Preparing for Easter (Part 1)

Easter really snuck up on me this year. I have a few excuses for why, but I am not sure that is really important. What is important is that I reflect on Easter before it is completely over.

This week I tried to imagine I was there for the last week of Jesus' life: the sights, the smells, the emotions. I don't know if there is anything special about doing this, but I have found it important for me this year to really get in the right place leading up to Easter. Let me explain a little bit about how my thinking has been this week.

Palm Sunday- Jesus entered into Jerusalem on a donkey, a specific donkey that fulfilled a prophecy. The crowds shouted, "Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest." "Lord Save Me!" Ironically in just a week the crowds, many of the same people, would be shouting something quite different. But a book I am reading by Shane Claiborne, put it in a new perspective for me. We are like the donkey that brought Jesus into town. Our job, our role in this life is to bring Jesus to the people. And at first we hear the shouts and the commotion, and we are like, "that's cool, these people are getting it. They understand how amazing Jesus is." After a while we start to think that the shouts and the crowds and the noise is for us. "They really like me." "I must be pretty special." When really we are just the ones commissioned to bring Jesus to the world. It's not about us, it's about Jesus.

Tuesday- I didn't know if anything special happened on the Tuesday of Holy Week, but I was reading in Mark 14 the other day and I found the story of the woman who dumped perfume on Jesus. She entered where Jesus was dinning at Simon the Leper's house with His disciples and she breaks an alabaster jar of expensive perfume over his head. Some complained that she wasted something expensive that could have been given to the poor, but Jesus argued that what she did was a great offering. She was preparing His body for burial, she was cherishing the few moments she had left with the Son of God on earth.

I was challenged by this....do I truly cherish the time I spend with Jesus. Do I soak it in, do I truly treasure time with my God. Imagine the smell that would immediately fill the room where the odor of the perfume was released. It would have been so strong that no one could deny its presence. No one could act as if it were not there. It dominated everything else going on in that room. I want my devotion, my desire for my God to completely permeate and dominate every nook and cranny of my life....so that no one can deny how madly in love I am with Jesus Christ. Jesus finished the scene by declaring that wherever the Gospel will be told, her legacy will also be told...but its not about her, its about the King she anointed, the King who was about to commit the greatest act of love the world had ever or would ever see.

I Celebrate the Day...

I won't lie...I absolutely love Christmas. Some people make fun of me because I start listening to Christmas music on November 1st. Maybe this is a little bit too early, but hey I love Christmas!

The traditions of Christmas are so much fun. Christmas lights, cookies, Christmas specials on tv, Christmas movies, music, snowmen....ok maybe not in Arizona. But the season has just a joy about it that I completely love.

But the reason I most enjoy Christmas is because of Jesus. In fact, its all about Jesus. God came down to our level, God the father sent His Son on Christmas......or actually in the spring, but we celebrate it on December 25th. God's ultimate plan for our redemption, was put into action when a virgin who was pledged to be married to a carpenter, found out she was pregnant. The baby was from the Holy Spirit and was going to be the fulfillment of all the prophesies, yes the Messiah was coming. Mary treasured all the events of Jesus' life in her heart, and Joseph was obedient to God even when he didn't completely understand what was going on.

Salvation came down in the form of a baby, who was born in a most humble way. There was no room for Him in the inn. No room for the Messiah, the Savior of the World in the inn. Have you thought about how ironic this is? Is there room for Jesus in your Christmas this year? Or is it just too full with finals, shopping, hustle and bustle? Jesus was born and the angels in heaven went wild! They appeared to some lowly shepherds who were out with their flocks in the nearby country side. It was a quiet peaceful night, and ironically (once again), angels interrupted the peace of the night with news of peace for all mankind! The Savior is born in Bethlehem and he will be for all people! All people, not just the rich, or the educated, or the jews; for all the people! For you and for me. Joy to the world, everything is different for all time. The redemption of our sinful lives has come. And 30 some years later it would culminate in the sacrifice of this pure, spotless lamb....the bread without levin. Jesus was crucified, sacrificed on our behalf and on the third day he rose. And death was defeated once and for all for those who believe. So, I celebrate the day that He was born to die, so that one day I might pray for Him to save my life (Relient K). Merry Christmas! -Matt

A side order of Grace please!

One of the most amazing things about grace is that no matter how badly I mess up, or how often I fail, God's grace never wears out.  I can't use up my quota of His Grace, and that is a very refreshing fact to hear.  And that Grace isn't just amazing, it is enough.  When life is nothing but a storm and I have nothing but problems, Your Grace is sufficient for me.  When I've burned bridges and trashed friendships, Your Grace is sufficient for me.  When I feel all alone, Your Grace is sufficient.  Sufficient means enough, just enough.  No more than needed and no less than needed.  The perfect amount.  There is nothing like a coffee drink that has just the right amount of coffee, milk and flavoring:  too much flavoring and its too sweet; too much coffee and it's too strong; too much milk and it is too bland.  The perfect combination of ingredients makes for the perfect refreshment.  God's grace is the perfect combination of love, forgiveness, mercy and goodness.  Ahhhh, that's good!

1st Blog

I decided to create a blog to reflect on the different things I talk about in Ka'os (jr. high at the Grove).  This is mainly for parents that are curious and students who either missed a talk or want to go deeper.

Last night we talked about Hebrews 2:1-4 and the author of Hebrews' warning not to drift away in your faith.  This reminded me of a time during spring break of my Jr. year of college, when I went on a mission's trip to Gales point in Belize, Central America.  On our last day of the trip we had a chance to go snorkeling off the shore of the 2nd biggest barrier reef in the world.  Second only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.  The boat dropped anchor and we all dove in with our snorkeling gear.  I thought I was a good enough swimmer to go without a life jacket, but I found out right away that the current was too much for my average swimming skills.  All the Caribbean fish, nurse sharks and rays were pretty cool, but I was getting tired very fast.  Finally our instructor called us all back to the boat, so I began to leisurely swim back to the boat.  I swam and swam, then stopped and looked up.  I was further from the boat than when i started!!  So I decided to swim a little faster and harder.  After 30 seconds I looked up again.....I had barely made any progress.  The current was pushing me backwards at a rate almost as fast as I could swim myself.  After a good 20 minute struggle, I finally made it back to the boat...exhausted, my lungs burning with the salt water, I flopped onto the deck of the boat much like the fish I had seen in the ocean.

Our group's leader, Liz, was not as fortunate.  She couldn't make it back to the boat no matter how hard she tried (she was smart enough to wear a life jacket by the way.)  Finally our instructor had to jump to rescue Liz.  As he swam back with Liz under his arm, pure exhaustion and relief were evident on her face.

It is very easy to drift away in our faith.  If we focus on the things of this world that are fleeting and in the long run don't mean much, such as popularity, image, fame; we may find our selves not where we want to be in our walk with Christ.  Our relationship with Jesus needs to take priority.  Through the muck and the business of life, Jesus must remain our focus, our top priority, our everything.  As verse 2 and 3 reminds us...without Jesus we would still be stuck in our sins and still be facing the consequence for them.

So keep swimming towards that boat....put your head down and dig as fast as you can swim.  God has dropped anchor and is waiting for you to swim back to the boat.  And when you get tired, his arms will wrap around you and swim you the rest of the way.

-Matt