The Wonderful Cross

As we spend the day contemplating the ultimate sacrifice of the Messiah Jesus on our behalf, and the amazing depths of his love...



Thanks be to God!

Google vs. Death

I got a text from a friend today. Seems he saw the magazine to the left in the stack of the waiting room where he was…well…waiting. It's from last September but it grabbed his attention. And especially this week - Holy Week - it grabs mine as well.

I tried to find the article online but without a subscription I could only see the first couple of paragraphs. I need to find it and read the whole thing, because it is definitely an intriguing premise. Basically, Google is founding a subsidiary (known as Calico) focusing on health and aging, with the goal of significantly extending the human lifespan.

And so the cover asks the question, Can Google solve death?

It's a question that strikes at the heart of our greatest fears. If there is something, or someone, out there that can "solve death" it would change everything.

And that is why the good news of Jesus is so…good. For the entirety of human history, we have been slaves to death. It is the greatest enemy. It snatches away those we love, and one day it will get us too. It is so insidious that facing it moved Jesus himself to anger and tears (John 11:33-35). It is something we hate, and we have good reason.

But death's days are numbered. The King of the universe entered his creation, spent his life announcing  the kingdom of God in both word and deed, and then did the most amazing thing ever. Even though he was God, he subjected himself to death, and by the very act of that submission, defeated it. That victory was confirmed by God on the third day when he rose from the dead, never to die again.

Because of this singular act (and the death and resurrection are a singular act - one without the other would have been meaningless), we know that he is the King. His resurrection power is available to us daily, and he is the first of many to rise bodily. The message of Easter is that through the death and resurrection earth has been claimed by heaven. When he returns, we who follow him will rise again and reign with him forever. Wow!

So, go ahead Google. Fight death, find ways to extend life. That would be cool. But ultimately, no - Google will not solve death.

But that's okay. Because Jesus has.

Thy kingdom come

God created the universe, and it was good.

To display His glory, He has allowed an enemy (the Accuser, the Satan) to mess it up.

All of us have gone astray and played into the Accuser's hands.

God chose a people, the descendants of Abraham, to reveal His love and desire to rescue us.

He exercised His justice and mercy on them again and again, He chose them to be a picture of how His kingdom comes - through suffering and submission.

He promised to extend his kingdom to all people, tribes, and nations through his people Israel and their Messiah.

Jesus was the promised Messiah, and announced the arrival of the kingdom in Luke 4:16-21.

He was declared by God to be the King through his suffering, death, and resurrection.

He has rescued us from the Evil One, forgiven our sins, and made his resurrection power available to us, the citizens of His kingdom.

We now are charged with advancing his reign, spreading the word that He is King, and bringing about change.

One day, the kingdom of God will be revealed in power, every knee will bow in worship to Jesus, and we will reign forever with Him.

And this is why we are celebrating the... Biggest. Holiday. Ever.

The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said, "The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 11:15)

Amen!