Sacrifice is not a word we hear too often in Christian life. I wonder how many sermons we have heard throughout our church life focused on suffering and sacrifice. Yet every New Testament book from the Gospels right through to the Book of Revelation talks about suffering and a life of sacrifice as a normal part of a Christian’s life. We may even say that the New Testament seems preoccupied with seeking to encourage and strengthen the reader in the midst of trials, tribulations and suffering. It is as if the writers of the New Testament assumed a life of suffering and sacrifice was part and parcel of the Christian life. A quick look at early church history and we can see why this was so.

In this day and age, the only group of people that seem to be prepared for a life of sacrifice are those enlisting in the armed forces. Military personnel are trained and prepared for a life of hardship, suffering and sacrifice. They and their families are indeed a very special breed of people. Some countries honour their military folk better than others. The United States for instance takes great care in honouring members of their defence force. Airlines in the US single out military personnel and give them priority boarding as a gesture of honour and appreciation. It is very common to see Americans walking up to a uniformed personnel and thanking them for their service.

Sacrifice is a good word. In fact sacrifice used to be a common word in Christendom. Just as with military service, sacrifice was something the early church expected of every Christian. Without sacrifice it was impossible to follow Jesus. In fact Jesus spoke about counting the cost of being His followers in Luke 14:25-33.

(NLT) And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. “But don’t begin until you count the cost…So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.

We have sugar coated Christianity to a point that speaking about a life of sacrifice has become unpopular to say the least. In some quarters we may be accused of preaching another gospel or the gospel of “ungrace”. The reality however is that anyone who signs up to be a Christian will face times of testing, trials and tribulation. Jesus spoke of coming to Him as if it was enlisting in a life of service and sacrifice. This is how He put it:

Luke 9:23 (NLT) Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”

No sugar coating. Just the raw facts. Not very popular and definitely not mega church sermon material. Here is Christ’s pre-interview checklist.

Pre-interview Checklist prior to becoming a follower of Christ

You want to be a Christ follower?

√ Are you ready to give up your own way?

√ Are you prepared to take up your cross daily?

√ Are you willing to follow Jesus?

FIRST ITEM IN THE CHECKLIST – Give up your own way

The first step to becoming a disciple of Jesus is the willingness to give up all of your ways.

“All of my ways?” Yes all of your ways.

“How about I give up Sunday morning and tithe regularly to my church? Can we start with that and see how we go?”

The reality is that most church leaders will be really happy if you just gave up your Sunday morning and tithed regularly. “We can work with that. That will keep the institution we call church afloat.” So if it’s “church-ianity” you are looking for, then just a few adjustments to your lifestyle will be more than enough. But if you are looking to be a follower of Christ, then be prepared to give up your own way.

It get’s worse as you read on the later verses of chapter 9 of Luke’s gospel

Luke 9:57-62 (NLT) As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.” Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Sounds a little harsh doesn’t it? Why can’t we throw the guy a bone? Let’s ease the guy into commitment. It’s the modern church way. Let’s get them through the door first, then prepare them for the tough stuff. That’s not the Jesus way. He made it crystal clear right from the onset – there’s a price to pay to be a follower of Christ – are you ready to give up your own way?

SECOND ITEM IN THE CHECKLIST – ARE YOU PREPARED TO TAKE UP YOUR CROSS DAILY?

It is worth keeping in mind that Jesus hadn’t died on the cross yet. So when the crowds heard him say take up your cross – how would they have understood it? The cross was one of the most heinous punishments the Romans had for criminals. Crucifixion was so inhumane that Roman citizens were exempted from this punishment. The criminal facing crucifixion carries his own cross and walks towards a certain destiny – imminent death. Wonder what’s going through his mind? Do you think he was fixated on how offensive his neighbour was the other day? Do you think he was preoccupied about how his wife burnt dinner last night? Of course not. Everything becomes trivial in light of his impending torture and death. The cross he is carrying reminds him, every step he takes, that his life is already over.

Paul’s life of carrying the cross looked like this.

Galatians 2:19-20 (NLT) For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

For the apostle Paul, the Christian life mandated crucifying the old self. Living the present life with the constant awareness that he was dead but Christ lived in him. And living everyday required him to trust in Jesus – who loved him and did the crucified life for him.

So back to the pre-interview checklist. You still want to be a follower of Christ?

√ Are you ready to give up your own way?

√ Are you prepared to take up your cross daily?

√ And the final item in the checklist – Are you willing to follow Jesus?

THIRD ITEM IN THE CHECKLIST – MAKING ROOM FOR THE OTHER

During the times of Jesus on earth, what would it have meant to the listeners to follow Jesus on a daily basis?

– The woman at the well (John 4): Society thought him to stay away from those Samaritans. What does Jesus do? John chapter four says “he had to go through Samaria”. Why? Cos he had to talk to the woman at the well. He had to make room for her so it required him to deviate from societal norms. If you wanted to follow him, you had to be prepared to go against the grain.

– Blind man Bartimaeus (Mark 10) – Crowds throng the great healer, hoping to receive a blessing. No one gave blind Bartimaeus the time of day. In fact his cry for help was an annoyance to them. “Shut up, the holy man has no time for a sinner like you.” But to their amazement Jesus stops. Calls him and asks him an intimate question – “What do you want me to do for you?”. If you were following Jesus, you had to be prepared to make room for the least of those in society.

– Zacchaeus (Luke 19) – Another day, another mindset to be shattered. This time you face a wealthy chief tax collector. Everyone hates him. One of those concessions made by society. Some people are just scums of the earth. Pariahs, who deserve public scorn. Zacchaeus however is used to the social distancing practices around him. It doesn’t stop him from making his way through the crowd, up a tree to see Jesus. Isn’t it sad how many hurdles people have to clear to get to Jesus? Again Jesus stops. Makes room for Zacchaeus. “I must stay in your house today.” Following Jesus can sometimes mean hanging out with people your church peers might not approve of. Note what the crowds said about Jesus – “All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.””

This is why it is hard to follow Jesus. He goes to unpopular places, hangs out with unpopular people, and does unpopular things. You still want to be a follower of Jesus? Are you prepared to follow him to the point you make room for the “other” – the one that is different, the one that doesn’t belong, the one that doesn’t fit the norm. The one who is weak. The straggler, the struggling, the vulnerable and the one in need.

The only way you will survive enlisting as a follower of Jesus:

√ GIVE UP YOUR OWN WAY

√ TAKE UP YOUR CROSS DAILY

√ SO YOU CAN MAKE ROOM FOR THE OTHER EVERYDAY

So you’ve enlisted as a follower of Christ have you? That’s great. So have I. Then the word sacrifice won’t be an issue for you. But if you are anything like me, I have to remind myself of this checklist daily.

√ Give up my own way – I give up the need to please myself

√ Take up my cross daily – I remind myself daily I am dead, Christ now lives in me

√ Why do I do this? Cos I want to follow Jesus. And to follow Jesus I must make room for the other everyday. 

So I invite you to do the same. Let’s not kid ourselves. Following Jesus does require sacrifice. But don’t let that stop you. The rewards that come with knowing Him outweighs the cost. Compared to a life without Him – it’s no sacrifice.

 

What’s your plan after you die? When faced with this question, most people’s response would be around their end of life plans. The New Zealand government has a website with information about the sorts of things that you need to think about before you die. Some of the things they suggest include the following:

• organise your affairs – having a will, appointing powers of attorney

• planning your funeral – what happens to your body – burial or cremation

I looked and I looked and I couldn’t find any advice on plans for the after life. Of course I didn’t expect to find any advice on life after death on a government website. The Bible however expects us to be planning for life after death.

Easter Sunday Is One Big Reminder That There Is Life After Death

Easter Sunday is Resurrection Sunday. Every year the church sets aside a weekend so Christians can remember, celebrate and reassess our lives to see if we are truly accessing the Resurrected life Christ has made available to us. The weekend has become quite a controversial weekend in the history of humanity, even more so these days. Paul put it this way:

1 Cor 1:23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness

In other words to people who are religious it is offensive. “What? You get forgiven because a man died on the cross for your sins? You don’t have to do anything? No need to follow certain instructions, certain lifestyle, mandatory activities to be saved?” Religion would say – “That’s sacrilege, that’s offensive to think that God has given us a free pass because one man died on the cross for us.”

To the rest of the world it’s foolish nonsense. “A man dies for the sins of the world and God raises him up from the dead on the third day? That’s bogus nonsense”

A stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks.

I’ve been told not to celebrate Easter. They say it’s a pagan festival. “Celebrate passover instead. At least there are certain requirements, protocol and rules that come with that feast. It is more sacred than the frivolous free grace we seem to throw around.” I think Passover is a wonderful celebration especially if you have a Jewish heritage. But Passover is not Easter. Passover recognises the death of a lamb, the sufferings of the past – but has no answer to the hope Christ has given us through His death and resurrection. Easter says the lamb died, rose again and ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father and now gives access to the throne room with open arms. Passover is not Easter.

The world on the other hand tells me forget about Easter. It’s gibberish nonsense just think of fluffy bunnies and chocolate eggs and let the weekend slip by. Both groups want this weekend to go away as fast as possible so that we don’t have to talk about resurrection and life after death. Yet the Easter weekend is the core of the Gospel.

The Easter Weekend is the heart of the Gospel message

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NKJV) For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen…

Christ died for our sins

We need to get this into our thick skulls. I can’t do anything about my sins. You can’t do anything about your sins. That’s why Christ died a brutal death. Christ died for our sins. It isn’t easy for us to accept such a message. Nothing is free. What’s the catch? Where’s the small print? Surely there’s something I must do?

Ok, maybe Christ died for my past sins, cos I didn’t know better. Now that I’m a Christian I must now deal with my sins. I must be held accountable for my current sins and my future sins. The fact of the matter is you can’t. You can try as hard as you want to but you can never overcome sin on your own. Not now not ever. That’s why there are so many Christians living with their sins. We are trying to deal with it ourselves. Christ died for ours sins – period. Our past, our present and our future sins. Christ and only Christ can and has dealt with our sins.

Transformation does not come by our own will power and determination. It is the grace of God that transforms us. Instead of leading a sin focused Christian life, why not focus on Christ and His imputed righteousness in us. Why not put all your effort in activities that keep you in His presence. Stay in His presence. Encounter Him daily and see how He transforms you. Watch how the more you abide in Him and His words – watch how the appetite for sin starts wearing out and the desire for the things of God become more pronounced.

Christ died for our sins – so there is no more chasm between you and God. The way to God is flung wide open. Let’s stop living a sin focused life and start focusing on how we can “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace” (Heb 4:16). Let this be our daily goal – not just entering into His throne but staying in His throne room every moment of our days on earth. Being “seated with Him in Heavenly realms” (Eph 2:6) is not just how we are now positioned in Christ, it is also how we should perceive who we are in Christ and how we should practice our daily life of faith from that vantage point.

Christ rose again

Not only did Christ die for our sins, He rose again. While Christ’s death dealt a fatal blow to sin and it’s power over our lives, Paul sees Christ’s resurrection as the doorway to living life from an eternal perspective. Chapter fifteen of the first letter to the Corinthians is dedicated to defending the physical resurrection of believers. Christ’s resurrection has implications on death itself.

1 Corinthians 15:16-19 (NKJV) For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

Paul is implying that there is a correlation between what you believe about the resurrection of Christ and what you believe about this present life. There were Christians in Paul’s day who were denying the resurrection of the dead. They weren’t questioning Christ’s resurrection but they were saying that our lives end after death. There is no such thing as life after death.

Paul exposes the futility of believing in the resurrection of Christ without believing that His resurrection has altered the way we live our lives in this present life.

(NKJV) If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

(NLT) And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.

(AMP) If we who are [abiding] in Christ have hoped only in this life [and this is all there is], then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied.

Most Christians live as if this is the only life we are living – 80 years, 90 years however long and we give no thought to what happens after life as we know it ends. We live as if “this is all there is”. Paul is saying if this is it, then Christians are to be the most pitied bunch on planet earth. Imagine Paul living his life the way he did. Preaching the gospel in every city he went to. Experiencing revival as well as riots wherever he went. Beaten, shipwrecked, left as dead, in and out of prison, constant suffering for the sake of the gospel. For what? Merely to effect this present world. If this is it – I can see why he would say we are a people “most miserable and to be pitied.

What’s the point of believing that Christ has risen, if it doesn’t affect us in our daily lives. I want to take the liberty to paraphrase the apostle. Paul is saying that it is a pitiful sight to watch Christians go about their daily lives, living as if this is the only life we are living – not realising that this life on earth is only a brief part of a life that spans for eternity.

THIS IS NOT IT! Death is not the end. So I ask you again, what’s your plan after you die The point I’m trying to make is that everything we do on earth in this present life, should be done with eternity in mind.

Take Jesus for instance. He lived for 33 years. What did He do in that 33 years? Most of those around him were hoping he would topple the Romans. For what? If that’s all Jesus did, six hundred years after Jesus died, Jerusalem was taken by the Sassanid Empire (Iran). Then the Arabs took over, then we had the Crusades, then the Ottoman empire, then the British took over and finally we saw the separation of the West Bank and Israel and the Jews return to what we call Israel in the present day.

If Jesus came and lived “as if life under Roman rule was all there was”, then he should have used his powers to overthrow the Roman Empire. But he didn’t. Jesus didn’t come with a one generation plan. He lived his life on earth with eternity in mind. He didn’t live as if this life is it. He lived to bring the afterlife to the present. He didn’t say one day you will experience the after life. He said NOW you get to taste the after life. So he forgave sins, healed sickness and diseases, cast out demons, raised the dead. He calmed the storm, walked on water to get to distressed disciples, he multiplied food for the hungry. He didn’t come so that the Kingdom of God will come one day – He proclaimed the Kingdom is here!

This is what Paul was trying to say to the church in Corinth.

If we who are [abiding] in Christ have hoped only in this life [and this is all there is], then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied.

A Christian living as if this is all there is – is not living the Christian life at all. If this is all there is – we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied. Why? Because we preach unlimited, borderless, boundless hope but live as if our hope is limited to our present circumstances, in this present life. When we are sick don’t we pray for healing? When in need, don’t we pray for provision? We pray “Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” – that’s boundless hope. That’s hope without limits. In other words we are constantly on a daily basis endeavouring to bring what’s available in the after life to the present life. So if the afterlife doesn’t exist, the entire Christian life is a fraud.

1 Corinthians 15:17 (NKJV) if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile.

Living with Eternity in Mind

So, Christ’s resurrection has life changing implications to a Christian’s way of life in this present life. The resurrection of Christ demands we live our lives with eternity in mind. What do I mean by living with eternity in mind? Let me put it in practical terms. Look at some Scriptures that show people living daily lives with eternity in mind. Listen to the language of resurrection. This is what hope that is not bound by time sounds like. This is how people of God lived life with eternity in mind.

The story of Job – living with suffering and with eternity in mind

The story of Job is a difficult book to read if we do not have a “eternity” worldview. Job himself couldn’t understand how living a righteous and godly life still got him to a place of suffering. He had a bone to pick with God and he was very honest and opinionated with God about it. He had no qualms about letting God know how he felt about the whole situation. At one point he was “threatening” to take God to court but complained that not only was God the only judge of the Supreme Court but He was also the one who legislated the laws. He could see the futility of his exercise but made it very clear how he felt.

No matter what Job was going through both physically and emotionally, it didn’t change the way he perceived his situation. Inspite of his suffering and confusion about his present circumstances, he continued to live with eternity in mind. Listen to the language of eternity.

Job 19:25-27 (NKJV)

For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

That’s what living with eternity looks and sounds like. “No matter what I’m going through right now – this is not it. There is more!” An eternity mindset keeps focus on boundless hope – transcending the present life of suffering into the afterlife of eternal joy in His presence.

The story of David – living with grief and with eternity in mind

In 2 Samuel chapter 12, David is faced with the possibility of losing his first child which he had with Bathsheba. The Bible tells us that he fasted and prayed intensely for his baby but on the seventh day the baby died. Look at David’s response in the midst of his grief:

2 Samuel 12:20-23 (NKJV) So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.”

And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”

Listen to David’s words in the midst of grief. “Someday I will go to him”. That’s the language of boundless hope. That’s the language of someone living with eternity in mind.

Jesus and the final judgment – living mundane lives with eternity in mind

One more example about living daily lives with eternity in mind. This one is somewhat a “how to” verse – a practical guide on living a life with eternity in mind. Jesus was teaching the listeners about the final judgement and revealed to them what it would look like on judgement day.

Matthew 25:37-40 (NLT) “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

I can imagine the shock in each of their faces.

“What? You mean when I cared enough to make sure my neighbour wasn’t going hungry – that’s still resonating in eternity?”.

“What? When I saw someone needed some extra TLC, I cooked up a feed, went and spent time with them – that’s still resonating in eternity?”

“What? I saw someone without a warm jacket in winter and I had two jackets and gave them one – you are still talking about it here in eternity?”

“What you remember the visits I made to that dear one dying of cancer?”

“What you still remember the time I spent with the brother who was struggling with the stigma of a criminal record and he told me he felt like a normal person when he hung out with me – You still remember that?”

This is what living with eternity in mind looks like on this side of heaven – being there for the poor and the vulnerable, being kind, saying no to racism and any form of bigotry, standing with the oppressed and marginalised – everyday life making small differences to people’s lives – that’s what living with eternity in mind looks like.

I close with Paul’s conclusion in chapter fifteen.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

So I ask you again – what’s your plan after you die? Here’s something that the government needs to add to their website

INFORMATION YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE YOU DIE:

LIVE YOUR LIFE DAILY WITH ETERNITY IN MIND

Today we want to look at Colossians 2:16-18 (NKJV). Paul is correcting a fundamental flaw in the believer’s thinking that is taking them backwards in their relationship with Christ.

Colossians 2:16-19 (NLT) So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.

Paul is making it very clear that all the laws and rituals that are in the Old Testament were put in place to foreshadow what was to come when the Messiah Christ Jesus appeared. All the laws, all the festivals, all the holy days, everything the prophets spoke about were all fulfilled in Christ Jesus. They were all shadows. Christ is the reality.

TWO WAYS A SHADOW IS FORMED

A shadow is formed on a surface when something stands between a light and the surface. The shadow shows the shape, silhouette of the real thing. The laws and the rituals in the Old Testament were symbolic representations of things that were to come. They were symbolic acts that had spiritual meaning and experiences attached to them.

The sacrificial offerings didn’t begin with Moses. The first recorded sacrifices were done by Cain and Abel. Obviously they learnt it from their parents who were probably practicing bringing offerings to the Lord. Noah, Job and all the patriarchs of old made offerings unto the Lord. Moses got the revelation from God on how a corporate people could do what was already being done in an informal way by the godly people of old.

The first recorded tithing wasn’t during Moses time. Abraham was the first recorded person to tithe. Moses just formalised the process.

The laws and the rituals of the old testament were meant to be silhouettes, foreshadowing the coming of christ

The other way a shadow is formed in a place is when it is caused by something preventing light from reaching that place. A taller building blocking the sun from a part of your house for instance. That room never sees the sun and so potentially can get cold and mouldy. Man had taken the laws and rituals of God which were meant to draw people closer to Him and turned it into something that were restricted and preventing people from getting closer to Him. 

Instead of foreshadowing Christ, man interpreted the laws and the rituals to the point they were blocking Christ from the people and the laws became a stumbling block and hindrance to God

Paul was speaking of the latter when he said that all the religious requirements stood between us and God casting a shadow.

Colossians 2:17 (MSG) All those things are mere shadows cast before what was to come; the substance is Christ.

WHAT ARE THESE SHADOWS PAUL WAS TALKING ABOUT?

The things Paul referred to as shadows are things presented as required “supplements” (in addition to Christ) for a relationship with God. During Paul’s time some Jewish leaders were saying believing in Jesus was a good start but after that you need to be circumcised, and follow the laws of Moses. Otherwise you will not be saved. I call it the Jesus plus theology. Jesus plus the supplements. Jesus is not enough nutrition for you, you need to take some supplements. You need to do some additional things to continue to be saved. The shadows Paul was talking about were the commandments and doctrines of men.

Colossians 2:20-23 (NLT) You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

Mere human teachings he calls them. Note some of the words he uses – “seem wise” – “REQUIRE strong devotion, pious self-denial, bodily discipline”. What these men were really saying was:

• LOOK AT ME I’M “DOING” HOLY – dietary and religious observances

Colossians 2:16 (NLT) So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.

 

 

There seems to be a strong drive in recent years to return to Jewish practices. This seems to be a Western church phenomena. After living in the Western world for more than fifteen years now, I think I have an idea why there is a draw towards Jewish cultural practices. The European folk in the Western world have lost their cultural identity. With all the movements that are going on, Europeans have been relegated to being white. All the other races have their own languages and cultures unique to them but the European only speaks English and does not really have a distinct culture. This is especially true in the UK, US and countries like New Zealand and Australia. Some seem to be drawn to Eastern religions and adapt cultural practices similar to Hinduism or Buddhism. For the christian European however that is not an option. So the Jewish culture and practices become a natural draw card as these practices are from the Bible. I have no qualms about anyone wanting to adopt Jewish culture and practices as long as they know the festivals and practices that they are adopting are cultural and not Christian.

Let me elaborate further with two examples. Recently there was a group insisting that the Sabbath must be practiced on Saturday and the church meeting on Sunday has been influenced by the Emperor Constantine and the Roman Catholic church. While these thoughts may be amusing but they carry a very dangerous tone when we begin to insist that worshiping Jesus on a Sunday contradicts the Bible and is an offence to God simply because we are not meeting on a particular day ie. Saturday. My second son lives in the same city as me and my wife. He comes for dinner every Thursday for most of the time. What if one day he decides to visit us on a Tuesday and someone stands at the door and says to him, “its not Thursday, you can’t go and see your mom and dad. You can only visit them on Thursday.” Imagine how furious I would be when I found out that someone had the audacity to prevent my son from coming to see me. My son of course will walk right through him and come right in because he knows he can come see us any day, any time. Our home is his home. Sabbath on a Saturday is the shadow. Worshiping Jesus is the substance.

Another controversy is the church celebrating Good Friday and Easter. They say it is a pagan festival and should not be celebrated by the church. I find it difficult to believe that pagans want to celebrate Jesus Christ dying on the cross to save sinners and then rising from the dead on the third day. But I digress. They tell us we shouldn’t celebrate Good Friday but instead should celebrate the Passover. This is exactly the point Paul was making. Passover is the shadow – what happened on Good Friday (the day we have set aside to remember Christ’s death on the cross), that’s the substance. The Passover is a celebration of remembrance of the time Israel was delivered out of Egypt into a journey to the promise land. A real event for the Jews and they are commanded to remember that for eternity. What a marvelous deliverance it was. But as marvelous as that experience was, it was foreshadowing something coming for the whole of mankind. The Christ was coming to deliver the world from the bondage of sin and demonic oppression. Once Christ came the shadow was no longer necessary. The substance is Christ – His death and His resurrection. That’s why we celebrate Good Friday. We celebrate Christ the substance who died on the cross for all mankind. That’s the reality, no longer a shadow.

That’s why we no longer celebrate the Seder meal annually but celebrate the Lord’s table as often as we can. The night before Jesus died on the cross, he was celebrating the passover with them. He was probably having a meal similar to the Seder meal today. As the host he was meant to go through the dishes that were representing all the experiences the Jews had in Egypt. But the Gospel writers only record him taking two of the items on the table – the bread and the wine. Why? He told is why.

Matthew 26:26-28 (NLT) As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.

No longer do we celebrate the shadow of what is to come. We now celebrate the reality of what has happened. Christ is the substance. His body, His blood is now the reality. He is sufficient. He sustains us. He cleanses us from all sin.

Now back to Colossians 2. What those who were insisting on were to follow the laws and rituals which were mere shadows.

LOOK AT ME I’M “DOING” HOLY”. LOOK AT ME I’M “BEING” HOLY

Colossians 2:23 (NLT) These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

After “doing” all these things. After “being” all these things. You are still fighting your demons of anger, lust, unforgiveness, bitterness. Why? Because your are living in the shadows. Shadows cannot deal with the inner root problems of evil desires. The only thing that can transform us is a genuine, faith based relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord – not following rules and rituals.

The problem with chasing shadows is they present a faulty image of god. God becomes a mere illusion.

 

MOVING OUT OF THE SHADOWS

 

Get rid of the middle man

Paul speaks against any human intervention standing in the way of our direct access to Christ – “let no one judge you”, “let no one cheat you” (Col 2:16, 18). the Hebrews author is even more explicit.

Hebrews 8:6-13 (NLT) But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. But when God found fault with the people, he said: “The day is coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the LORD. But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.

Here we see a clear exhortation to no longer depend on an intermediary, whether it is a human being or whether they are a set of rules and rituals. God wants us to go to Him directly.

Go directly to the source – Christ Jesus

We need to grasp what access we have through the work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Paul uses these phrases – we are “circumcised in Him”, we are “buried with Him”, we are “made alive together with Him” (Col 2: 11-14). There is no longer the need for a priest to bless us. Go directly to Christ and receive His blessings. There is no longer the need to observe a certain Holy Day to experience God. Go directly to Jesus and you will experience God in His fulness.

It is all Jesus – Christ is the substance – no supplements required

Again I reiterate – we need to know what Christ has done for us on the cross.

Colossians 2:13-15 (NLT) for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

Col 2:19 (NLT) For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.

He has set us free once and for all from the bondage of sin and from the oppression of the evil one. No more condemnation. No more guilt and shame. Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

You are living in the shadows if you depend on any other source apart from Jesus Christ. Time to come out of the shadows and into His marvelous light. Let me close with this final passage from Galatians.

Galatians 3:5-7 (NLT) I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.

Have we put our faith in things we do, in our own effort, in things that are mere shadows? Could that be the reason we are not seeing the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit and the working of miracles? Could it be that the Gospel we are preaching is void of the power of God because we are focusing on human effort to get to God?

Time to come out of the shadows. It is all Jesus. Christ is the substance. No supplements required. Real Christians put their faith in him.

Hebrews 12:3-13 has been a difficult chapter to fully enter into mainly due to a combination of words that create a complex set of emotions. The author is encouraging his readers that we have a child and father relationship with God. At the same time he uses words like chastening, discipline and scourging to further convince us that God is treating us like children.

Hebrews 12:5-8 (NKJV) And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

These combination of words conjure up negative emotions and maybe even trigger trauma among those who have lived in homes where domestic violence was present. At face value, it seems to suggest that God uses pain and suffering as tools to educate his children. We end up placing this passage along other difficult Bible verses in the too hard basket.

Understanding the context

The context of this passage goes right back to chapter ten. The apostle is seeking to build faith and endurance in the lives of the believers because of the current circumstances they were experiencing.

Christians were being persecuted for their faith (Hebrews 10:32-34)

Hebrews 10:32-34 (NLT) Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.

Before any suggestion about chastening that we see in chapter twelve occurs, the apostle recognises the terrible suffering the readers have endured for their faith in Jesus Christ. The list includes public ridicule, being beaten, sharing in others who were suffering similar fate including those thrown in jail. He seems to suggest a common experience among is readers who have had all their possessions confiscated by the state, based solely on their decision to become christians.

Not only does he acknowledge their suffering, he commends them for the way they have responded to the suffering.

“…you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.”

They were able to look beyond their suffering and accepted it with joy – why? They knew there were “better things waiting”. They were able to see that the suffering they were enduring was only temporal, but the choice to believe in Jesus was having eternal consequences.

They had grown discouraged and were ready to give up ( Hebrews 10:35-39)

Hebrews 10:35-39 (NLT) So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. “For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.” But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

These wonderful christians were doing pretty well but prolonged suffering can take a toll on you. The apostle is sensing their weariness and discouragement and exhorts them not to throw away “this confident trust in the Lord”. He reminds them of the need for patient endurance and reminds them of the temporal nature of suffering. The early church had such an imminent view of Christ’s second coming that the thought of his return was a source of hope. “For in just a little while, the Coming One will come”.

Examples of the giants of faith who suffered (chapter 11)

Having encouraged them to persevere, he goes on to further encourage by associating their suffering with all the giants of faith in the Old Testament who suffered for their obedience to God. He first talks about the mighty deeds they accomplished for God and proceeds to say these words:

Hebrews 11:35-38 (NLT) But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

Jesus the perfect role model of one who suffered (12:1-3)

After he rolls out the who’s who in the hall of faith, he brings out the big gun – Jesus the perfect example.

Hebrews 12:1-4 (NLT) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

Fix your eyes on the champion, the role model – Keep your eyes on Jesus. That’s how you endure prolonged suffering. Christ’s fate will be our fate. How do we know that? Cause he is the one who initiates and perfects our faith.

HE ACKNOWLEDGES THEIR SUFFERING. HE ENCOURAGES THEM TO PATIENTLY ENDURE. HE INVITES THEM TO THINK OF THE GIANTS OF THE FAITH. THEN HE FINALLY CHALLENGES THEM TO FOCUS ON JESUS – THEN YOU WON’T BECOME WEARY AND GIVE UP.

Once he has encouraged them not to give up, he now gives them another perspective when facing prolonged suffering – think of yourself as a child of God. AS YOU ENDURE…REMEMBER – God is treating you as his own children.

PLEASE NOTE – A VERY IMPORTANT CAVIET

God was not the source of their suffering. They were being persecuted for their faith. I have heard people use this Scripture to suggest that God uses suffering to discipline his children. That’s not what this text is saying. The context is very clear – it’s talking about persecution. Sickness and tragedy can never be seen as coming from God. To attribute God as the source of suffering is to misrepresent the Father of lights in whom there is no variation and no shadow of turning. God is only good, God is always good.

I believe what the author of Hebrews is highlighting is that prolonged suffering has caused them to lose their confident trust in God. You get discouraged, you start questioning the goodness of God and forget the most important thing Christ has done for us – given us the right to become children of God. Prolonged suffering, discouragement, despair, can make an orphan out of us. So I want to go through this passage I we quoted at the beginning and go through it as a checklist to search our hearts to see if we are living as a child of God or have we slipped into an orphan mindset.

√ VERSE 7: An orphan doesn’t recognise fatherly training. A child embraces the experience.

Hebrews 12:7 (NLT) As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children.

The word translated “discipline” in NLT, is translated as “chastening” in NKJV. The greek word used is paideia– tutorage, education or training. It implies correcting as part of the training process but to translate it as chastening or discipline is unfortunate. Both these words carry a negative connotation and in my opinion misrepresents the intention of the author to show a loving and caring relationship of a father and child as opposed to an orphan who is left to their own devices. He is suggesting that in the midst of suffering – take time to sit on daddy’s knees and glean from Him. Let him teach you as he did all the heroes of the faith in chapter 11 who suffered well for what they believed in. Let Abba Father spend time with you in the midst of your suffering to teach you how the Son of God exemplified the powerful life of suffering for the sake of the Kingdom.

√ VERSE 8: An orphan doesn’t realise their legal entitlement. A child knows he or she is family and belongs.

Hebrews 12:8 (NLT) If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.

Once again we need to go to the greek. The word translated illegitimate is the greek word nothos. It carries the thought of being illegitimate in the sense of legal standing. “unable to make an accredited claim” to sonship of God (TDNT). The word is used in ancient Greece to describe someone who didn’t have legitimate rights to be a citizen because one of their parents were not greeks. The apostle is saying that one who doesn’t experience the intimate fatherly training or tutorage is one who is not experiencing their right as a child. An orphan doesn’t realise their legal entitlement. A child knows he or she is family and belongs. When your father is king, it means you are a prince.

√ VERSE 9: An orphan sees submission as life threatening. A child sees submission as life-giving.

Hebrews 12:9 (NLT) Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

When I was doing clinical counselling, I used to see blended families who were seeking therapeutic intervention for their teenage children presenting challenging behaviour. It was common for me to hear an exasperated teenager yell out to his or her step-father, “you’re not my father. You can’t tell me what to do.” The child was not able to see the man their mother married as their father and gave him no legitimate right to guide them as their parent.

Submission is a relational problem. When we struggle to submit to the guidance of the Lord, we are really struggling with Him being our Father. Note how the passage calls God the Father of our spirits – he does a deep work, deep calling to deep and His work causes us to live, truly live. An orphan spirit will always struggle with submitting to God but a child will always see submission as a life-giving experience.

√ VERSE 10: An orphan sees God’s intentions as self-serving. A child sees God as always acting on their best interest.

Hebrews 12:10 (NLT) For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.

The author to the Hebrews speaks fondly of the training received from an earthly father. He sees the short time earthly fathers had to pass on life lessons were done to the best of their abilities and was based on what they felt was best for us. God on the other hand does know us best and does know what is best for us. His training is always good for us, leading us closer to sharing a life like He has. A child will have a positive view of God’s dealings in their lives. An orphan spirit is always suspicious about God’s intentions. An orphan sees God’s intentions as self-serving. A child sees God as always acting on their best interest.

√ FINALLY VERSE 11: An orphan seeks short term pleasure. A child endures, trusting for a certain harvest in the future.

Hebrews 12:11 (NLT) No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

A child who embraces the tutorage and training of the Lord, will develop the ability to see beyond the present suffering and envision the future harvest of all the promises of God. An orphan acquires no skill in seeing beyond the present hardship, seeking short term pleasure.

SO BE A CHILD NOT AN ORPHAN

– Your Heavenly Father wants to train you

– Your Heavenly Father wants you to know that you are part of His family

– Your Heavenly Father wants you to submit to His parenting so you can truly enjoy the life He has for you

– Your Heavenly Father has only your best interest at heart

– Your Heavenly Father has a long term plan for you to bear much fruit and prosper in Him

This passage closes with some wonderful practical advice.

Hebrews 12:12-13 (NLT) So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

I know the context is suffering under persecution – but I would like to see these two verses as a template for all kinds of suffering.

A CHILD’S TEMPLATE WHEN SUFFERING

When going through suffering, this is how we should posture ourselves:

• raise those hands in thanksgiving

• strengthen the knees in prayer

• clear the path so you don’t trip – clear from faulty thinking, faulty ideas about God

• and keep walking till you are whole again