journey onWord with us

I met with a group of men this past Wednesday morning.  These men are from all walks of life. Their stories are wildly divergent, yet, at the same time, they are as common and resonant as can be.  I’ve known most of them for less than a month, yet they have instantly accepted me and, even at times, celebrated me.  I pray your life’s journey includes many scenic overlooks that display the kingdom of God like this group has for me.  And I pray that when you see the sign announcing them, you take the time to pull off the road and sit awhile.

Sometime during our discussion that morning, we got on the topic of God being both a God of love and a God of justice.  It was initially suggested that people desire and are most comfortable with the God of love.  This God is far easier to digest, and the picture of Him is far more attractive to both the believer and non-believer alike.  Something struck me as the discussion continued on in the general consensus of that belief.  The following was my offering when the moment presented itself.

While I believe that to be true, I also believe there are many who strongly desire the God of justice.  Especially in these times when so much of our world seems to be upside-down and so obviously contrary to God’s ways, we want the God of justice.  We want the God who David refers to in Psalms 11:5b-7 (NIV)

…but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.  On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot.  For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.

I believe that at the same time we desire that God, we are also so often “disappointed” by that God.  I could recount many examples from the national news headlines, but I’d suggest that we wouldn’t have to go any further than the pages of our own individual lives to adequately prove that point.  Where is the justice, God?!

In the end, I believe our disappointment is derived from our distinctions.  We name him as a God of, and we apply him to our lives as such.  We bring Him to situations and need Him to meet them with an a la carte selection of His characteristics.  He cannot be that for us, He can only be who He is (which is not a God who is simply the sum of His parts).  When we bring Him to something that demands justice, I think we are really looking for judgement and punishment.  When He comes, He brings all of Himself, which encompasses judgement and punishment but also love, grace, mercy, patience, gentleness, and a great many other things that don’t line up with our distinction of Him as a God of “justice.”

Our distinctions shrink God to fit our situations.  When we leave our hearts wide open to the words of Scripture and the people who God brings into our lives, God becomes infinitely and increasingly bigger.  He is not a God of, He is a God who.  Who loves us, who corrects us, who never leaves us, who hates our sin, who takes us in His arms, who made a way when there wasn’t one.  If you know this God, know Him more.  If you don’t know this God, seek Him and you will find Him.

He faced huge problems.  He made right choices; He made wrong choices.  He overcame difficulty; He floundered in times of difficulty.  He was lonely.  He was humbled.  He was the baby in a large family.  He sometimes felt forgotten.  He had huge responsibilities in his life.  He was betrayed by those closest to him.  He was in a troubled marriage; he had a troubled child.

“Who is this?”, you may ask.  This is David.  Yes, the David of Scripture.  And although he lived thousands of years ago, the study of his life is much like reading today’s paper or listening to the evening news.

God must have felt that David was significant enough for us to study in depth, since the story of David’s life spans 54 chapters..  This compared to a couple other heroes faith, like Abraham and Joseph whose story covers 13 and 14 chapters of Scripture respectively.  Only Moses and Paul can be compared in the amount of coverage in the Bible, yet Paul’s name is mentioned only 163 times in Scripture as compared to 1,127 times that David’s name appears.  I think I may understand a little bit of the reason why.  Not only does David’s life and challenges mirror ours today, but God was also always gracious to David, even when he did not deserve God’s grace .. Just Like Us!

The historical setting is 1075 B.C.  Israel had suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of the Philistines.  They had captured the Ark of the Covenant, and this led to the death of Israel’s leader, Eli.  Samuel succeeded Eli as prophet and judge, and would be the last such leader before God would bring a king back to the nation of Israel.  It took 20 years, but Samuel revived the nation spiritually, and God began to bless Israel militarily once again.  But now they wanted a king.  Saul was chosen, but he proved to be unsuitable.  He made many mistakes and lost faith in his Lord.  Finally, God tells Samuel there will be a new king, one of the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem.  Samuel had been told that the new king would be a “captain over his people,” so he was looking for an adult, strong, tall – someone who looked like a king, of course.

I Samuel 16: 10 – 11
Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.”  So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”  There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered, “but he is tending the sheep.”  Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

Every one at this meeting stood until David, the youngest, arrived from the pastures where he tended the family’s sheep.  The moment he arrived, God told Samuel he’s the one, and Samuel anointed him with oil as the future king.

David was all of 15 years old.

David returned to the pastures, and his sheep, where he must have spent many hours pondering what all this meant.  He also practiced his harp and became an excellent musician (which took him to the court of King Saul).  He also wrote beautiful poetry about his Lord, and His creation (ever read a Psalm?).  He also learned how to fight while defending the sheep from bears and lions, (ever read the greatest Bible story ever told?)

Have you ever been lonely?  Have you ever been overlooked?  How about, forgotten?  Have you ever wondered about the direction of your life?  Then be encouraged by the life of David – and know God can use you too.

Spring is trying to come to my town.  Today the temperature could even pass sixty degrees, but it will probably rain. Do I sound worn out after a winter of snow (not too much), clouds and cold weather?  You bet I am; but spring is coming and the clouds will clear, the grass will get greener and warm days are ahead.  Sometimes our spiritual and emotional journeys are reflective of a long cold winter.  Days seem cloudy and dreary and we long for spring (better days).  However, we all have choices. I can be happy on cloudy, cold, and snowy days and we can all live with joy in the midst of cloud-filled seasons.  I am convinced that all the “stuff of life” clouds our days and makes us long for spring-like changes, when in truth, winter days can be beautiful.

In thinking of writing encouraging words for today, I reflected on how easy it is for January (winter) resolutions to become April’s (spring) wishful thinking. But in my life and yours there is too much at stake.  How we live, and what we do matters.  My choice today was to write on Gideon, Samson or Ruth from the reading I have done over the last week.  However, I am convinced that you (like me) may be in need of some April refreshing.  I noticed in my own life that my firmly held resolutions of January began to fade in late March.  I came at this year with clear spiritual, personal and professional goals.  Turning my goals into permanent lifestyle habits not only benefits me, but all those who are affected in any way by my life.  All of the “stuff of life” can become an easy excuse to let those winter resolutions die before the fullness of spring has even taken hold.  But not this year!

Did you start the year determined to make this a different year spiritually?  Your winter may have begun with a strong determination to lose____ lbs.  How are you doing?  Goals such as working less, worrying less, praying more and enjoying the journey more may have been on your winter radar. As spring begins to blossom, how are you progressing?  Since I have already confessed to battling the winter blues and struggling to meet all of my objectives, I have no trouble asking you the same kinds of questions that are important to me.  My philosophy of life contains a thought that will help keep all of us moving if we really believe it. What we value gets done!  Of even greater importance is the thought that what you and I are doing should honor our Lord. So as spring begins this year, do we really value what we resolved to accomplish, and will completing our goals please the Father?

If you are battling the “stuff of life” and feeling a bit guilty, it may be time to re-think your goals. After all, it is spring, and a great moment to refresh your value-based objectives.  John Greenleaf Whittier once wrote a phrase that can challenge all of us.  “For all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been.’”  Attach those words to what you need to do spiritually, personally and professionally.  Remember what we do and how we live matters.  What was started this winter needs to continue as spring begins to blossom.

I am determined to grow in meaningful ways this year. I’m sure you are just as determined.  To gaze back over this year with the words “it might have been” is just not acceptable. Too much is at stake!  We will all fail along the journey, but if we value real change, change we will! As your friend, I would like to challenge you to review what you determined was important in January (winter). If you still value those same objectives, let them leap to life again with the newness of spring. And remember, never let the words “it might have been” be said of you.

Do you ever come to a turn in the road and sense that your emotional tank is on empty? It may not sound spiritual to admit it, but I do. As you advance in your journey, I am inclined to believe that you (like me) often feel like you are running on fumes. If not careful, you will find that your emotional equilibrium has many “tank drains” with very few “fill-ups”. If you have followed Christ for any length of time, you can glowingly articulate key verses of scripture that give hope. But if you are honestly struggling to not “stall out,” something needs to change. My trust is the next few thoughts are just the journey fuel that you need.

Over the years a friend from another century has blessed me. He is my friend because of his mentoring in my life through his journey. Hudson Taylor was serving God in China, sacrificing for God’s purpose and running on empty. Something happened that changed his life forever and the principle is timeless. From the book of his life, Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, look at what happened.

“Then came the question, is there no rescue? Must it be thus to the end-constant conflict, and too often defeat? How could I preach with sincerity that, to those who receive Jesus, “to them gave he the power to become the sons of God” (i.e. Godlike) when it was not so in my own experience? Instead of growing stronger, I seemed to be getting weaker and to have less power against sin; and no wonder, for faith and even hope were getting low. I hated myself, I hated my sin, yet gained no strength against it. I felt I was a child of God. His Spirit in my heart would cry, in spite of all, “Abba Father.” But to rise to my privileges as a child, I was utterly powerless.”

If you have ever sensed your emotions were starting to stall-out, you probably have a strong connection to what Hudson Taylor felt. But there was a fill-up on his travels. In a letter from a friend, the Holy Spirit gave him the answer for which he was looking. It was short, but life changing.

“But how to get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting in the Faithful One.”

He was trying too hard to generate faith, and not understanding that he could simply rest in the Faithful One. He grabbed the principle and stopped striving.  Rest came! Our culture is all about striving to succeed. Although we know better, “I can do it” logic bleeds into our spiritual journey. For years, I found myself working (striving) to have His rest. It was futile.  Are you willing to quit trying so hard to grow in faith, and willing to rest in the Faithful One? When the emphasis moves from our striving to His all-powerful, infinite care for us, there is a change that takes place. I call it rest!

Life will continue to have its travel twists and turns, but you no longer need to feel like you are running on fumes. God’s design is not for His children to feel empty. He is waiting to give you a fill-up of emotional and spiritual energy for the next leg of your journey. It won’t cost you four dollars a gallon and you can’t generate the fuel on your own. Stop trying so hard to be faithful, and listen to my mentor – rest in the Faithful One

Special thanks are due to a dear friend and partner at Journey on Word, Mark Robb, for sharing his Passion Week experiences with us. Writing daily articles is a monumental task, and Mark did it well as he opened up himself, and shared great truths that culminated with Christ’s death and resurrection. He is Risen!  For all Christ-followers, the ramifications of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday are much more than just nice holidays. They gave us our birthright.  However as we head back to work and the normal routines of life, it is certainly easy to minimize the significance of what that birthright means to us. It’s Monday, so what now?

It must have been life-changing as the disciples met with Christ after His resurrection. He showed care for “doubting Thomas” and restored Peter. He also commissioned the disciples to go and make more disciples. Their lives were not to be about self, but about others. Centuries later, we can all be grateful for how they responded. We have no less obligation to be conduits of His love and grace in our 21^st century, fast-paced, technologically driven world. The hope of the resurrection still matters! Wherever this post finds you today, look around and view your opportunity to care for others … all because He Lives in you. It’s Monday, so what now?

Once, while doing some personal reading, I read an unforgettable quote by Soren Kierkegaard. His words resonate with me as I think of living out the hope of my birthright. “Now, by God’s help, I shall become myself.”  Don’t we all want to be the “me” that God designed us to be? Living out His design will always involve others, just as it did for the disciples. In thinking of this quote, I can’t help but think of Peter. Dramatic failure must have haunted him as Christ hung on the cross. But the resurrected Lord restored him, and sent him out to serve. Eventually he died, having been used of God mightily. Undoubtedly he still made blunders and failed the Lord at times, but in view of Scripture it seems that Peter progressed in being the “me” that God designed for Him to be. It’s Monday, so what now?

All Christ-followers need to reflect our birthright. It came by way of the cross and His miraculous resurrection.  Just like Peter, we can be effective in showing others hope and peace through Christ. A few days each year the world turns to a cross and an empty tomb, but daily we can live out its implications. Certainly we need to be appropriate, but never silent about our most important relationship … with Christ! Being the “me” that God has designed us to be won’t look just like Peter, but it will reflect the attributes of Christ. It’s Monday, so what now?

Next year, churches will again gather around the world and celebrate Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. From now until then, you and I have the privilege of living out the truth that He is Alive! It is our birthright! Who on your journey is in need of hope and peace? Your birthright has provided you what they need; be who God designed you to be by sharing it.

Good Friday … Resurrection Sunday … It’s Monday, so what now?

“HE IS RISEN!”  (I can hear your reply, “HE IS RISEN, INDEED!”)  I almost feel like making those three words the only sentence in this Resurrection day post.  The silence of Saturday is burst open with those three words, and the light that radiates from them warms my face and blinds my eyes.  The darkness of Friday is forever conquered by the bright, brilliant dawn of Resurrection!  HE IS RISEN!  HE IS RISEN, INDEED!

I have come to treasure the entirety of Lent as a proper advent to the story of God’s redemptive plan for all humanity: a perfect lamb, a cross, and an empty tomb.  And this “final” week as a proper crescendo to the climax of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  It has once again been an overwhelming joy to dive into each day and walk the path of Jesus during his last days.  There is so much to gain from slowing down and walking each step with Him.  I pray that you have enjoyed the journey.  I have loved being your traveling companion.

I feel as though I have done my fair share of challenging you this week.  I have challenged you to stand in the midst of events in Jesus’ last week and observe.  I have suggested that those imperfect people on the pages of scripture might just be us.  I have asked you to “look around” and see if there might be any tables in yourself or in your communities of worship that should be forcibly removed.  I have spoken of birthday parties and prostitutes, and going out into the margins to invite people into a wedding feast.

In my personal studies and preparations for writing this week, I have observed so much that is wrong with us (myself certainly included).  The crowds that completely missed the beauty and power of the kingdom Jesus was here to bring.  The temple currency cashiers, sacrifice salesmen, corrupt inspectors and priests that had turned God’s house into a thoroughly human institution that stole from those who had little.  The dinner guests who were outraged and completely missed the sacred anointing of the perfect Passover Lamb.  The disciples that sat at the table and argued who was the greatest, during the Seder where Jesus made the most central elements new in Himself.  And even in the events of today, the disciple who couldn’t stop mentioning that he was faster, and made it to the tomb first.

So many of the events and details of this week cast an unfavorable light on us as fallen and imperfect creatures.  Is there any doubt that Friday was necessary, judging from all that we have done?!  But just as Satan would love to leave us with that lingering and languishing thought.  Just as he would have loved for the punctuation of this week to have been Friday and a cross.  Just as he would have loved for the despair and helplessness of Saturday to have been its second and final act, dawn breaks on Resurrection day and all those lies are blown apart forever!  Life explodes and death is its victim!

Jesus’ blood covered everything and his resurrection changed everything.  We must acknowledge what is wrong with us, but it is not ours to fix it.  There is nothing we can do to save ourselves, He has already accomplished it!  If you are reading today, and you have experienced this, praise God!  You know the gift of believing and the truth of this blessed resurrection day.  If you have haven’t yet, let this be the day!  Know that we are always here to share the story of this Jesus that loved you so much, He gave His own life to ransom yours.

HE IS RISEN!

Today’s post has exactly one hundred and fifty-two more words than Scripture contains in speaking of the most sacred Sabbath in human history.  While it would be interesting to know what the disciples and other followers of Jesus were doing or thinking on that day, God has purposed to leave that curiosity unanswered.  Maybe it’s because God knows we would try to emulate it and then add to it.  You know, like the ancients did to the Passover celebration in corrupting the temple, or we moderns have done to Christmas.

For today, let’s embrace the silence and become that in the presence of God.  Let’s rest as creation did after exerting forces so violent that “…the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.” (Luke 23:45)

As you rest, be sober and be vigilant … Resurrection is coming!

A scale does not exist which could truly measure the weight of this day.  With the passing of each hour and event, the day grew increasingly dark and grim.  That darkness found its crescendo as midday tolled and our Savior continued to hang on the cross.  The dawn of the darkest three-hour period in human history broke and something unprecedented and indescribably profound occurred.  You can draw arrows both at noon that day extending in the direction of eternity past, and from the moment of Christ’s death through today and into eternity future and would never intersect with this thing again.  That “thing”, is Separation.  Pause a few moments.  Read that word again, and allow it to echo in the depths of your being … Separation.

Why do I capitalize it?  Because as God the Son hung on the cross for three hours, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit were sacredly and physically separated from Him.  Does your soul feel the weight of that truth?  Does it move you when you read it?  Can you now begin to join Jesus in the garden when He cries out, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” Mark 14:36 (HCSB)?

In my observance of Lent and the intensified focus on Jesus’ final week, I have come to believe that Separation is the cup Jesus speaks of as he cries out to his Father.  In both being fully God and fully man, I believe Jesus is fully aware of the physical and emotional brutality He would experience on the cross road and in bearing all our sins.  It is something I cannot even begin to comprehend.  Yet as cruel and agonizing as He knows it would be, it was NOTHING compared to the pain of Separation.

God chose it, and Jesus endured it … for us.  It was the only way.

This truth of Separation became very personal for me this year.  Last week, a day before I began writing today’s post, tragedy struck a personal friend.  At 8:15am last Thursday, my friend’s 8^th grade son took his own life at school.  My heart sank when I received the news.  How could this have happened?!  How could a mother receive a call at her desk, on an otherwise normal Thursday, which carried such tragic news?!  My thoughts remained very much with her, but also naturally wandered to my own sons.  I wanted to drive to school, run into class and throw my arms around them.  My mind could not wrap around the reality of not being able to look into their faces and reach out and touch their hand.  I was devastated for my friend, and it shook me for the remainder of the day.

As I sat silent in thought later that evening, a few words began to echo in my mind and resonate in my soul … “Jesus knows my grief.”  I began to process the truth that I have a Savior that has experienced my sufferings in a fully human way.  And then it hit me.  In that unprecedented and indescribably profound three hours, the Trinity, for the first and only time, entered into the very specific grief of my friend.  Separation.

This story hurts, and is intensely personal, but it is regrettably far from unique.  Our lives and our world are broken and hurting.  And today, on the remembrance of the final Friday of Jesus’ earthly life, we desperately need the hope that this day gifts and points toward.  Jesus bore on the cross the full weight of all sins, for all time … praise God!  But please also don’t miss the truth and hope that Jesus has experienced, in a fully human way, your temptations, your pain, your grief, and your suffering.

The punctuation on this week, and in our lives, is not in the shape of a cross, but rather of a round stone rolled away from the mouth of an empty tomb!

We must travel into and through today’s profound darkness … but take hope.  The dawn has not had its final say yet!

The following is an estimated timeline of Friday in the last week of Jesus.  This has been extremely meaningful in my observance of Passion Friday.  I trust you’ll find it meaningful as well.

I’ll quickly draw your attention to the very beginning of the timeline that notes the Passover Seder Jesus shared with his disciples.  It’s something to consider as you sit down to dinner tonight.

Thursday (our definition of the day)
6:00-11:30pm
Passover Seder – Jesus and his disciples
11:30-1:30am
Garden of Gethsemane

Friday
1:00-1:30am
Confrontation in the garden; Jesus arrested.
1:30-3:00am
Trial 1: Annas, former Jewish High Priest for 16 years; Jesus receives initial physical abuse.
Trial 2: Current Jewish High Priest, Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin Court; Jesus bloodied by abuse.
3:00-5:00am
Imprisonment at Caiaphas’ palace.
5:00-6:00am
Trial 3: All the Jewish elders, including the High Priest, scribes and whole Sanhedrin. They decide to ask the Roman government to kill Jesus.
6:00-7:00am
Trial 4: Hearing before Roman governor Pilate, who declares, “I find no guilt in this man.”
7:00-7:30am
Trial 5: Hearing before Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great who had jurisdiction over Galilee; Jesus refused to answer any questions so Herod returned him quickly to Pilate.
7:30-8:30am
Trial 6: Pilate repeatedly tried to release Jesus but the Jewish leaders continued to object. Pilate physically tortured and beat Jesus beyond recognition seeking to satisfy the Jewish leaders. However, the Jews still demanded that Jesus be crucified. Pilate resists but eventually gives the order to execute Jesus.
8:30-9:00am
Pilate’s Roman soldiers take Jesus into the court (“Praetorium”) and continue to mock and torture him, including driving the “crown” of thorns into his skull.
9:00am-12:00pm
Jesus forced to carry his own cross to Golgotha; Crucifixion
12:00-3:00pm
Jesus hangs on the cross for 3 hours separated from his Father.
3:00pm
Jesus dies.
before sundown
Jesus is buried.

What I am choosing to write about today didn’t actually happen on the final Thursday of Jesus’ earthly life, but it did happen on a Thursday of yours.  Well … possibly not.  I would love to believe that some of our readers are Jewish, and if you are, you know that what I am writing about today actually happened on Friday, but you can also understand why I might find it appropriate to write about today.  The reason is simply that the Jewish day begins at sundown, while ours begins at midnight.  So the events of early Friday are actually our Thursday evening.

Earlier in the day, Jesus sent a few disciples ahead to prepare a room for a special meal.  He had plans to share the central meal of the Passover with all of his disciples before continuing on to the garden, where he would willingly give himself up to those who sought to kill him.  Every step was intentional for Jesus, and no detail was random.

As night fell, the time had arrived, the guests were all seated, and John’s gospel says it so beautifully…

It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. (NIV 1984)

In showing them the “full extent,” Jesus gets up, wraps a towel around his waist, pours water into a basin and begins to wash the feet of the disciples.  This was: a King born in a manger, a Savior who had “no place to lay his head” (Luke 9:58), a Messiah riding on a young donkey, and a Deliverer crucified in the manner of a common criminal.  Jesus took the place and posture of a servant and showed them “the full extent of his love.”

The meal they would share that night was the central meal of the central festival, which celebrated the central story that defined Jewish identity.  This was Seder.  To understand it, you had to know the story: of God’s miraculous and epic deliverance of His chosen people after 400 years as slaves in Egypt; of the ten plagues that caused Pharoah to release God’s people; the plagues that might appear odd and random, but that each specifically targeted an Egyptian deity; the final plague where God did not distinguish between Egyptian or Jew, and provided a way of escape only through the sacrifice of a perfect lamb.  This was the meal Jesus was sharing with his disciples that night.

There is not adequate space to note it all, but suffice it to say there was great significance in each of the elements, and the very specific order of Seder.  At the top of the list were the central elements, the bread and the wine.  In the midst of the Seder that Jesus shared with his disciples that night, He would take these two central elements and make them new in Himself.  He did not replace them, as He did not come to abolish the law.  He made them new in Himself, just as He fulfilled every letter of the law.

And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” (Mark 14:22 ESV)  The bread Jesus took was without yeast.  It signified the haste with which the Israelites were to eat their last supper in captivity.  Yeast took time to rise, and God was clear that the one thing they didn’t have was time.  Yeast is also an integral symbol in the preparation for Seder.  Jewish people take GREAT care to rid their house of even trace amounts of it beginning weeks prior to Passover.  Yeast is a symbol of sin to the Jewish people.

There was only one without sin, and that One has just taken the first of two most central elements in this central meal and made it new in Him.  The bread is no longer just a symbol of the haste in eating the meal before the exodus; it is His body.

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. (Mark 14:23-24 ESV)  “And he took a cup..”  Notice that Jesus says a cup, not the cup.  There are four cups in the Seder meal.  They are based on the four promises God gave to Moses to share with the people in response to their cries for deliverance (Exodus 6:6-7).  They are…

1. I will bring you out … CUP OF THANKFULNESS (start of Seder)
2. I will free you … CUP OF JUDGEMENT (before meal begins)
3. I will redeem you … CUP OF REDEMPTION (Grace after the meal)
4. I will take you … CUP OF COVENANT (end of Seder)

“… and when he had given thanks he gave it to them,” This cup that Jesus takes in the very specific order of the Seder is which cup?  Yes … the third cup, the cup of REDEMPTION.  “This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many.”  Jesus has now taken the second central element of this central meal and made it new in Him.  The wine is no longer just a symbol of the redemption of the Jewish nation in the story of their great deliverance; it is His blood.

I think it’s also important to note the very next thing that Jesus says.  “Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (Mark 14:25 ESV)  Cups three and four are Jesus’ unfinished work.  The cross is still before Him, and one day He will return to take His people, all His people.  What a day, glorious day that will be!  But until that day, He will not drink of these very purposed cups.

Every step was intentional for Jesus, and no detail was random.  Jesus has just taken the central elements of the central meal of the central festival that celebrates the central story that defines Jewish identity and makes them new in Himself. He does not replace them.  He makes them new.  And in so doing, He invites EVERYONE to the table.

We are now just hours away from the cup that Jesus pleaded with the Father to take from Him.  But for now, for today, let’s stay around the table, or even better, let’s go out into the margins and invite people in.