenticity! Whatever happened on that Sunday morning so many years ago, we can be confident of this: something happened! And the world has never been the same since. That improbable, unexpected tale has found its way into human hearts, and quite literally has changed the course of history. The empty tomb is the perfect corollary to the cross, and together they provide all we need for a complete and comprehensive faith. Through the death of Jesus and his resurrection we have forgiveness and hope. To put it simply, the past does not define our future! Alleluia!

Thought for the Day: How have women impacted my faith?

Romans 6:3-11

“Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” vs. 4

The disciples of Jesus were very familiar with the practice of baptism. The gospel of John hints that, like Jesus, at least a couple of them had been baptized by John the Baptist. That was a particular kind of baptism, a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and it had been a good thing. So it’s not surprising that as they carried out his great commission, that they also baptized people who wished to be his followers. But baptism had now changed. It wasn’t so much connected with repentance and forgiveness as with inclusion into the Body of Christ. 

That’s why Paul tells the Romans that they had been buried with Christ by baptism into death. Paul wasn’t so much concerned with the things that Jesus had said. For him the gospel was centered on the cross, and in particular, Jesus’ death and burial. For him that’s what baptism did–it was a dying with Christ and a burial so that we too might be raised up and live a new life. 

Perhaps that’s a good thing for us to think about on this Holy Saturday. Jesus is in the grave, and so are we! We’ve been buried with him in baptism, and tomorrow we will rise with him. His resurrection is ours!

Thought for the Day: How do I experience new life?

Psalm 22

“The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.” vss. 26-27

Psalm 22 is familiar to most believers because it begins with the words Jesus uttered from the cross, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” According to Mark and Matthew these are the only words Jesus spoke as pain increased and death drew near. They’re a reminder for us that at the end of his life Jesus experienced alienation from God and deep despair. Not surprisingly many find in these words a point of connection with Jesus in their own suffering.

That’s why it’s important to remember that Psalm 22 didn’t end with a cry of pain and forsakenness. Indeed, among its concluding verses are these triumphant words of hope for all the earth. The story of salvation may have begun with a dying Jesus, but that’s not how it ends. And that’s how the story continues. Each of us will have many dark days in our lives, times when we feel estranged from one another and from God, but we have a God who is able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. One day the poor shall eat and be satisfied and our hearts will live forever. 

Good Friday is always followed by Easter, even when it doesn’t feel like it!

Thought for the Day: A time when hope has rescued me.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

“…the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” vss. 23-24

It’s very likely that these words from Jesus have been quoted more often than any other. They’re known as the Words of Institution and no celebration of the Holy Eucharist can be complete without their being said. What is particularly interesting is that these words do not come from the gospels, but from the letter of Paul to the Corinthians. Paul doesn’t often quote Jesus and mentions his teachings rarely, but he passed on these words to his readers as having come straight to him from the Lord. Since Paul wrote his letters before the gospels were written, these words represent for us a precious and ancient connection to Jesus.

In fact it can be argued that the Words of Institution have served to make Holy Communion the most unifying ritual in the Church. Here we gather weekly around the Table of the Lord to celebrate God’s love for humanity and proclaim our love for one another. Each time we receive the bread and the wine we remember the unbroken line of believers that dates all the way back to that Maundy Thursday Passover meal. Even through times of division and persecution this time of eating and drinking has survived, and tonight, in this moment of  turmoil and confusion, the legacy continues. Bon Appetit!

Thought for the Day: What do I remember as I eat and drink?