Not A Dour Religion
It amazes me to hear people speak of Christianity as a dour religion that shuns fun. Have you ever looked through the Old Testament and seen all the Festivals and Feasts these people performed? At one point God tells His people to sell 10% of their livestock and buy strong drink (adult beverages) with which to celebrate. And do you remember the story of Jesus at the wedding? John (2) The party is moving along smoothly until the wine steward announces he is about out of wine. Mary goes to her son to see if there is anything He can do about this. Jesus then goes and turns water into the very best of wine. Does He use this as an opportunity to proclaim His deity? No. Does He perform the miracle so everyone can see His power? No. He simply and quietly makes the wine so as to add to the joy of the celebration.
Spiritually healthy people celebrate life, employ their talents in the service of others, enjoy the gifts of God's creation and consistently experience the abundant life promised by Jesus. John (IO: IO) Does this sound like a dreary life? Does this sound like God wants us to be a boring, people? Sounds to me like God wants us to experience far more joy then we can possibly imagine.
Reorientation
I suggest that one of the reasons so many of us fail to experience the sort of joyfulness God desires for us can be traced back to this particular ground rule. Obviously, God expects us to work hard but also to rest and worship. In other words, our life is to have symmetry, a harmony between work and rest, serving others and taking time out to meditate on God, reflect upon God and honor God. In short, life is not all about work but must also include worship.
By "worship" I am referring to a focused attention upon thinking of God, thanking God for the many gifts we have been given, and even enjoying God by reveling in the beauty that is all around us, beauty that is given by a gracious, loving God. Many religious traditions have developed prayers and songs that express the faith or the beliefs of their tradition and that help their followers tune their hearts and minds to the eternal.
Individuals who fail to properly integrate work and worship will ultimately fail to experience life as God intended. If I give myself to working hard but fail to stop and worship, stop and re-create myself, stop and remember Who it is that has given me the time, the strength, the opportunity, the resources to provide for my family and serve others, I will prove myself self-centered and ungrateful. However, if I spend all my time worshipping, going to religious meetings or performing religious rituals I will fail to utilize the gifts and talents God has given me to with which I am to serve others.
Remembering to honor God every week reorients us to who God is, who we are as sons and daughters. Remembering to worship God every week brings our labors to a halt so that we can remember that, without God, there is no blessing, no real success and no abundant life.
People who fail to keep this ground rule often fall into the trap of defining themselves in terms of their work rather then in terms of their relationship with God. Sadly, if anything goes wrong on the job, if I fail in any way in regard to my work, I define myself a failure. Rather then saying, "I have erred here" it becomes "I am an error." If, however, I remember that first and foremost I am a child of God and define myself in terms of this relationship, my perspective is more eternal, healthier and more honoring to God.
A Formal Affair
The worship required here is a formal affair. Go back and read both the Old and New Testament. God's people have always come together for a corporate expression of worship. Once a week God's people gathered together and said to the world around them, "This is the God we worship" and they did so with the help of various forms and structures. Whether it is Jewish, Christian or Islam or other world religions, corporate worship has always been central to the identity of many traditions.
Our culture has a tendency to distrust, if not outright despise, ceremonies and rituals and such things. We see them as smoke and mirrors or as pompous posturing that is totally unnecessary to any spiritual pursuits.
But we miss the point here of why, for example, the Church historically has always gathered on Sunday to worship God and the Jews gather on their Sabbath for the same reason. It is not that the ceremonies and rituals of formal worship are necessary but that they are quite helpful. You and I are not angels but flesh and blood. We need times and places and structures to support our spiritual pursuits.
Think about this. When Jesus told His followers to remember Him when they ate the Lord's Supper, He gave them real bread and wine. They were not left alone with concepts or elusive mystical pursuits but were given physical symbols to help them remember Him in a specific manner. Surely people can become so caught up in ceremonies and formalities that they forget who these things are pointing toward. But I wonder if today the temptation is not getting lost in formalities but failing to truly achieve one of the goals of worship because we refused the help of such formalities.
I suggest also that not only do "times" and "places" help us honor God but also make a group or corporate witness to the culture around us. When Israel was taken captive and forced to live in a foreign God-denying culture, they continually sought to worship together as a family, giving witness to the God they followed. An interesting question to ask here is, would Israel have survived had they failed to gather as one people to worship God and encourage one another?
Of course when anyone makes such a suggestion, he or she immediately hears of how bad this church is or how wicked the clergy are and how "I can worship God alone in my living room better then I can at an old dead church." This may all be true but we should consider the value of joining with other people whose journeys are similar to our own, as well as the potential benefits to the societies we live in.
Again, this commandment is not simply about my private spiritual pursuits or tastes but about the sort of witness I give to the world around me. And the question is can I continue to worship God as I should and give the sort of witness I would like, if I do not stand as one with others who follow God as I do?
Tuesday, 8 April 2014
Sunday, 6 April 2014
Sabbath Rest
Isaiah (40:28-31)
(28) Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom. (29) He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak. (30) Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall; (31) but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
It is vital for us to understand that this is where the Sabbath "rest" comes from! God is the source of strength, power, and refreshment. They all come from our relationship with God within the proper keeping of the Sabbath day. He gives it to us as a gift of His grace.
He restores our energy. He gives us the power to overcome and to grow. He gives us peace of mind so that we are truly rested. He helps us to recover our strength. He enables us to live confident, hope-filled lives. He gives us good health and sound minds. "The Lord gives His beloved sleep." He gives us strength-restoring sleep. All of these things are gifts of grace from time well-spent in fellowship with Him, developing the relationship with Him and communicating with Him in Bible study and prayer.
How we use the Sabbath day tells Him a great deal about how we will do in His Kingdom. I fear that many of us have put the wrong emphasis on it. We tend to look at the Sabbath day as "things that we cannot do" rather than "things we can do" - truly liberating things we cannot devote time to do on the other six days of the week.
Isaiah (40:28-31)
(28) Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom. (29) He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak. (30) Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall; (31) but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
It is vital for us to understand that this is where the Sabbath "rest" comes from! God is the source of strength, power, and refreshment. They all come from our relationship with God within the proper keeping of the Sabbath day. He gives it to us as a gift of His grace.
He restores our energy. He gives us the power to overcome and to grow. He gives us peace of mind so that we are truly rested. He helps us to recover our strength. He enables us to live confident, hope-filled lives. He gives us good health and sound minds. "The Lord gives His beloved sleep." He gives us strength-restoring sleep. All of these things are gifts of grace from time well-spent in fellowship with Him, developing the relationship with Him and communicating with Him in Bible study and prayer.
How we use the Sabbath day tells Him a great deal about how we will do in His Kingdom. I fear that many of us have put the wrong emphasis on it. We tend to look at the Sabbath day as "things that we cannot do" rather than "things we can do" - truly liberating things we cannot devote time to do on the other six days of the week.
Friday, 4 April 2014
Adultery
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce. But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Christ's instruction in His Sermon on the Mount is exactly what He gave to His servant Moses for Israel. Both teach us that marriage is permanent, its ties so binding that they can be broken only by death--or something worse: physical infidelity, moral abandonment, or sustained abuse by either spouse, all of which Jesus encapsulates in the term porneia, translated as "sexual immorality."
The Pharisees tested our Lord on this point, but His response leaves no doubt on how binding the institution of marriage should be, a standard set from creation:
And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." Matthew (19:4-6).
Because marriage is a creation of God, it possesses a sacredness that no man-devised institution can ever have. This world is trying to exchange the sanctity of marriage for its complete opposite, the profane, but this secular approach will never produce a healthy society.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce. But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Christ's instruction in His Sermon on the Mount is exactly what He gave to His servant Moses for Israel. Both teach us that marriage is permanent, its ties so binding that they can be broken only by death--or something worse: physical infidelity, moral abandonment, or sustained abuse by either spouse, all of which Jesus encapsulates in the term porneia, translated as "sexual immorality."
The Pharisees tested our Lord on this point, but His response leaves no doubt on how binding the institution of marriage should be, a standard set from creation:
And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." Matthew (19:4-6).
Because marriage is a creation of God, it possesses a sacredness that no man-devised institution can ever have. This world is trying to exchange the sanctity of marriage for its complete opposite, the profane, but this secular approach will never produce a healthy society.
More Than Conquerors
But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.
2 Corinthians (2:14)
Sometimes you have to overcome your family environment. None of us come from an ideal family. We all experience things like rejection; physical, emotional, verbal or sexual abuse; poverty; rage; drug addiction; alcoholism; divorce; etc. Years later we still struggle with things like low self-worth, marital failure, loneliness, depression, addiction, anxiety, anger control and dysfunctional parenting. But having a bad start doesn't mean you can't have a great finish.
Your life today is more than what happened yesterday; it's about what you do with what happened yesterday. Consider Jephthah's family background. He was born to a prostitute, kicked out of the house by his brothers, robbed of his rightful inheritance, disappointed in religious leaders, a refugee and rebel living in a cave, Judges (11).
But unbowed, he defied defeat, trained a motley militia of rejects, delivered Israel from their enemies, and made it into faith's hall of fame with Abraham, Moses and David, Hebrews (11). How did he do it? He started where he was, he took what he had, and he did what he could. By faith he seized his God-given opportunity. You are more than the product of your environment. Whatever happened back then, you're now 'a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!' 2 Corinthians (5:17). Live in the new and renounce the old! 'You have already won a big victory for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world (your environment)' 1 John (4:4).
When trouble looms, prayer is always a good first step to take. But having a foundation upon which to build our prayers also makes a difference. Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, faced an enormous challenge. Three different tribes--the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites--simultaneously waged war against him. Most leaders would have crumbled under such pressure, or at the very least taken drastic measures, but Jehoshaphat was a wise king. Though afraid, he did not strike out against his enemies. Instead, knowing that God was interested in his dilemma, he "turned his attention to seek the Lord" and proclaimed a fast throughout the land, 2 Chronicles (20:1-3).
Jehoshaphat also knew that God, who was greater than any earthly problem, had done miraculous things for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Daniel. That same God would help him, too, in his hour of need. We should never underestimate the Lord's interest in our affairs. He helped our ancestors in the Bible, and He can and will help His children today.
It's easy to think our problems are unimportant in the eyes of God, but He doesn't feel that way at all. Whatever concerns us concerns Him. If we, like Jehoshaphat, turn right to God and proclaim His power, He will intervene. And no matter how great our challenges are, God is greater.
But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.
2 Corinthians (2:14)
Sometimes you have to overcome your family environment. None of us come from an ideal family. We all experience things like rejection; physical, emotional, verbal or sexual abuse; poverty; rage; drug addiction; alcoholism; divorce; etc. Years later we still struggle with things like low self-worth, marital failure, loneliness, depression, addiction, anxiety, anger control and dysfunctional parenting. But having a bad start doesn't mean you can't have a great finish.
Your life today is more than what happened yesterday; it's about what you do with what happened yesterday. Consider Jephthah's family background. He was born to a prostitute, kicked out of the house by his brothers, robbed of his rightful inheritance, disappointed in religious leaders, a refugee and rebel living in a cave, Judges (11).
But unbowed, he defied defeat, trained a motley militia of rejects, delivered Israel from their enemies, and made it into faith's hall of fame with Abraham, Moses and David, Hebrews (11). How did he do it? He started where he was, he took what he had, and he did what he could. By faith he seized his God-given opportunity. You are more than the product of your environment. Whatever happened back then, you're now 'a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!' 2 Corinthians (5:17). Live in the new and renounce the old! 'You have already won a big victory for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world (your environment)' 1 John (4:4).
When trouble looms, prayer is always a good first step to take. But having a foundation upon which to build our prayers also makes a difference. Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, faced an enormous challenge. Three different tribes--the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites--simultaneously waged war against him. Most leaders would have crumbled under such pressure, or at the very least taken drastic measures, but Jehoshaphat was a wise king. Though afraid, he did not strike out against his enemies. Instead, knowing that God was interested in his dilemma, he "turned his attention to seek the Lord" and proclaimed a fast throughout the land, 2 Chronicles (20:1-3).
Jehoshaphat also knew that God, who was greater than any earthly problem, had done miraculous things for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Daniel. That same God would help him, too, in his hour of need. We should never underestimate the Lord's interest in our affairs. He helped our ancestors in the Bible, and He can and will help His children today.
It's easy to think our problems are unimportant in the eyes of God, but He doesn't feel that way at all. Whatever concerns us concerns Him. If we, like Jehoshaphat, turn right to God and proclaim His power, He will intervene. And no matter how great our challenges are, God is greater.
How Much Is Enough
Life is not measured by how much you own.' Luke (12:15)
What does 'the good life' mean to you? Driving the fastest car? Owning the biggest house? Wearing the latest clothes and having the most prestigious job? God's concept is very different. Jesus said, 'Guard against greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.' G. K. Chesterton said, 'There are two ways to get enough.
One is to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less and less.' Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn discovered this truth in a Soviet prison when his freedom, his friends, his home and his books were taken away. After months of solitude in Antarctica, Admiral Richard Byrd wrote, 'I'm learning a man can live profoundly without masses of things.' What a great place to arrive at!
Harold Sala writes, 'People today are possessed by possessions as no other generation. The more complex life becomes, the more convinced we are that we need more to be happy. Having obtained what we think we need, we soon become unhappy because a model with more bells and whistles comes out. It takes far less than we think to discover happiness if it' comes from within and we break the stranglehold things have on our lives.'
So, how much is enough? Jesus told the rich young ruler who wrestled with that question, 'Sell your possessions give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me', Matthew (19:21). Not the answer he expected! Does that mean God is opposed to you having money? No, He's just against anything taking His place in your life! He knows that 'Your heart will be where your treasure is', Matthew (6:21).
Life is not measured by how much you own.' Luke (12:15)
What does 'the good life' mean to you? Driving the fastest car? Owning the biggest house? Wearing the latest clothes and having the most prestigious job? God's concept is very different. Jesus said, 'Guard against greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.' G. K. Chesterton said, 'There are two ways to get enough.
One is to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less and less.' Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn discovered this truth in a Soviet prison when his freedom, his friends, his home and his books were taken away. After months of solitude in Antarctica, Admiral Richard Byrd wrote, 'I'm learning a man can live profoundly without masses of things.' What a great place to arrive at!
Harold Sala writes, 'People today are possessed by possessions as no other generation. The more complex life becomes, the more convinced we are that we need more to be happy. Having obtained what we think we need, we soon become unhappy because a model with more bells and whistles comes out. It takes far less than we think to discover happiness if it' comes from within and we break the stranglehold things have on our lives.'
So, how much is enough? Jesus told the rich young ruler who wrestled with that question, 'Sell your possessions give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me', Matthew (19:21). Not the answer he expected! Does that mean God is opposed to you having money? No, He's just against anything taking His place in your life! He knows that 'Your heart will be where your treasure is', Matthew (6:21).
Homosexuality
The Bible condemns homosexual behavior because it is a choice, one which falls grievously short of God’s design for human sexuality.
Notice that I call homosexual behavior-not orientation-a choice. I believe based on my years of ministry and coverage of this issue that many men and women who call themselves “gay” never made a conscious decision to feel drawn to the same sex. They simply experience the attractions as part of who they are.
But those who submit themselves to God’s rules for sex as revealed in the Bible understand that the only legitimate expression of sexuality is the lifelong covenant of marriage between a man and woman. Indulging any desires outside of this-whether heterosexual or homosexual-has always been condemned by scripture and orthodox Christians.
Jesus Himself asks in Matthew 19, “Haven't you read that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?
Should we criticize people who do not choose who they are?” My answer is no. We are all born sinners who fall to temptation and desperately need God’s grace to overcome our weaknesses and lusts-whether gay or straight. Feeling tempted is not a sin, and we should never judge those who experience same-sex attractions.
But yielding to temptation is a sin. Unlike our need to breathe, through, our urges to sin are not irresistible. With God’s grace it is possible for anyone (even a homosexual) to resist and overcome them. That is why Paul lists homosexuals among the sinners transformed by the gospel at the very beginning of Christianity:
“Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians (6:9-11)
I know what it means to be redeemed from my sins. Now I live to help others find that redemption behind bars and in the culture.
My prayer is that those who feel bound to homosexual behavior or any other sin will realize they don’t have to live in defeat. Freedom awaits them if they forsake their ways and follow Christ-no matter how strong their temptations.
Bible Verses About Homosexuality.
* Genesis (19:1-11)
* Leviticus (18:22)
* Leviticus (20:13)
* Judges (19:16-24)
* 1 Kings (14:24)
* 1 Kings (15:12)
* 2 Kings (23:7)
* Romans (1:18-32)
* 1 Corinthians (6:9-11)
* 1 Timothy (1:8-10)
* Jude (7)
* Deuteronomy (23:17)
* Judges (19:22).
The Bible condemns homosexual behavior because it is a choice, one which falls grievously short of God’s design for human sexuality.
Notice that I call homosexual behavior-not orientation-a choice. I believe based on my years of ministry and coverage of this issue that many men and women who call themselves “gay” never made a conscious decision to feel drawn to the same sex. They simply experience the attractions as part of who they are.
But those who submit themselves to God’s rules for sex as revealed in the Bible understand that the only legitimate expression of sexuality is the lifelong covenant of marriage between a man and woman. Indulging any desires outside of this-whether heterosexual or homosexual-has always been condemned by scripture and orthodox Christians.
Jesus Himself asks in Matthew 19, “Haven't you read that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?
Should we criticize people who do not choose who they are?” My answer is no. We are all born sinners who fall to temptation and desperately need God’s grace to overcome our weaknesses and lusts-whether gay or straight. Feeling tempted is not a sin, and we should never judge those who experience same-sex attractions.
But yielding to temptation is a sin. Unlike our need to breathe, through, our urges to sin are not irresistible. With God’s grace it is possible for anyone (even a homosexual) to resist and overcome them. That is why Paul lists homosexuals among the sinners transformed by the gospel at the very beginning of Christianity:
“Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians (6:9-11)
I know what it means to be redeemed from my sins. Now I live to help others find that redemption behind bars and in the culture.
My prayer is that those who feel bound to homosexual behavior or any other sin will realize they don’t have to live in defeat. Freedom awaits them if they forsake their ways and follow Christ-no matter how strong their temptations.
Bible Verses About Homosexuality.
* Genesis (19:1-11)
* Leviticus (18:22)
* Leviticus (20:13)
* Judges (19:16-24)
* 1 Kings (14:24)
* 1 Kings (15:12)
* 2 Kings (23:7)
* Romans (1:18-32)
* 1 Corinthians (6:9-11)
* 1 Timothy (1:8-10)
* Jude (7)
* Deuteronomy (23:17)
* Judges (19:22).
Tuesday, 1 April 2014
Think And Act Like Jesus
1 Peter (2:21)
If you're serious about becoming like Jesus, examine your heart, then examine His:
1) His heart was pure. He was cared for by women, yet never accused of lustful thoughts, Luke 8:1-3). Peter, who travelled with Him for three and a half years, described Him as a lamb' unblemished and spotless', 1Peter (1:19). John concluded, 'In Him is no sin', 1 John (3:5).
2) His heart was peaceful. His disciples shouted for fear in the storm, but not Jesus. He slept through it, Luke (8:22-25). Peter drew his sword to fight the soldiers; He lifted His hand to heal, Luke (22:47-51). When Peter denied Him, did Jesus lose His temper? When the soldiers spat in His face, did He breathe fire in theirs? No, He was at peace. He forgave them. He refused to be guided by vengeance.
3) His heart was purposeful. He could summarize His life with one sentence: 'The Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost', Luke 1(9:10). Jesus was so focused that He knew when to say, 'My time has not yet come', John (2:4) and when to say, 'It is finished', John 19:30).
But He was not so focused that He was unpleasant. Children couldn't resist Him. He could find beauty in lilies, joy in worship, and possibilities in problems. He could spend His days with multitudes of sick people and still feel sorry for them. He spent over three decades wading through the muck and mire of our sin, yet still saw enough beauty in us to die for our mistakes. And you are called to follow in His steps.
1 Peter (2:21)
If you're serious about becoming like Jesus, examine your heart, then examine His:
1) His heart was pure. He was cared for by women, yet never accused of lustful thoughts, Luke 8:1-3). Peter, who travelled with Him for three and a half years, described Him as a lamb' unblemished and spotless', 1Peter (1:19). John concluded, 'In Him is no sin', 1 John (3:5).
2) His heart was peaceful. His disciples shouted for fear in the storm, but not Jesus. He slept through it, Luke (8:22-25). Peter drew his sword to fight the soldiers; He lifted His hand to heal, Luke (22:47-51). When Peter denied Him, did Jesus lose His temper? When the soldiers spat in His face, did He breathe fire in theirs? No, He was at peace. He forgave them. He refused to be guided by vengeance.
3) His heart was purposeful. He could summarize His life with one sentence: 'The Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost', Luke 1(9:10). Jesus was so focused that He knew when to say, 'My time has not yet come', John (2:4) and when to say, 'It is finished', John 19:30).
But He was not so focused that He was unpleasant. Children couldn't resist Him. He could find beauty in lilies, joy in worship, and possibilities in problems. He could spend His days with multitudes of sick people and still feel sorry for them. He spent over three decades wading through the muck and mire of our sin, yet still saw enough beauty in us to die for our mistakes. And you are called to follow in His steps.
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