April 20:  Believing His Salvation.

HIS REACH.
Jesus, the Messiah, the son of David,...David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah.--Matthew 1:1, 6

I was sitting with a young adult, talking about her future.  She asked me if God could bless her even though she had not done everything according to what God wanted her to do: "Can God bless me with a good marriage even if I have not done things God's way?"  I responded with the story of Bathsheba, the woman with whom David committed adultery and then killed her husband, Uriah the Hittite.  God blessed them with a son named Solomon (2 Samuel 11; 12), who became the king to succeed David and was the wisest man in the history of the world.  Why would God have blessed them with this son?  And even more shocking, why would this woman be included in Jesus' lineage?

Great question!  As a matter of fact, we can expand our query to: what was Matthew thinking when he, contrary to the customs of the day, decided to include four foremothers in Jesus' genealogy in the first chapter of this Gospel?  The four women mentioned in Matthew 1:3-6 are Tamar (Genesis 38), Rahab (Joshua 2; 6), Ruth ( the book of Ruth), and the wife of Uriah (Bathsheba), who became David's wife after his adultery and homicide (2 Samuel 11; 12).  Tamar was a Canaanite who posed as a prostitute to get pregnant by her father-in-law because the kinsman-redeemer provisions had not been fulfilled.  Rahab was a prostitute from Jericho in Canaan.  Ruth came from Moab, and Bathsheba was the wife of a Hittite.  Wouldn't you have chosen someone like Sarah or Rebekah?  The four unlikely women in Matthew 1 were not considered purebred Israelites.  They even have questionable reputations!  This is Matthew's way of proclaiming that the reach of Jesus' ministry would supersede all expectations!  God's salvation cannot be boxed in by a particular pedigree or social status.  We are all unworthy of His salvation and yet we are included, blessed, and assured.  Whenever we are weighed down by our past mistakes or discouraged by our background, let's remember these women and rejoice!  We are invited and we are included!

My Response:_______________________________________________________

April 19:  Believing His Salvation.

HIS TRUTH.
"You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."--John 8:32

Hiroo Onada was a soldier who refused to give himself up when the Japanese emperor surrendered in 1945.  He stayed in the jungle, hiding for twenty-nine years, long after World War II had ended.  He only surrendered when in March 1974, his former commander flew to where Onada was and reversed his orders from 1945.  Can you imagine hiding and surviving in the jungle for almost thirty years after the war was over?  How about us?  Are we living with the joy of salvation that Jesus achieved for us, or are we still under the yoke of fear?

There are two radically different types of Christians today: enslaved and redeemed!  And you can usually tell the difference right away!  It is sad to see so many Christians still hiding in the "religious jungle," barely surviving two thousand years after the loud cry of Jesus, "It is finished," reverberated throughout the universe (John 19:30).  In the Gospel of John, "truth" is closely associated with the person of Jesus (see John 1:14, 17).  Jesus announced that He is the Truth: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6).  Back to John 8, Jesus was talking to the Jews who supposedly believed in Him: "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (verse 31, 32).  But the listeners of Jesus reminded Him that they  were Abraham's descendants!  Completely disregarding their current oppression under the Romans and dismissing their past bondage in Egypt and Babylon, they claimed that they had never been enslaved to anyone.  How could they be set free? (verse 33).  This is where Jesus clearly states that freedom is not found in your ancestry, pedigree, or religious system.  Sin is an equal opportunity oppressor, and Jesus is the only answer: "Everyone who commits sin is the slave to sin.  The slave does not remain in the house forever, the son does remain forever.  So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed" (verses 34-36).  The war has been won; Jesus is victorious.  Do not be enslaved by fear but rejoice!  He makes us free indeed!

My Response:___________________________________________________________

April 18:  Believing His Salvation.

HIS SIGN.
"No sign will be given...but the sign of Jonah the prophet."--Matthew 12:39

Do miracles produce real faith?  This is a question that many religious groups have tried to answer till this day; there is even an ongoing dialogue about it on the internet.  Yet the biblical account reports that after experiencing God's miraculous deliverance through the Red Sea (Exodus 14) and the supernatural provisions of food and water (Exodus 16), Israel still questioned if God was with them (Exodus 17:7).  This was the case many times in the Bible stories.  In light of these events, we ask: is there anything that can produce real faith in Jesus?

Having described several  miracles of Jesus, Matthew recounts how the scribes and Pharisees came to Him asking for a sign (Matthew 12:38).  Signs and miracles had legitimized the ministry of some of the Old Testament prophets, such as Moses and Elijah.  But Jesus could read the hearts of His inquirers and knew that they had mocked and misinterpreted even His exorcisms (see Matthew 12:24).  Jesus answered: "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:39, 40).  Jonah was a reluctant prophet who had tried to run away from God's call to proclaim His grace to Nineveh.  It was a pagan city, which later became the capital of Assyria, whose populace eventually repented from their ways when Jonah finally preached to them.  But the prophet himself  was in dire need of God's grace.  While on his rebellious journey, he ended up in the belly of a fish for three days, pleading with God in prayer.  We find the heart of the gospel in the plea of Jonah: "Salvation is from the Lord" (Jonah 2:9).  In a remarkable parallelism, Jesus announces to the Pharisees and scribes that His sacrifice on the cross would be the only sign that they would have about His identity and mission.  If we are to avoid skepticism and desire to guard ourselves against unbelief, we must ask God for a daily revelation of Jesus' sacrifice for us.  That's the only convincing sign!

My Response:___________________________________________________________

April 17:  Believing His Salvation.

HIS NECESSITY.
"Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?"--Luke 24:26

We don't always need what we think we do, and we often do need what we think we don't.  I have watched children try to talk their parents into buying toys and candy.  You have probably heard a child say: "Daddy, I need this!"  Of course, we smile at such a statement, but I wonder how often we sound exactly like that to God.  I believe that when David penned Psalm 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,"  It wasn't that he didn't want or wish for anything, but that he had come to believe that God would provide whatever he actually needed.

In Luke 24:19-24, two disciples on their way to Emmaus explain to Jesus why their hopes and wishes had been shattered.  Let me point out to you four obstacles that left them confused about their previous expectations.  These are also obstacles in our minds. (1) Limited perception: they say that Jesus was a prophet, mighty in deed and word (verse 19).  But Jesus was so much more than that!  He was the Messiah!  He was and is God!  The Savior of the world!  But they didn't perceive that. (2) Finality: the two disciples shared how Jesus had been sentenced to death and crucified (verse 20).  Jesus had told them many times that the cross would not be the end, but it felt like the end to them.  Their pain didn't allow them to remember the words of Jesus that He would rise again.  (3) Regret: "But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel" (verse 21).  Hoping?  Sounds familiar?  "I was hoping that..."  Well, Jesus had redeemed the world!  But their regrets didn't allow them to understand nor celebrate.  (4) Unbelief.  They had received a firsthand report from the women, who proclaimed that Jesus had resurrected and that the tomb was empty.  But they didn't believe because they didn't see.  These four obstacles had marred their perception.  They thought they needed a military leader who would establish an earthly kingdom.  Jesus responded with what they really needed: "Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things...?" (verse 26).  Yes, it was!  His sacrifice is what we really need!

My Response:__________________________________________________________

April 16:  Believing His Salvation.

HIS PRONOUNCEMENT.
"Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."--John 20:29

More than two decades ago, I was working in the business world.  I was sharing Bible studies with a coworker when I realized how difficult it is for the human mind to believe that which can't be seen.  We got to the study of the virgin birth of Jesus, and he said something like: "Really...who is going to believe that?"  Spiritual things are spiritually discerned, which means that God has left quite a bit of room for faith: "the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).

When Jesus appeared to His disciples after the resurrection, Thomas wasn't present at that reunion (John 20:24).  The other disciples were excited to tell him, "We have seen the Lord!" (verse 25), but Thomas was skeptical.  He was a loyal but pessimistic disciple (see John 11:16; 14:5).  To him, the cross was only what he had expected (John 11:16).  Now he is demanding visual and kinesthetic proof (Luke 20:25); he will believe only when he can see and touch Jesus.  No one in the entire New Testament makes a greater demand in order to believe.  This is why Thomas became the epitome of unbelief.  Sight, not faith!  One of the great drawbacks of unbelief is that our joy is delayed!  Thomas could have been rejoicing with the rest; but, because he refused to believe, he had to wait.  Eight days later Jesus appears again and says to Thomas: "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing" (verse 27).  Wow!  Thomas must have been speechless for a while before he said, "My Lord and my God!" (verse 28).  This is the most profound confession in all four Gospels; nobody had ever addressed Jesus like this.  Thomas made a leap of faith and came to believe that Jesus was God (John 1:1).  Jesus responded with His last beatitude: "Because you have seen Me, have you believed?  Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed" (Luke 20:29).  Jesus pronounced a blessing upon us!  Believing because of seeing would no longer be available; faith would be the only way because Jesus was ascending to heaven.  Remember that God always leaves room for faith and blesses us when we believe!

My Response:_____________________________________________________________

April 15:  Believing His Salvation.

HIS APPEARANCE.
He showed them both His hands and His side.  The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.--John 20:20

I keep a cherished photo on my iPhone.  When my mom realized that the end of her life was approaching, she wanted to go buy her "final property," as she called it.  So, my parents and I headed to the cemetery.  They found a spot, and I took the photo that I now cherish.  She passed away two weeks later.  I can't imagine the joy that I will experience when I see them again, completely restored, with their cancer-free and glorified bodies.

I can't start to fathom the rejoicing of the disciples that day.  Some of them had witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus.  They saw His agony, the nails puncturing His hands and feet,, and the spear piercing His side.  On the evening of the resurrection day, Jesus miraculously appeared to His disciples.  John observes that, on that occasion, the doors were shut for fear of the Jews.  "Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, 'Peace be with you' " (John 20:19).  Even though this is still a common Jewish greeting today, on that occasion it carried all the weight of Jesus' promise of His peace (see John 14:27).  Which is quite remarkable, taking into consideration that they all had abandoned Him and were worthy of reproach and condemnation.  Instead, Jesus greets them with His peace, and shows them His hands and His side.  When they recognized Him, the disciples were flabbergasted, beside themselves with joy!  Jesus had prophesied this moment: "Therefore you too have grief now; But I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you" (John 16:22).  Now they were beholding their risen Lord, and no one could take their joy away!  For a second time, Jesus pronounced His blessing of peace upon them and then commissioned them, giving them the Holy Spirit (see John 20:21, 22).  Jesus was the Firstborn of the dead (Revelation 1:5), which guarantees that our loved ones, who died in Him, will rise too.  On that day, our grief will be turned into indescribable joy!

My Response:_________________________________________________________

April 14:  Believing His Salvation.

HIS WORDS.
And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things.--Luke 24:8, 9

I still have my preaching notes for the eighteenth anniversary of the Alhambra SDA Church in California.  The title of the sermon was "Remember the Future."  It is so important to reflect about how God has guided us in the past because that's where we find assurance for what is to come.  When we look at our own lives, we become aware of how God has been with us all along.  And when it comes to our salvation, we find certainty for the future only when we look back to the Cross.

The women came to the tomb early on Sunday.  The stone that covered the entrance of the tomb had been rolled away, and they did not find Jesus' body (Luke 24:1-3).  They were bewildered, especially because they had seen, with their own eyes, how the body of Jesus was laid in the tomb (see Luke 23:55).  As they were confused and perplexed, two angels came to them (Luke 24:4, 23) and announced that Jesus was alive!  "Why do you seek the living One among the dead?  He is not here, but He has risen.  Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again" (verses 5-7).  The angels told them that they should pause and look back to what Jesus had spoken to them (see Luke 9:22, 44), "and they [the women] remembered His words" (Luke 24:8).  They recalled Jesus' prophecies about His own death and resurrection.  The women went from perplexity to clarity by remembering Jesus' words.  Remembering Christ's words is a heavenly remedy for anxiety and worry.  The same Jesus who foretold His own death and resurrection, also prophesied His own victory (Luke 21:27; 22:69).  Whenever we become bewildered by circumstances that we don't understand, recalling Jesus' words brings insight and peace.  If you ever become anxious about your salvation or the end of the world, remember His words on the cross to the thief who asked to be remembered in His kingdom: "You shall be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43).

My Response:________________________________________________________

April 13:  Believing His Salvation.

HIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
"Go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.' "--John 20:17


Visiting Magdala was one of the most impactful experiences of my life.  We visited this ancient site, including the oldest excavated synagogue in Galilee.  Aside from the archeological park, the location includes the Magdalena Institute, which was inspired by the encounter of Mary Magdalene with Jesus.  One of the many objects of the Institute is to support women who are seeking spiritual healing and renewal.  This center of applied archeology made a profound impact on me.

Luke mentions that seven demons went out of Mary of Magdala, and that she became part of the group of women who were with Jesus (see Luke 8:1-3).  The Gospels place her at the crucifixion scene.  On resurrection morning, she came to the tomb, and when she saw that the stone had been rolled away, she went to get Peter and John (see John 20:1-18).  She stood outside of the tomb weeping, as she had not heard the news of Jesus' resurrection.  When asked about the reason for her weeping, she said, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don't know where they have laid Him" (verse 13).  She wanted the body of her Lord to be appropriately taken care of!  This was her Lord, who had healed and restored her!  Through her tears she saw a man and, thinking He was the gardener, asked him about the location of the body.  Then she heard Jesus calling her name: "Mary!" (verse 16).  Can you imagine the tenderness of His voice and the joy of her heart?!  She appears to have been the first person to see the risen Christ, perhaps because she needed Him most!  Jesus commissioned her to take a message to His disciples, and that's why she has been called the apostle to the apostles.  His announcement contains a reference to Him going to the Father and Jesus' personal identification with His disciples as His brothers: "I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God" (verse 17).  Mary joyfully announced to them; "I have seen the Lord!" (verse 18).  Jesus is always close to us, in all places and situations.  In our grief, He reveals Himself to us as the risen Christ!  And He knows each one of us by name!

My Response:_______________________________________________________

April 12:  Believing His Salvation.

HIS RESURRECTION.
"He is not here, for He is risen, just as He said."--Matthew 28:6


It was Easter weekend worship service and it was time for the children's story.  Many children went up to the platform, and the children's pastor handed each of them a plastic Easter egg, but they were not to open it until she told them to.  I was wondering what the lesson was about. When she gave the signal, all the children expectantly opened their eggs at the same time.  I could see confusion and disappointment in their faces.  "Are you surprised?" she asked and then added, "They are empty!  And so was the tomb of Jesus!"  I never forgot that visual aid.


When the two Marys came to the tomb, they were surprised!  They must have been terrified, because the first thing the angel said to them was "Do not be afraid" (Matthew 28:5), and then he added "I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified" (verse 5).  "The One who was crucified" would forever become the identity of Jesus, yet the crucified One had risen from the dead!  "He is not here, for He is risen" (verse 6).  Amazing news!  That the tomb was empty would become a core proclamation of the Christian church.  Two elements are present in the explanation that follows: "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.  Come, see the place where He was lying" (verse 6).  First, Jesus had risen, as He had told them ahead of time; He had made specific predictions about His death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; see also 26:32), but His disciples had not understood.  Second, the angel invited the women to see the place where He had been lying, which is significant because these two women had been present when the body of Jesus was placed inside the tomb and the large stone was rolled against its entrance (Matthew 27:59-61).  Following this, the angel commissions these women as the first proclaimers of the astonishing news of resurrection.  They are to tell the disciples that He is risen and let them know that He will meet with them in Galilee (Matthew 28:7), just as He said ahead of time (see Matthew 26:32).  Yes!  Our God was wounded for our transgressions, dying for our sins.  But He is now alive and is coming soon to take us with Him (Matthew 24:30, 31), just as He said!

My Response:_________________________________________________________

April 11:  Believing His Salvation.

HIS CULMINATION.
He said, "It is finished!"  And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.--John 19:30

My dissertation supervisor, Professor Andrew Lincoln, was the president of the British New Testament Society and continues to be a prominent New Testament scholar.  At his suggestion, I attended conferences in the United Kingdom and have distinct memories of different sessions and distinguished scholars that I met during those meetings.  I particularly remember one plenary session because it ended in a most unusual way.  The last slide of the PowerPoint presentation had one single word on the screen: tetelestai, which in Greek means "it is finished!"  It was clear that the presentation had concluded.


Yet when it comes to our salvation, for some reason, we seem to be less sure about what this phrase means.  John tells us that Jesus knew, at His dying moment, that all the things He had come to do were accomplished, His work on earth was finished, and His mission was fulfilled.  The Greek word expressing completion is, you guessed it, tetelestai.  Jesus was dying, "knowing that all things had already been accomplished [tetelestai]"  (John 19:28).  Jesus then uttered the loud cry that would pronounce His mission completed.  It was not a victim's agonizing cry of pain; it was a Victor's shout of triumph: "It is finished" (verse 30).  And yes, in Greek it is that word: tetelestai.  Jesus was announcing it to the whole universe: It is done!  It is accomplished!  It is finished!  It is completed!  In the mediating role that Jesus would fulfill in heaven, He would be presenting His shed blood on our behalf; His sacrifice, as our ransom, had been accomplished.  "It is finished" contains the same root word as the one utilized in Genesis, when the creation was completed (see Genesis 2:2; LXX).  There is nothing that we must add to complete our redemption.  It is finished and perfect.  No "and," "but, or "plus" to be added.  We are saved by His blood plus nothing.  The redemption of the human race was accomplished two thousand years ago.  This is how Christians are to spell redemption: d-o-n-e.  Oh my soul, rejoice!  Tetelestai!


My Response:___________________________________________________________