May 31:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS LIFE.
"Lazarus, come forth."  The man who had died came forth.--John 11:43, 44

I often go to the cemetery to bring flowers to my parents' tomb and to meditate on the blessings I have received from God through them.  They rest in a beautiful section of the park, surrounded by flowers and trees.  On special holidays, such as Mother's Day, Christmas, and Thanksgiving, many people come to honor their loved ones.  I dare to imagine what that cemetery will look like on the day of the second coming of Jesus.  I imagine beautiful scenes of angels reuniting families, just like in some of the paintings I have seen.  I can't wait!

As Jesus makes His way to the tomb, the narrator reminds us that Lazarus had been dead for four days (John 11:39).  This is an important detail because, unlike the biblical teaching, there was a popular belief that the soul of the dead lingered around the tomb for three days and left for good only on the fourth day.  The scene includes a tomb, a stone against it, the sister of the deceased, the fact that four days have gone by, the warning that the body is decomposing, and that there might have been a stench (verses 38, 39).  As if Jesus had not noticed all these signs of death, He gives the outrageous order: "Remove the stone" (verse 39).  Excuse me?  Why would anyone want to do that?  Perhaps Jesus wants to see His friend one last time...but that's not the reason.  "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" (verse 40).  Believe, Martha!   Believe Elizabeth!  Believe, John!  Believe!  "When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth' " (verse 43).  Lazarus, come out!  Life Himself is calling you!  And Lazarus came out!  Many say that Jesus called Lazarus by name because otherwise everyone buried in that cemetery would have come out.  Life Himself was calling the dead, and death could not resist Life.  But this was too big of a sign.  "So from that day on they [the council of priests and Pharisees] planned together to kill Him" (verse 53).  In the Gospel of John, this is the trigger for the death of Jesus.  Jesus gave His life to give Lazarus life.  Literally.  In more than one sense, Jesus died so Lazarus could live.  And He died so that my loved ones and yours may live.  He is the Life!  Believe!

My Response:__________________________________________________________

May 30:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS COMPASSION.
Jesus wept.--John 11:35

Compassion: "A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering." *  I'm sure you have felt it.  I have, with tears in my eyes attending a funeral, visiting someone in the hospital, or watching the news.  Oh, the pain and sorrow of watching parents say goodbye to their children, or the urgency with which we want to alleviate a loved one's suffering, and the powerlessness we feel at our utter inability to change the circumstances.

But Jesus was not powerless, so why did He weep?  Good question!  After talking with Mary, Jesus asks where they have laid Lazarus (John 11:28-34).  The next verse is the shortest verse in the Bible: "Jesus wept" (verse 35).  This Greek verb is different from the verb for weep used elsewhere in this story.  The others are mourning loudly; Jesus is weeping quietly (This term is used only here in the entire New Testament.)  He is moved by everyone's sorrow.  He knows what He is about to do, yet He is touched by the suffering of humanity.  The Jews interpreted the tears of Jesus as the expression of His love (verse 36), and it was.  His tender care for the mourners was evident; but this was not the only reason He cried.  Jesus knew that pain was the result of sin; much suffering had been caused by God's enemy.  In my favorite book (aside from the Bible), The Desire of Ages, we read that at that moment, "He saw that in the history of the world, beginning with the death of Abel, the conflict between good and evil had been unceasing.  Looking down the years to come, He saw the suffering and sorrow, tears and death, that were to be the lot of men.  His heart was pierced with the pain of the human family of all ages and in all lands.  The woes of the sinful race were heavy upon His soul, and the fountain of His tears was broken up as He longed to relieve all their distress." **  Yes, Jesus wept for us!  Jesus feels compassion and is touched by our suffering, even though He knows that soon He is going to eliminate death, sickness, and evil, once and for all (Revelation 21:4).  Be encouraged!  Jesus wins!

My Response:___________________________________________________________
* Dictionary.com, s,v, "compassion (n)," accessed April 12, 2019, http://www.dictionary.com/browse/compassion?s=t.
** Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1940, 517.

May 29:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS PERSPECTIVE.
"Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep."--John 11:11

I distinctly remember the progression of my prayers.  My father was very sick with cancer; the doctors had done all they could but now had sent him home to await the inevitable.   His faith in Jesus was unshaken, and he was ready.  I sent out Facebook messages asking for prayers, that God may grant peace and healing, according to His will.  And the days went by, acknowledging that God was imparting supernatural peace, I sent out prayer requests for God's healing or for His mercy to let my dad sleep, once and for all.  Death came as a relief for two reasons: the evil one could no longer bother him with pain, and my dad's death is temporary, until the resurrection day.

After His apparent delay, following the news of Lazarus's illness, Jesus finally told His disciples: "Let us go to Judea again" (John 11:7).  His disciples reminded Him that the Jews had been seeking to stone Him, and Jesus responded by talking about day and night, and light and darkness (verses 8-10).  The night symbolizes the absence of Jesus; He is the Light of the world.  It was still day--but not for long.  Then Jesus made a startling announcement: "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep" (verse 11).  As usual in this Gospel, they misunderstand what He is saying and respond to His literal words: OK, then, if he is asleep, he will recover.  Of course, Jesus had spoken of Lazarus's death.  Up to the Christian Era, fear of death was paralyzing and widespread.  People were terrified by the very thought of death and the unknown surrounding it.  When Jesus died and conquered death, He radically changed the way His followers speak about death.  It is no longer a terrifying event but a sweet sleep instead.  The deceased, including my mother and father, are resting in a sweet sleep, awaiting the resurrection morning when they will hear a loud Voice calling them out of their tombs, just as Lazarus heard (verse 43).  What a difference Jesus' perspective makes when a loved one dies!  We have assurance because He conquered death!

My Response:_________________________________________________________

May 28:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS INTERRUPTION.
When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, "Do not weep."--Luke 7:13

I have referred to this story many times in funerals and memorial services.  Oh, how I wish that every one of those gatherings would have been interrupted by Jesus, the way this funeral was.  And oh, how thankful I am that it is only a matter of time until Jesus will interrupt the death of all of His children and will command them to rise!  And they will come out of their tombs!  I can't wait!

This story takes place in Nain, a village about six miles southeast of Nazareth.  Jesus, accompanied by a large crowd, is approaching the village.  As they got to the gate, another crowd is coming out in order to bury a young man outside of the city gate, as was the custom.  The two crowds meet: an excited crowd (Luke 7:11) and a mourning crowd (verse 12).  Can you imagine a widow losing her only source of financial and emotional support?  Her whole world came crashing down.  This is why it seems strange that Jesus would say to her: "Do not weep" (verse 13).  Why shouldn't she weep?  All her hopes and dreams had died together with her son; she couldn't imagine life without him.  But she didn't realize that Jesus was the Life, victorious over death!  Then Jesus does something unimaginable: he touches the untouchable.  "He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt" (verse 14).  Imagine the funeral procession: the woman crying, the coffin holding her precious son, and the crowd accompanying her in the saddest of journeys.  Suddenly, Jesus does something totally inappropriate--he touches the casket--and the coffin bearers come to a halt.  They hear the voice of Jesus: "Young man, I say to you, arise!  The dead man sat up and began to speak" (verses 14, 15).  In this story, like in ours, Jesus directs his feelings and actions to the suffering person: the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, He spoke to her, and He gave the young man back to her.  Jesus knows and understands our pain.  He has compassion for our grieving hearts.  Soon He will interrupt the death sleep of our loved ones, and we will hear His words: Arise!  I can't wait for that blessed interruption!

My Response:__________________________________________________________

May 27:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS DOMINION.
And He said to them, "Go!"  And they came out.--Matthew 8:32

I was speechless as I read the headline in the Telegraph: "Cannibal tribe apologizes for eating Methodists." *  The August 16, 2007 article went on:  "A tribe in Papua New Guinea has apologized for killing and eating four 19th century missionaries....Thousands of villagers attended a reconciliation ceremony near Rabaul, the capital of East New Britain province, once notorious for the ferocity of its cannibals."  This article was a sobering reminder of the ultimate price paid by dozens of missionaries who ventured into unfriendly regions with the gospel.

Jesus often entered territories where no one else would go.  "When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possesed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs.  They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way" (Matthew 8:28).  No one could pass that way, except Jesus, whose complete dominion over evil forces is highlighted in this account.  Jesus had demonstrated power over disease, nature, and now demons, who immediately recognize Jesus' true identity as "Son of God" (verse 29).  The demons, knowing the authoritative power of Jesus over them, request permission to go into a herd of swine, which eventually "perished in the waters" (see verse 32).  Jesus' dominion over evil forces is portrayed in one authoritative word: "Go!"  And the demons went.  And it is striking to me, that with all His power and dominion over the spiritual realms, Jesus does not force His Presence upon the human heart: "They [the whole city] implored Him to leave their region" (verse 34).  And He left.  The demons implored Jesus for permission to leave, but the people implored Him to leave, and He did.  Jesus continues to enter the most hopeless of situations where no one else dares to enter, and He continues to be the Healer of all kinds of evil in various forms, bringing peace and hope. Let's give Him dominion over our hearts.  "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities...nor height, nor depth...will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38, 39).

My Response:__________________________________________________________
* Nick Squires, "Cannibal Tribe Apologizes for Eating Methodists, Telegraph, August 16, 2007, 259 P.M.  BST, https://www,telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1560483/Cannibal-tribe-apologises-for-eating Methodists,html.

May 26:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS SPIRIT.
After being baptized...he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him.--Matthew 3:16

I was born in a pastor's home and had heard many sermons since my earliest childhood.  I still remember my dad's sermon on the mathematical impossibility of the gospel being preached to the whole world before the second coming of Christ.  First, he would write on the board some formulas, which included worldwide birth and death ratios, and how it was impossible for the church to catch up with these figures.  Then he would add the element of the Spirit of God (as in the time of the first century Christian church) and explain how the divine outcome could not be measured with simple math.

After Jesus was baptized, He came up from the water, the heavens opened, and Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending on Him (Matthew 3:16).  Even though Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit was with Him throughout His life, He was now visibly being empowered by the Spirit to fulfill His redemptive mission.  The One who would baptize with the Spirit (Matthew 3:11), was now being baptized by the Spirit at the inauguration of His public ministry.  The OT prophets had announced that God's chosen Servant would be anointed by the Spirit: "Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights.  I have put My Spirit upon Him" (Isaiah 42:1; see also Isaiah 11:2).  Jesus Himself quoted from Isaiah 61:1 in the synagogue at Nazareth and proclaimed the fulfillment of this prophecy in Him: "The SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME" (Luke 4:18).  Jesus promised multiple times to provide the same Spirit to His followers.  His disciples were to proclaim the good news of forgiveness of sins in Jesus' name only after being empowered by the Spirit from on high (Luke 24:47-49).  We can't measure our ability to do our calling and God-given tasks with our own strength, because we will always become anxious and worried if we do.  Those who believe in Jesus have the promise of the Holy Spirit, whose power enables us to proclaim the gospel boldly.  Let's ask for a daily filling of God's Spirit!

My Response:______________________________________________________________

May 25:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS SUMMARY.
"LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART,...ALL YOUR SOUL,...ALL YOUR MIND,...ALL YOUR STRENGTH."--Mark 12:30


The newscasters were so emotional that they could hardly talk.  My eyes filled with tears too.  The body of Sargent Helus, a hero in the mass shooting in Thousand Oaks, California, was being transported by car on the Ventura Freeway.  He had given his life trying to save the lives of others.  As the procession passed by, everyone stopped in recognition of his ultimate sacrifice.  The overpass bridges were crowded with people, as were the side streets; thousands gathered to honor him.  We respectfully honor the heroes who freely and lovingly gave their lives.

How can we honor Jesus, who gave His life for us?  At the time of Jesus, there were 613 detailed statues of the Law established, and the religious experts used to argue about which of them was the most important.  A scribe asked Jesus: "What commandment is the foremost [first] of all?" (Mark 12:28).  Perhaps Jesus would respond with a prioritized list that we all could use.  Instead, Jesus summarized the law with one key word: love.  Love your God and your neighbor as yourself.  The Greek verb is agapao, the intrinsically motivated, God-given commitment and devotion for us that resulted in His ultimate sacrifice.  "We love, because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19).  Jesus responded with the words of Deuteronomy 6:4, 5, recited daily by devoted Jews, and with Leviticus 19:18.  God wants our all: all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength (Mark 12:30).  And that's what He deserves, because He gave His all!  This response of love and devotion is worth much more to Him than anything else we may have or do (verse 33).  May we accept more of His love, and therefore love Him more!  "That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:17-19).

My Response:____________________________________________________________

May 24:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS IDENTIFICATION.
"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"--Acts 9:4


The persecution of Christians is growing around the globe.  I was startled when I read recent reports that highlight that this problem is worse now than at any time in the past.  The Open Door organization, which serves persecuted Christians worldwide, labels many countries as having "high, very high, or extreme persecution" and keeps adding them to the World Watch List. *  This is not just an ancient problem, and we can get involved by praying for oppressed Christians.

The first verse of Acts 9 is astonishing: "Now Saul, still breathing threats, and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest."  Saul, who had been introduced to the reader back at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58), went to Caiphas to ask for letters of extradition to bring all the followers of Jesus "bound" to Jerusalem (Acts 9:2).  This time he was after those who had taken refuge in the city of Damascus, in the province of Syria.  This city, located about one hundred fifty miles from Jerusalem, was outside of the Holy Land, and had a large Jewish population.  Saul (Hebrew for Paul), had consented to the death of the first Christian martyr (Acts 8:1) and was now persecuting all those belonging to the Way, an identification mentioned many times in Acts (chapters 18, 19, 22, 24).  "As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (Acts 9:3, 4).  Notice that the resurrected Christ speaks to Saul, identifying with the persecuted group.  He didn't say: "Why are you persecuting them?"  When Saul asked "Who are You, Lord?" once again Jesus responded, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting" (verse 5).  Jesus embodied the persecution of His followers as being done unto Him personally.  Jesus continues to identify personally with His oppressed followers; whatever is done to them is being done unto Him.  Join me in praying for those who are suffering for their faith in Christ.  And if you are going through hardships for His sake, may you know that Jesus identifies personally with you.

My Response:_____________________________________________________________
* Open Doors USA, "World Watch List," http://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/.

May 23:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS EXCEPTION.
"Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?"--Acts 10:47


I had the privilege of visiting ancient Caesarea.  Built by Herod the Great and named in honor of Caesar Augustus, it is an impressive town on the coast.  Several structures, such as the ancient Roman amphitheater and the aqueduct, witness to its flourishing society during New Testament times.  It is in this town that a centurion by the name of Cornelius saw the vision of an angel instructing him to send someone to Joppa (a town thirty-eight miles south of Caesarea) to fetch Peter, so that he could explain the gospel to him (see Acts 10:1-8).

Immediately Cornelius sent for Peter, who was staying at Simon the Tanner's house in Joppa.  As we discussed yesterday, God had to convince Peter, through visions and the voice of the Spirit, to go with these men (verses 9-20).  In Caesarea, Cornelius had gathered his relatives and close friends, and Peter preached the gospel to them.  Then God did something out of the usual sequence, astonishing Peter and all his companions.  "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.  All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.  For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God" (verses 44-46).  Then Peter ordered that they be baptized.  Wow!  You see, with visions and all, Peter wasn't ready to baptize Gentiles into the community, so God got ahead of him.  In acts, the order is always as follows: the gospel of Jesus is preached, people are baptized, and the Holy Spirit falls on them, except this time.  God chose the Gentiles and had to get out of sequence because His own people were not ready to recognize His choice.  The Spirit fell on them first, and then they were baptized.  God loves all and often chooses people who are outside the box.  If you were left out of the "in" group or were told that you need to change in order for God to love you, may this story convince you that God's love is not subject to human barriers.

My Response:___________________________________________________________

May 22:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS BENEVOLENCE.
Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality."--Acts 10:34

As I travel around the world, I am always amazed at how history repeats itself.  There are sad chapters in history, when a social, racial, religious, or political group is oppressed by another group which happens to be in power at the time.  Unfortunately, when times change, and the tables are turned, frequently the oppressed became the oppressor.  This phenomenon is rooted in the core of the human heart, which seeks to exclude others, who are not part of their own group.

In the New Testament, members of the newly-formed Christian community had a hard time understanding that God's benevolence and goodwill was directed towards all individuals, not only those of Jewish background.  It was so hard for them to understand God's favor upon the others.  The religious people were much harder to convince of the inclusivity of God's love and salvation than the Gentiles were.  A case in point is the story of Cornelius and Peter, narrated in Acts 10.  Cornelius was a centurion, who had become a God-fearer, which means that he worshipped the God of Israel, but had not converted to Judaism and was not ritually circumcised.  On the other hand, Peter had been with Jesus during His public ministry.  He was a disciple, one of the twelve, and a member of His inner circle of three disciples who witnessed additional divine manifestations.  Having been reinstated to ministry after denying his Master, he experienced Jesus' grace and love firsthand.  Yet it took a lot to convince Peter that he should step into Cornelius's house.  It was much easier for God to convince Cornelius to send messengers to fetch Peter than it was to convince Peter to go with the messengers to Cornelius.  Peter saw a vision three times (verses 10-16), which he then interpreted as: "God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.  That is why I came" (verses 28, 29).  God's love challenges our biases.  He does not show partiality to color, accent, ancestry, or social status.  You are His beloved child.  Whatever your background or circumstances, He loves you and His victory is for all!

My Response:_________________________________________________________