Christ

When Jesus was crucified, the disciples abandoned him and went into hiding. They feared that they would be next to hang on a cross. But then they saw the resurrected Lord! Shortly after that, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came and empowered the disciples. Now filled with the Spirit, Peter let the people know they had crucified the Christ.

After what we now call the Triumphal Entry, Jesus spent Sunday evening in Bethany, a small town just outside of Jerusalem. On Monday morning, he returned to Jerusalem and went straight to the temple.

I grew up believing that I could lose my relationship with God. I could be a child of God in the morning, sin at lunch, and be kicked out of his family by the afternoon. I walked on spiritual eggshells. Insecurity characterized my spiritual walk. Sometimes, I was certain of heaven; other times, following an act of sin, I was on my way to hell.

You may have many great accomplishments on your resume—an outstanding athlete, a dazzling performer, an accomplished musician, a graduate of a highly respected educational institution, a leader of this or that, a native of Oklahoma (jealous, aren’t you)—but when it comes to your spiritual resume before Christ, forget the bullet points, italics, and pithy descriptions. One four-letter word is centered on the page— “DEAD!”

For those who follow hard after Christ, things are (or should be) different. It really is not about us. Really, it’s not. Our lives should be like a mirror—not absorbing but reflecting the glory of God.

Lori and I want to wish each of you a Merry Christmas. We pray that you have a great time with family and friends. Most of all, we pray that you experience the hope, peace, joy, and love found only in Jesus.

The virgin birth certainly defines history. If Jesus was simply the product of a man and a woman, his life and death were no more significant than yours and mine. We could not even call him a good teacher.

People can place their hope in a lot of things. But when hopes are attached to the wrong things, our expectations perish. Not so with God-given hope of joy. Based on the finished work of Christ, it will carry us into eternity. When the hope of Jesus is in us, our joy is complete! (John 15:11 NIV)

When we “know (and obey) the truth,” we will find the freedom in Christ we have been looking for.