Even when Jesus died, her love for her Lord diminished not. Why were Mary and the other women at the tomb even before the dawn of the morning? Couldn’t the preparations for the dead body wait until first light? How will they get passed the large stone covering the tomb? The Lord is first in her heart. He is her why. How is not so important. He was buried in haste so everyone could observe the Passover. Jesus is the Passover lamb. And He is also the first-born slain. He is our sacrifice and our substitute. He shed His blood and took the judgement. But everyone was too busy to keep the symbol and missed the reality.

Joseph of Arimathea stepped up to request for the body as did Nicodemus with a hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes. Rabbi Nicodemus sought our Lord for some answers and it was to him that our Lord spoke how the Son of Man would be lifted up just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness. Here the Lord is. Lifted up. Executed as a condemned criminal, but innocent, blameless. Nicodemus brought the spices. The Lord’s trial and crucifixion happened so suddenly, but it is as if he had it ready and on hand. He was obviously wealthy, and generous. But the Lord’s body had already been anointed, by Mary with the costly and fragrant spikenard at his feet in Simon the leper’s house. The spikenard had been saved for this hour and she broke the vial and poured it all out on Jesus. How could she save any of it for herself. Jesus gave all. Jesus received her gift. She was approved and commended.

Early in the morning, when it was still dark, Mary Magdalene comes with the other women to properly prepare the body. Love. This is not done for show or reward, their beloved Rabboni was dead. Were Mary and the women fools for going to the tomb? Which of them was strong enough to roll the stone away? Were they expecting the eleven disciples to be there, too?

You could say, well, they didn’t figure out that Jesus was going to rise again either. The angels told them, “He is not here. Why are you looking for the living among the dead.” Well, we too, are slow to believe and slow to understand just as the disciples were, and they didn’t have the complete Scriptures like we do. But Mary Magdalene’s love, foolish as it may appear, persisted. She was rewarded. Our resurrected Lord Jesus appeared to her first. Seeing and talking to angels is quite something, but to Mary, Christ is everything. Her devotion did not end at Jesus’ burial. Neither did the life of her Lord. The Lord arose and remained at the tomb before He ascended to the Father since He told her as such. Surely He knew that love would compel her and the other women to come to the tomb early. Even still, they did come to the tomb. And He waited for them. The disciples, at least Peter and John, came when alerted — and left. Mary stayed. Why did she stay? Someone took her Lord. Even the dead body is precious to her. She wasn’t leaving until she had her Lord. Why did the Lord wait to go to the Father?

“Mary!” Mary’s devotion is not in vain. How Jesus loves us. We have been forgiven much. Do we love Him much? At His Return, will the Lord find us having broken our alabaster vials and pouring out the precious ointment on His Body? Will He find us eagerly seeking after Him while it is still dark so that He can meet us and fulfill all our longing to be with Him. Will we be Mary?

It’s April 8th. This April is unlike any April I’ve ever experienced. I didn’t step out of the house today, not even to go to work. When I was last out of the house a few days ago, there were cars on the road, but zero traffic. No traffic in Southern California. Haven’t seen that in decades. I never heard of PPE until a few weeks ago. The news is Coronavirus 24-7 so, it’s better to leave the TV off. Death counts and infection rates in any corner of the world slow drips sadness into any heart. This is not the world that I’m used to.

But somethings don’t change. Today is the start of Passover. Jewish families around the globe remember how their ancestors survived the last of the ten plaques of judgment upon the land of Egypt around 3500 years ago. At the very first Passover, to spare the first-born in the family, the Jewish ancestors were instructed to take a one-year old lamb from the flock, slaughter it, and take some of it’s blood and paint it on their door post. That lamb was supposed to be without any blemishes, roasted whole on a spit, eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread while the people were to be dressed for a journey. On the next day, from the nourishment of this meal, they were to embark on a mass exodus out of Egypt in haste. During the night, this last plague resulted in the death of the first-born in the house. In every house except the houses where the blood of that lamb had been applied to the door post, there was a casualty of the plague. The first-born was found dead in the morning. Death passed over the blood-stained homes and the first-born males were all spared within the houses of the people of Israel who believed in God’s instruction. Even at the very time this occurred, the people of Israel were instructed to celebrate this occasion every year. Over 3000 years later, Jewish families still celebrate this historical and miraculous event that happened to their forefathers. They still memorialize how the blood of the spotless lamb allowed the first-born to live as the plague passed-over their blood-stained homes.

So, hopefully, you saw this link on the bottom of the business card and got curious.

Yes, I am a Christian.

It could mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but perhaps you’re reading this to see what it means to me and what it could mean for you.

It means that Jesus Christ is my life. It means to me that even as I struggle in life sometimes, I am never alone. It means that because I am a Christian, sometimes I struggle because it is no longer just about me. Sometimes I want to do or say something but the life of Christ within does not want to do that or say that. You might say, why struggle then. Just do whatever you want. You only live once. Why be subject to limitations or restrictions. Do you.

Would we tell a person with diabetes, “eat whatever you want, you only live once?” Or to tell a child who has found a lighter and enjoys setting things on fire, “if you like it, do it!” Why do we try to convince the diabetic to stick to their diet or try to take the lighter from the child? Yes, we have this one life, so isn’t it most reasonable to make the most of it?  Within limitations as in these simple examples, there is life, quality of life, extension of life. So, limitations are not necessarily a bad thing at all. As Christians, we tend to emphasize all the obvious benefits of having Christ as life because they are overwhelmingly wonderful: peace with God and man; knowing the love of God by experience and expression; forgiveness; contentment; joy; eternal life—all that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is, has been given me by faith. Wow.

What is faith? Isn’t it just believing? I understand faith as the means for me to sense God. Like hearing is for the detection and receiving of sound waves that are not visible, faith is for the detection and receiving of spiritual things, as the Bible tells us, God is Spirit. Which one of our organs faiths? That would be our human spirit. It is deeper than our soul, the heart of who we are, and it is aided by our hearing and seeing and speaking.

So, how did I become a Christian? For me, it started with this realization that I was a sinner, that I wasn’t right with God. I didn’t come to this realization on my own. Another Christian pointed this out as the Bible says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” I had heard this before, but this time it was different. It was as if some extra light was shed on me and I was able to see myself as a sinner. I did things I would rather not have others know about, that I rather hide and try to justify, even though I didn’t kill anyone, I know I had done things that were wrong and it wasn’t hard for me to do those things. Sin. When I came to see that I was a sinner, then all the thing I heard about Jesus, the Son of God, dying on a cross on a hill near Jerusalem to take my punishment for my sin because He loved me, started to be relevant to me. His resurrection from the dead, on the third day, (which is why we celebrate Easter) was so accessible. Did I understand it all, no. But I was touched, and I accepted or received this truth to be mine. And when I did so, I knew something had changed within me, but I couldn’t explain it. I have come to realize that Jesus Christ came to be my life, taking residence in my spirit, and now, things were different.

So, if you are likewise touched as you are reading this, as simple as this is, you can do what I did at that time, which was to simply pray, or talk to God, who is omnipresent, (everywhere),

“Dear Lord God, I am a sinner, too. I want to know forgiveness, I want to know your love. I want to receive Jesus as my life. I accept that He died for me and He rose from the grave. Please give me faith. Thank you for loving me.”

If you prayed this sincerely, the Bible says that if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us from unrighteousness. And confession or profession is expressing what is in our heart. This profession is what saves us, the Bible says, and Christ is now our life! Can you leave a message here if you prayed?

And yes, I will get back to the limitations.

Stanzas two and three appear to reflect on how grace worked on the writer’s heart: 

     ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
     And grace my fears relieved;
     How precious did that grace appear
     The hour I first believed.

     Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
     I have already come;
     ’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
     And grace will lead me home.

At the hour we first believed, the life of Jesus the Son makes us alive to God. Up to that point, we were dead or numb to God. This was discussed in the previous post on this hymn. So, now that the writer’s spirit is no longer deadened, there is a realization that He ought to fear. But fear what? Fear whom?

Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) is one disease specifically mentioned in the Bible and we are familiar with it through photographs of the ravages of this disfiguring disease. Those affected by it often have missing fingers or toes, facial disfigurement, or some bodily contortion. This is not from a flesh-eating bacteria. Mycobacterium leprae is a bacteria that attacks the nerves and so result in a loss of sensation of the infected. Grossly, when the tissue loses the ability to sense heat or cold or a cut or a sprain, a simple injury can lead to a devastating result because the affected person isn’t aware that they have been hurt. Instead of attending to the injury, they can compound the injury carelessly. So, fingers can suffer 3rd and 4th degree burns without pain. For the affected person living in impoverished conditions, during the night, a small rodent may nibble away at a wounded site and the person doesn’t feel anything to fend off the offender and thus exacerbate the injury. So, the harm is done, but they are not particularly bothered by it. (For a full picture of leprosy and our spiritual condition, I recommend The Gift of Pain by Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey)

So in the same way, we can live in opposition to God without much awareness of it. We lack fear or reverence for God. We who were created in God’s image allow harm to ourselves, see nothing wrong with it, and don’t seem to mind that it’s happening. Since we are not conscious of God, we think nothing of taking the name of God in vain, so cursing is easy, it rolls off the tongue with minimal effort. But the name of Jesus Christ is the name of God’s precious Son whom God sent to the world to save us from our sin. The Bible tells us that when we call on His precious name, we are wondrously saved. (I tested this and must tell you that it is true. “O Lord Jesus, I need You..”) How can we then take His name and make the greatest blessing into a lowly curse. When we misuse it so readily, we more easily dismiss it’s true power and preciousness.

How can anyone handle fellow human beings like property, or worse, bought and sold and treated contemptuously without feeling? Without feeling. Slavery still exists in the 21st century in the form of human trafficking. So, if we think that society has “evolved” over the last 200 years or so, think again. The kind of tearing down of fellow human beings on social media is a clear demonstration that callousness has not improved with time and social enlightenment. Whatever the vice, maybe at one time, there was some twinge of guilt or inward objections raised by a sensitive conscience, but over time, even that conscience can become seared, too numb to raise any objections at all. But just because we cannot feel danger, it doesn’t mean danger doesn’t exist. Just because we can’t sense God’s presence or notice His handiwork in the natural world surrounding us, it doesn’t mean He isn’t there.

So, for humanity, losing God-consciousness has been the greatest tragedy. The Bible reveals that rebellion to God has introduced the factor of Sin which rendered humanity dead or numb to God. Almighty God, who cannot be limited by time, space, and matter, has provided the antidote to our deadened spiritual condition in the person of the resurrected Jesus Christ, our only remedy. When at first we are awakened to God, we see our own state of wretchedness and our need for salvation. It is like the nerves being brought back to life and now we sense the pain from all the damage that has come from living callously. And at that moment of despair from our helplessness, Jesus provides the solution. The Bible says that we were redeemed by His precious blood. He comes not only to make us aware of our sinfulness, He comes to exchange His God-conscious life for our God-callous life.

Now, the commandments of God are not merely rules to live by, but the expression of the life of Jesus, (who forever lives in obedience to the eternal Father and His commands)being lived out in you and me. So grace led me to see my wretchedness, to fear for my sinfulness, to appreciate that God has a purpose for my being, and grace provide the solution to my fallen state of being in the person of the resurrected Jesus Christ. Now it becomes possible to live our life as God meant it to be lived. And as we navigate through this life, with all its temptations, and trials, and failures, and difficulties, the life of Jesus remains: He will not abandon us. He will see us through. Grace is taking us all the way to God’s end, when the transforming work of God is complete in us. John Newton was on a slave ship for many journeys, some as the captain even, but towards the end of his life, we can see the life of Jesus at work in him. He eventually wrote a pamphlet on the horrors of the slave trade and distributed the publication to the members of the British Parliament. He worked with William Wilberforce and others to abolish the slave trade in Great Britain. But God had to first work it out an exchange in his heart. In their hearts. In all our hearts. Until it’s all the Son’s heart.

Amazing grace.

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene *came early to the tomb, while it *was still dark, and *saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she *ran and *came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and *said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also *came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he *saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she *saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She *said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” When she had said this, she turned around and *saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she *said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus *said to her, “Mary!” She turned and *said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene *came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.  John 20:1-18 NASB

*for the modern English reader, the translators changed the present tense of the original Greek, to the easier to understand past tense of modern American English.

One of my favorite resurrection morning songs is “I’ve Just Seen Jesus.” I was always awed by this inspired duet by Sandy Patty and Larnelle Harris.

The Mary mentioned here love the Lord. Death did not change her love. She was not deterred by the pre-dawn darkness, by being at a tomb, by the large stone rolled over the tomb opening. She just wanted to be where Jesus is. We are told to seek Him while He may be found. She sought for Jesus even when Jesus was dead and buried. I don’t know if the other women returned to the tomb with her along with Peter and John, but Mary returned, and even when the disciples went back to their own homes after seeing the empty tomb, Mary lingered. She wasn’t going anywhere. Her love is persistent. I loved the other Mary that anointed the Lord for burial with the broken vial of expensive spikenard. She loves the Lord. What a comfort to the Savior before the brutality of the Cross. And I love this Mary, whose love would not let the Lord go, even in death. So, even when all hope seems lost, we can still love the Lord like Mary, and in the midst of our brokenness and sorrow, we might hear our Lord in Resurrection call us by name! I want to testify, too, “I have seen the Lord!” 

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  Romans 5:6-10

No greater love than Jesus dying on the Cross of Calvary. No greater power.              Believe and Receive.

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

This, the power of the cross:
Christ became sin for us,
Took the blame, bore the wrath:
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face
Bearing the awesome weight of sin;
Every bitter thought,
Every evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees,
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
‘Finished!’ the victory cry.

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death,
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

This, the power of the cross:
Son of God, slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Stuart Townend & Keith Getty
Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music (Adm. by CapitolCMGPublishing.com excl. UK & Europe, adm. by Integrity Music, part of the David C Cook family, songs@integritymusic.com)

The most familiar hymn of all time might be Amazing Grace. Just a few bars of the melody is all that is needed for most to join in singing:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.

Perhaps the other stanzas are less familiar but this first one is quite recognizable to most Americans. It’s rare to watch footage of the now-too-familiar candlelight vigil or a somber memorial when this song isn’t played prominently or at least in the background. It’s a soundtrack to Americans in mourning.

But though the melody evokes strong emotions, nearly a tragic sweetness, the words ought to instill hope midst sorrow. I want to address the melody in a later blog but I want to highlight something that has recently occurred to me about the powerful truths this first stanza reveals.

I was at first considering the “sound” that is mentioned here. What is that sound so sweet? I polled some valued people and many wonderful answers were given. But I understand the sound to be… the name of Jesus. The Bible tells us that God the Father gave His Beloved Son, Jesus, the name which is above every name and the only name by which a person can be saved. Jesus saves. Jesus is the sweetest name I know.

Before any of us called on Jesus, there wasn’t even the realization that we were wretched. If a room is dim, it’s hard to see yourself in the mirror, but when it’s brightly lit, all the blemishes become quite apparent. In the light of Jesus Christ, not only can we see our own wretchedness but there is grace to acknowledge our own wretchedness. Perhaps we might compare ourselves to the song writer and say, “I’m not a God-cursing slave-trader,” which was John Newton at one point in his life. True, but would you examine your thoughts over the last 24 hours? All of them. Any murderous thoughts? If your thought-life were to be broadcasted like a movie, what kind of ratings might it be given? And yet, the Bible tells us that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. Those committed, those yet to be acted upon, those in progress. Not only so, the blood He shed on the Cross dealt with the Sin nature within me, not just the sins I commit. He gave all who believes in Him His very own life, so in God’s eyes, God sees His Son in place of the wretch like me.

You might tell me, so what? I don’t believe the Bible and I am still a good person. Why this talk of sin all the time? Ah, this consideration is the perfect lead-in to the next two lines. I once was lost. Truly, someone who is lost might not be fully aware of it. If you don’t have a charted path, anywhere will do. If I don’t know I have a destination or a home, I can wander in the world without the thought of being lost. But if someone leads me home or to my purposed destination, I would then realize that prior to that, I was lost, but now I’m found. Newton makes it so simple.

But the last line about being blind is revelatory. To someone born blind, sight means very little. There would be little motivation to see. Furthermore, any attempts to describe things visually would seem like utter nonsense. And the truth of the matter is that we are all born blind to God. To perceive a smell, we need a functioning nose. To perceive a sight we need functioning eyes. To perceive God, who is Spirit, we need a functioning spirit. And until we see for the first time, we would never even realize we were blind. When Jesus saves us, He gives us His life and His life makes our dormant spirit alive. And with a living functioning spirit, we perceive God in ways we could never perceive before. Before we believed in Jesus, the things of God seemed so fantastical, but afterwards, we just want to tell others, this is real. But like someone seeing for the first time, we still stumble in explaining what we “see” to others who haven’t seen. But we can say this about ourselves, … was blind but now I see.

If the things of God seem ridiculous to you, won’t you consider that every one who has trusted Jesus was once in the exact same place as you. And throughout the ages, we all give the same witness. God gave His only Son, Jesus, not only to save us from sin and the judgment of us as sinners, but much more, that we may have Jesus’ eternal, death-conquering life. That is our purpose: Jesus Christ. This is why humanity is here on earth. This week, the world remembers Jesus’ substitutionary death on a Roman cross and His death-conquering resurrection on Easter Sunday. We have been given the reality of this truth in Jesus’ resurrection life moment by moment. When we believe, our eyes for God are opened. This is amazing grace.

Stanza two…

Well, perhaps you might be surprised that after a long break, from time of the solar eclipse, I “picked up the pen” again to post, the week of the lunar eclipse, to post about Super Bowl LII. The Super Bowl? Perhaps it’s because it’s been an incredibly busy season for me and I haven’t had time to do much writing, but this had been an unusual week and I will take a few minutes to see what comes of this.

Many of you are aware that it is my conviction that the Lord Jesus is coming back soon, just as He said so. I’ve felt that way for sometime now, since Y2K, actually, and 18 years later, I haven’t lost that sense. Well, you could say I have been wrong for 18 years, which would be true, but we are now 18 years closer to the Lord’s coming since 2000. And maybe you don’t care that Jesus Christ came the first time and why would you care that He is coming a second time. Well briefly, the Bible foretold Jesus’ coming the first time, and He came in such a way that all the prophesies that were spoken of His coming came true. How many prophesies you ask, at least 300 of them. From details regarding His birth all the way to the manner of crucifixion when at the time the prophesies were made, the Roman Empire had not yet existed nor it’s gruesome form of execution.

Before the Lord Jesus ascended to heaven, He stated that He is coming again, and I think we really should pay attention to what the Bible says about Jesus’ return. You can choose not to, but, nudge, nudge, give the Bible a read. The Bible hasn’t failed me, God hasn’t failed me, and though sometimes I get upset at God, He speak to my lowly heart and in humility, makes a way for me to hear that speaking. That is my experience. Christ is for real.

You say, I came to read about the Super Bowl, where are you going with this?

Yes, back to this week. I caught the last 10 minutes of the AFC championship two weeks ago and thought, what a comeback. Brady is the old guy, and I root for the old guy, even when the Patriots were the favorite and I favor the underdog as a rule, I can’t help rooting for Brady. The camera panned to the Jaguar’s quarterback with the tear streak down his face at the end of the game. He was so close to victory, but it was not meant to be.

Am I saying the Patriots were meant to win the game? To be at the Super Bowl? Well, let’s hold that thought and I shall ask, aren’t you struck by all the unusual occurrences this week from all over the place? Well, this week, there was the Super Blue Blood Moon visible in North America. That’s an unusual phenomenon. Simultaneously, there was a lunar eclipse, a double full moon in one month, all while the moon is closest to the earth in it’s orbit. The last time this happened all at once in North America was 1866. 152 years ago. When the “lights in the expanse” were created, it is stated, they were for signs and seasons, days and years. (Genesis 1:14). Signs. Let’s not skip over “signs.”

I know that the President isn’t the most popular guy. But isn’t it super unusual that Donald J. Trump is our President! Incredible! He made it through a year. And so did America. Though he has made it abundantly clear that he is leading under the banner of “America First,” at his State of the Union address this week, he makes a point to defend his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Regardless of your politics, that is a bold move. I had no idea that there was an Act to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem from 1995. That’s 23 years ago! Do you remember who was president then? That’s right, William J. Clinton!  So, this is not a party thing. This is an American thing. America has stood by Israel when nobody else does. Why should America do so. She is meant to stand by Israel. Have you seen the map of the Middle East? It is incredible that Israel stands as a nation today. It is surrounded by enemies. It’s enemies print on their missiles “Israel must be wiped out,” but it still stands. Guess what, Israel is the nation who’s history lands it squarely in the Bible. Jerusalem is in the heart of the Bible. People in Israel can trace their lineage back to the people of the Bible! Yes! They have been the target of annihilation for centuries. Even if a Jewish person doesn’t think too much of his own ancestry, everyone who has the life of Christ loves the nation of Israel because Israel is beloved of God. So, moving the embassy to Jerusalem is kind of a big deal. Jerusalem is a big deal. Jerusalem has it’s place in the Bible, past, present, future.

This week, the stock market took a tumble. Prior to that, the market reached record highs this year in all the indices only to tumble 666 points on Friday. 666 points.

Ok, I’m getting back to the Super Bowl. It’s Super Bowl LII. LII is 52. 52! 52 is an interesting number. I am not saying that the Super Bowl is in Bible Prophecy, but who is playing against Brady and the Patriots? The Eagles, the Philadelphia Eagles. Philadelphia! Do you know that Philadelphia is in the Bible, in the very last book of the Bible. In fact, the only mention of Philadelphia is in the book of Revelations. Of course, the city of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania was named after the Philadelphia mentioned in Revelations. The city of Brotherly love. That Philadelphia church, among the churches in Asia minor (modern day Turkey), was the only one commended without rebuke. In her letter, Jesus says, I am coming quickly. When we consider Philadelphia, we should consider that the Lord Himself says, I am coming quickly.

So, yeah, the outcome of the game doesn’t mean that much to me. But these teams serve to remind us of some truths. Undeniable truths. The New England Patriots call Boston home. Boston has an interesting city motto. Are you ready for this? The city motto for Boston is, “Sicut patribus sit Deus nobis” (Latin)” “As God was with our fathers, so may He be with us.” This nation was founded by people who revered God. Massachusetts was founded by the Pilgrims who came on the Mayflower in order to worship God freely. Pennsylvania was founded by a Quaker, a pacifist Quaker who was imprisoned several times in the Tower of London for his faith. During such an imprisonment in the Tower of London, William Penn wrote, “No Cross, No Crown” which was published first in 1669. He wrote about the daily bearing of the cross, self-denial. (This is not just a topic favored by speakers we know!) William Penn, who was also a real estate developer, founded Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, in 1682.

So, no matter who wins the Super Bowl today, America wins. We still declare, as God was with our fathers, so may He be with us. This is our prayer as a nation under God. And what will bring this nation together, and more importantly at the Lord’s soon coming, is that He find us loving one another. The Son’s life is in us. The One who laid His life down for us dwells in us. My love is limited, but the One who lives in me loves perfectly. May He love in us.

Do I have a favorite for this Super Bowl? I have never favored any opponent of the Patriots, but this year, I’m going with Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. May we be reminded that our Savior Lord is coming quickly. With the little strength that we have, let’s hold fast. Let’s keep His word. Let’s not deny His name.

Revelations 3:7-13: “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:

‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.  Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

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What an interesting phenomenon is the solar eclipse. Though the sun is roughly 400 times bigger, the moon is roughly 400 times closer to the earth. So when the sun and the moon align themselves just so, for those brief seconds, the moon is able to block the view of the sun from earth. Darkness will fall in the middle of the day as the sun is eclipsed. So something doesn’t have to be big to be able to block one’s view of something much greater.

So, you clicked this link to read on. So here’s the rest of the story. Well, if you are interested to know, I am willing to share.

This story is my story. And my story is Jesus. I believe we are all actually living out His-story. Yes, I’m a clinician, I continue to be a student of science, and I am fully convinced that this vast universe that we are a  part of is here by design. The mechanism of how it all comes together is contested, but whenever I consider the eyes and how it is we can see the world around us, and how that is related to language, learning, love, and beauty, I become more convinced than ever that all that our eyes can take in of creation, that beauty is intentional.

So then, why Jesus? Well, I must say that Jesus resonates. The Biblical account of how man came into being resonates. Even why humanity exists resonates. Even the way the Bible calls me out as a sinner resonates. And we measure time by His appearing. There are many calendar systems of this world, but the one used universally measures time according to Christ. B.C. stands for Before Christ, and A.D. anno domini, the year of the Lord, the Lord Christ. Christ is central. Why is His birth universally celebrated, over the centuries? Could a Jewish carpenter’s son warrant such an honor if He were merely that? And why does the symbol of the cross appear wherever there is healing, rescue, and salvation? Have we forgotten that crucifixion is a cruel and painful form of execution?

So, back to Calvary, at the Cross of Jesus, God who became man to right the course of humanity, took on sin for all mankind. The Son of God is righteous altogether but bore humanity’s collective unrighteousness. He who is light would appear to have been swallowed by darkness. For those hours He hung on the cross, it would appear that evil triumphed over good. It was while He bore our sins, that the Bible, along with regional historians of that time, recorded the sun being darkened for about three hours. That was not a solar eclipse, could I say it was a Son eclipse. The One who fed the 5000 with 5 loaves of bread and a few fish, cast out the demons, caused the blind to see, brought the dead to life, this One was nailed to a Roman cross of execution and remained there until He died. In a single location, a moment in time, all evil focused in on one Man. Did He not change the course of humanity by dying and taking all of us with Him?

If the account ended at the Cross, there would be no reason to celebrate. His heart was pierced through, they wrapped Him in grave clothes, and buried Him in the tomb. But just like a grain of wheat gets buried in soil, dies, and comes back to life to bear a bunch of grains of wheat, our Jesus was buried, and on the third day, He appeared to His disciples once again, ALIVE, to over 500 people. He took humanity with Him in victory over death. And humanity’s course got righted because His life in resurrection is meant to be shared.

How do I know this? The Bible, which has proven to be trustworthy over centuries, nearly 2 millennia, and over all the decades I have read it to heart, tells me so. How do I get to share in this resurrection (life overcoming death) life of Jesus? I put my trust in Jesus, in His-story. And that is what others have done and shared with me. And He wants to share His life with everyone who believes. And with all humility, I share what I have enjoyed of His life with you.

Over two thousand years ago, on a hill called Calvary just beyond the city wall of Jerusalem, a Jewish carpenter was executed by Rome as ordered by one Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. The charge leveled against him: He was the King of the Jews — though he lived not a day in a palace nor ever sat on a gilded throne.

Nearly two thousand years before this took place, on that same hill, called Mount Moriah then, Abram, the son of Terah, the father of the Jews and Arabs, steadied his hand to pierce through his beloved son, Issac. The son was spared when a substitutionary ram was provided and offered in his place.

Today, in 2015, beyond the walls of Jerusalem, beyond the borders of Israel, beyond the tribes of Abram’s sons, why does the world continue to memorialize the execution of this man, who was called the Lamb of God, on this holy day of the Jewish Passover when a lamb without blemish was to be killed as the first-born’s substitute.

Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God, God’s beloved only begotten Son, took my place and died on that Roman Cross on Calvary. The sinless one taking the place for each one of us born in sin. He became our substitute. All He asks of us is that we believe. I believe. Believe.

Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart.