CLICK HERE for a free copy of Dr. Denison's 2014 Advent Devotional (in a downloadable/printable Adobe .pdf file)
Wednesday, April 16
... For this corruptible body must put on incorruption and this mortal body must put on immortality ... (1 Corinthians 15:53)
Today is Holy Wednesday. There is not a single recorded event in the life of the Lord Jesus on this day. He likely remained in Bethany, a suburb of Jerusalem where he has been staying in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Here he spends the day with his disciples and friends in quiet and solitude, preparing for the horrifi c events soon to come.
This is not the first time our Lord stayed in the home of friends. He lived in Capernaum for three years in the home of Peter and Andrew (Mark 1:29). He also stayed in the home of Matthew, the notorious tax collector, where he ate with tax collectors, prostitutes, and other well-known sinners (Matthew 9:10). And Luke's Gospel tells us that he accepted the financial support of a group of women who helped him out of their own means (Luke 8:2-3). After leaving his own home in Nazareth, he never had a home of his own again. He went wherever he was invited and stayed anywhere he was welcome. This is the pattern of Christianity from the fi rst century to ours. The faith began in Palestine and spread across the Middle East. From there it grew into Greece and eventually to Italy and Rome. Missionaries took the gospel as far west as Spain and England, and as far east as India.
Then the center of gravity shifted across the Atlantic to the New World. For centuries North America was the most Christianized continent in the world, with the largest churches and the most missionaries. Now the faith is moving again. South Korea is one-third to one-half "born again" Christian; ve of the ten largest churches on earth are in their country. Last year, they sent more missionaries into the world than America did.
A worship movement is sweeping Australia. A tribal movement is growing across sub-Saharan Africa; in southern Nigeria, 90% of the people gather for worship each Sunday. As many as 100,000 people come to Christ every day in the People's Republic of China. More than a million people have become Christians in Cuba over the last ten years. A Pentecostal movement is sweeping Central and South America. More Muslims than ever before are coming to Christ, many after seeing visions and dreams of Jesus.
Meanwhile, the Church is dying in Western Europe where it once was headquartered. In Great Britain, four times as many Muslims go to mosque on Friday as Christians go to church on Sunday. In France, less than one percent go to church each week. In America, the number of atheists and agnostics has quadrupled over the last 20 years.
Author Philip Yancey observes: "As I travel, I have observed a pattern, a strange historical phenomenon of God 'moving' geographically from the Middle East, to Europe to North America to the developing world. My theory is this: God goes where he's wanted."36 The fact is clear: God goes where he's welcome and changes the world wherever he goes.
What God's word means
Paul has already explained that " flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable" (v. 50). Now he returns to this fact: Before we can enter God's perfect heaven, this corruptible ("destructible, perishable") body must ("it is necessary that") put on ("clothe itself with") incorruption ("that which is imperishable") and our mortal ("perishable") body with immortality.
When the "last trumpet" sounds, the battle is over (v. 52). Our battle with corruption and death will end in victory as we achieve incorruption and immortality. When we put on such victorious garments, we will say with the prophet,
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10).
Why Easter matters
On Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead in a body that could appear through locked doors (John 20:19) and ascend to heaven (Acts 1:9). Because he could exchange corruptible for incorruptible and mortal for immortality, we can as well.
How to respond
Now Jesus continues his Kingdom advance through his followers, the "body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:27). His Spirit dwells in us as his temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). As Jesus made his home in a fishing village and a tax-collector's house, then in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus on Holy Wednesday, he makes his home in us. In fact, he goes anywhere people will make him their King and serve to advance his Kingdom.
Would he say he is welcome as King in your home and your heart? How is your life advancing his Kingdom today?
No comments:
Post a Comment