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Characteristics of Christ | GOODNESS

A 40 Day Journey to Becoming Like the One We Follow

Day 8: Goodness (Luke 6:35)

Are people generally good? Like, on average is the typical person you come across on any given day a good person? How would you know?

I think we all have our moments. Sometimes we go above and beyond to be good and to do good. Other times, we’re calling down curses on the bad drivers with our kids listening to us in the back seat.

Are you a good person? It depends, doesn’t it?

One of the funniest exchanges in the gospels is when the rich guy comes up to Jesus and greets him as “Good teacher.” Jesus quips back, “Why do you call me good. There is only one who is good, and that’s God.” Jesus saw through this guy’s flattery. Because even though Jesus was God in the flesh, this random rich guy didn’t know that. Jesus takes his flattery and throws it back in his face.

Because I think deep down we realize how not-good we are. Maybe we aren’t “evil” or “wicked” all the time. But we’re definitely not good people all the time either. In fact, Scripture calls us all out. There is no one who is good, not even one! Our “good deeds” are like “filthy rags” (literally, used menstrual pads).

But Jesus calls us to a higher standard. The litmus test for goodness is imitating God who is good and gracious even to those who deserve it the least. Jesus calls us to do good to our enemies, not just those who are good back to us. And this isn’t a fake goodness, either. People can spot fake goodness a mile away.

When we are filled with the Spirit of the One who is good, then we will do good and be good as part of our very nature, too. In other words, we will most fully become the men and women God created us to be. Because he is good, we will be good to others – yes, even those frustrating drivers.

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Characteristics of Christ | KINDNESS

A 40 Day Journey to Becoming Like the One We Follow

Day 7: Kindness (Matthew 7:12)

Many of us grew up learning “The Golden Rule.” It comes from Matthew 7 in the Sermon on the Mount. But this concept was not unique to Jesus. Before his time there was a similar ethic, “Whatever you don’t want someone to do to you, don’t do it to them.” In other words, live and let live.

But Jesus’ instruction flips that on its head. It’s not just live and let live. It’s about actively showing love, respect, and kindness to people. It forces us to put ourselves in other people’s shoes. If we were in their situation, how would we want people to treat us?

How would you want customers to treat you if you were their server? How would you want a coworker to talk to you if they disagreed? It gets us to think outside ourselves and empathize with the situations of others.

Jesus was always kind to those the world had discarded. His conversation in John 4 with the Samaritan woman was unbelievably kind and empathetic. When he touched the leper, he was extending a kindness to the man who hadn’t had human contact in forever. When he turned water into wine, he did so extravagantly – 120+ gallons of the best wine. What a wedding gift!

But there’s a difference between being Kind and being Nice. Being nice is all about social manners and being polite. Anyone can fake being nice, because it doesn’t really come from a place of genuine compassion or empathy. There are no feelings behind niceness. There really is a difference between someone just being nice to you and someone showing kindness.

Jesus wasn’t always nice, especially to the religious leaders. But he always showed kindness to those on the fringes of society. Let’s follow his lead. Be intentionally kind to people you interact with today.

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Characteristics of Christ | PATIENCE

A 40 Day Journey to Becoming Like the One We Follow

Day 6: Patience (Matthew 6:34)

The great author and teacher Dallas Willard was once asked to describe Jesus in one word. Many of us would say Lord or Loving or Powerful or Compassionate. Dallas Willard’s one word: “Relaxed.”

Along similar lines, John Ortberg, another pastor and author, asked Willard for spiritual advice or guidance. His simple admonishment was, “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry.”

We are addicted to immediacy and convenience. We have more technological advancements than ever before, yet our schedules are more loaded than ever, too. We don’t have patience for distractions and interruptions. This reality, counterintuitively, is leading to more stress, worry, and anxiety – not less.

Yet Jesus, the most sought after Teacher in history, basically told his followers to chill. Stop worrying so much about the future, each day has enough trouble of its own. It amazes me how often Jesus makes room for the interruptions. He takes time for the woman at the well, the leper who wants human contact, the children who need a blessing, the woman with the bleeding issue, the random tax collector up in the tree.

And then there is the incredible patience he shows toward his own disciples, as boneheaded as they could be. Time and time again, they don’t get it. They don’t understand. They make fools of themselves, argue about stupid things, and even want to call a heavenly airstrike against some towns. Jesus just shakes his head, lets out a sigh, and keeps working with them.

May we learn patience from our Teacher. May we make room for the interruptions. May we make allowance for others’ mistakes. May we learn to live an unhurried life as we walk with Christ.

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Characteristics of Christ | PEACE

A 40 Day Journey to Becoming Like the One We Follow

Day 5: Peace (John 14:27)

Don’t we all want more peace in our lives? Peace of mind, a peaceful home, world peace. Sounds pretty good, huh?

We all want peace, but few people are willing to do the things that make for peace. The way the world makes peace is at the edge of a sword (or with the barrel of a gun). We “keep the peace” under threat of violence or swift punishment for those who disrupt the peace. And by “peace” we mean absence of conflict because everyone is forced to act and think the same way.

This is the way of Rome. The Pax Romana was the highest law in the Empire. Anyone who threatened the peace of Rome would end up being crushed by the might of Rome. One of their own poets even critiqued, “You make a desert and call it peace.”

Not so with Jesus. The angels announced “Peace on Earth” as he was born, but the world was far from peaceful. Jesus brought a peace that could stop the storms, drive out demons, feed the masses, and bring the dead to life again. The peace of Jesus was truly the Shalom, or wholeness, of God. It’s the kind of peace that eliminates conflict by turning enemies into brothers.

Jesus came to set the world right, not by conquering thrones and empires at the edge of a sword, but by conquering the forces of sin and death by giving his life on the cross. It’s a counterintuitive peace that defies understanding and logic. Yet there are those who may be called “peacemakers,” those who work for the things that lead to peace in this world.

May you come to know this Peace today. Rest in the knowledge that God is in control, and he cares for you.

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Characteristics of Christ | JOY

A 40 Day Journey to Becoming Like the One We Follow

Day 4: Joy (John 15:11)

I like to imagine Jesus laughing. Some of his teachings are genuinely funny, witty, even sarcastic. Jesus partied. He went to weddings and celebrations and festivals and feasts. He hung out with all the wrong people – and those people usually have the best time.

I love the story of Jesus inviting the little children to come to him. He took time out of his day to bless the kids. He even told us that we should become like little children if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven.

You know what children have an abundance of? Joy.

They laugh and play and goof off for no reason and with no spurring them on. Fun and joy and excitement and laughter – these are all things that define childhood.

So what happened?

Somewhere along the way we lost our child-like wonder and joy. When we come across an adult who is genuinely joyful, we remember them, we want to be around them, we’re confused by them. But joy is the fruit of the Spirit living in us! Jesus wants all of us to be joyful as we follow him.

What steals our joy? Worry. Obligation. Fatigue. Stress. Fear.

Are any of those things prescribed by Jesus? Are any of those the result of a Spirit-filled life? Of course not! Let’s be intentional about living joyfully.

Smile more. Laugh more. Get on the floor and play with your kids. Rejoice in the Lord, for you are his child. We have every spiritual blessing and eternal life awaiting us.

So let’s party.

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Characteristics of Christ | LOVE

A 40 Day Journey to Becoming Like the One We Follow

Day 3: Love (John 13:34-35)

The first Fruit of the Spirit in the life of a believer is Love. If we don’t love, then we’re nothing, says Paul. But love as a concept has gotten so watered down over the centuries. Everyone desires to love and be loved, but we can hardly define it. The literal dictionary definition of love is, “an intense feeling of deep affection.” But that hardly suffices to describe the connection between a husband and a wife or a parent and a child. Love is definitely “more than a feeling” – thank you, Boston.

Paul describes aspects of love – it’s patient, kind, not rude, not self-seeking, etc. John takes it a step further and flat out says, “God is love.” The reverse of that statement is not true, however. Love is not God. But God’s very nature is summed up in the word “Love.”

“The Lord–the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining love to a thousand generations…” (Exodus 34:6-7).

God’s ultimate demonstration of his own love is Jesus. It was love that lead Jesus to touch the leper, to defend the adulteress, to bless the children, to wash feet. It was love that lead him to the cross and held him there.

Our standard of love is no longer “whatever feels right in the moment.” Jesus is our standard for love. We are called to love one another as Christ has loved us. There is no greater love than laying down one’s life for one’s friends–Jesus even laid down his life for his enemies.

May we be so filled with the love of God through Christ that we can’t help but let it overflow to others. Because without that love, nothing else matters.

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Characteristics of Christ | HUMILITY

A 40 Day Journey to Becoming Like the One We Follow

Day 2: Humility (Mark 10:31)

One verse in the Bible that I find hilarious is Numbers 12:3. It says, “Moses was a very humble man, more so than anyone on the face of the earth.” I doubt Moses was the original author of that line, but it’s still ironic to brag about someone’s humility. It’s like when Drax (Guardians of the Galaxy, vol 2) says, “I, too, and extraordinarily humble.”

In all seriousness, though, humility is something I find incredibly lacking in much of today’s world. We live in what we call an attention economy, where everyone is vying for your eyeballs, your ears, your clicks and likes and reposts, your wallet. Anyone with a smartphone can become an “influencer.” Politicians are no better than pro athletes and rappers in trying to hype up their own brand.

To quote a Kat Stratford clap-back (10 Things I Hate About You) it’s like these people are born on planet “Look at Me, Look at Me.” From the time we’re born we’ve been told how amazing and smart and beautiful and funny and talented and athletic we are. Some of us even begin to believe it. Humility is not a revered virtue, and now all we’re left with are entitled people trying to get “internet famous” for a hot minute.

C.S. Lewis reminds us, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” We don’t need to swing the pendulum the other way and become depressed with self-loathing. Confidence is not the opposite of humility. Arrogance is. Entitlement is. Self-esteem is not wrong. Self-aggrandizement is.

Jesus never had a “woe is me” attitude about anything. He never lost confidence in who he was or what he was meant to accomplish. Jesus rested securely in his identity as God’s Son. He never tried to make much of himself, and he even told people not to tell others about him. Fame and fortune were not on his radar. He never did anything for the likes, the views, or the cred.

As we follow Christ we are called to deny ourselves. Let’s stop fixating on the world of hype and self-promotion. Rather, let’s humbly rest assuredly in our place in God’s family, as his sons and daughters.

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Characteristics of Christ | OBEDIENCE

A 40 Day Journey to Becoming Like the One We Follow

Day 1: Obedience (John 5:19)

Growing up, we were all taught to obey our parents. What a drag, am I right? Why should I listen to them? Why do I have to clean my room? Why do I need to do all these chores? Why do I have to wear these uncomfortable shoes to my cousin’s wedding? Why do I have to be home by eleven when all my friends get to stay out until midnight?

But at some point there comes a turn. The guidelines and boundaries begin to make sense. We find ourselves becoming more like our own parents because we have picked up on their mannerisms, attitudes, and values. Obedience takes time to learn. Eventually we find that if we stop fighting back out of our own stubbornness we can begin to see how the rules do make sense.

Jesus was obedient to his Father. Even when he went missing as a young boy, his parents found him in the Temple because he “must be about [his] Father’s business.” He would obey his heavenly Father above even his earthly parents. His entire mission was predicated on what the Father was already up to. Jesus went where the Father sent him, did what the Father showed him, and spoke what the Father told him.

He became obedient even to the point of death on a cross. Jesus never tried to go rogue or do things on his own accord. Every step was in keeping with the Father’s will. Did he do things he didn’t want to do out of obedience to God? Yes! But Hebrews reminds us that Jesus learned obedience through the things he suffered.

There is a sense in which obedience brings us into oneness with God. “If you love me,” Jesus says, “you will keep my commands.” We show we love Christ not just by doing all the things he tells us to do as some rules-based religion. His command is to love God and love others as he has loved us.

May you walk in obedience to God the Father and Christ the Son and keep in step with the Spirit to experience oneness in relationship with God and others.

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Messiah Is Coming, part 5

If you haven’t yet, read part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. But then sin and rebellion entered the garden, derailing God’s creation and breaking relationships. Humans would no longer share in the free and full relationship of love with God and each other. Evil had entered their hearts, dragging them away from God and driving a wedge between each other.

But God – don’t we love that phrase? – but God would not let his children suffer forever under the weight of their sin and brokenness and death. God would send a rescuer, someone of Eve’s own offspring, who would crush the head of the serpent once and for all. This One would deal a crushing blow to death itself, although he would endure the full force of the serpent’s venom in the process.

God worked through his people to prepare the world for the coming chosen One. Through Abraham, God promised a world-wide blessing. Through Moses, God promised the Prophet who would bring God’s word to his people. Through David, God promised a King on the throne in Zion forever, one who would be regarded as the Son of God and a Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Through Isaiah God foretold that this coming One would be born of a virgin and would be called Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Emmanuel – God with us. The One to come would establish justice and bring freedom for the oppressed. The One to come would be a servant who would suffer and die but would be raised again to the glory of God.

I’m mindful of Peter’s words in 1 Peter 1:10-12:

The prophets who spoke of this outpouring of grace upon you diligently searched and inquired of the Lord about this salvation: to whom and to what time was the indwelling Spirit of the Anointed referring when He told them about the suffering of the Anointed and the honor that would follow it? The Spirit revealed to them they were not serving themselves but you. And you have learned from those who told you the good news by the Spirit that was sent down from heaven. Even the heavenly messengers would like to explore this news.

Might the other prophets have something to tell us of the One who is to come, the Anointed One, the Messiah?

According to the prophet Malachi, the Messiah would be preceded by another prophet in the spirit of Elijah.

Keep watch. I am sending Elijah the prophet to you before the arrival of the great and terrible day of the Eternal One, and he will return parents’ hearts to their children and children’s hearts to their parents, or else I will come and strike the land of promise with a curse of annihilation.
(Malachi 4:5-6 | The Voice)

According the Micah, the Messiah would be born in the rural backwater town of Bethlehem, the same home village of King David:

But you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
of the clans of Judah, are no poor relation—
From your people will come a Ruler
who will be the shepherd of My people, Israel,
Whose origins date back to the distant past,
to the ancient days.
(Micah 5:2 | The Voice)

From the prophet Hosea we learn that the Messiah would spend time in Egypt as a young child.

When Israel was a child, I loved him;
and out of Egypt I called My son.
(Hosea 11:1 | The Voice)

Jeremiah longed for a day when the Messiah would establish a new covenant with God’s people, a covenant not based on works but based on faith and grace and love.

Look, the days are coming when I will bring about a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors long ago when I took them by the hand and led them out of slavery in Egypt. They did not remain faithful to that covenant—even though I loved and cared for them as a husband. This is the kind of new covenant I will make with the people of Israel when those days are over. I will put My law within them. I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people. No longer will people have to teach each other or encourage their family members and say, “You must know the Eternal.” For all of them will know Me intimately themselves—from the least to the greatest of society. I will be merciful when they fail and forgive their wrongs. I will never call to mind or mention their sins again.
(Jeremiah 31:31-34 | The Voice)

The prophet and Old Testament hero Daniel was given a vision of this Messiah as he would be received in glory at the throne of God.

I saw another spectacle in the night visions:
I looked and saw someone like a son of man
coming with the clouds of heaven.
He approached the Ancient of Days
and was ushered into His presence.
To Him was given authority, honor, and a kingdom
so that all people of every heritage, nationality, and language might serve Him.
His dominion will last forever,
His throne will never pass away,
and His kingdom will never be destroyed.
(Daniel 7:13-14 | The Voice)

I could go on, but I simply don’t have time to mention all the prophecies concerning the Messiah. I wish we could see all the times the Christ appeared throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, often known as The Angel (or Messenger) of the Lord.

The Coming Messiah would be a symbol of hope and God’s promises to his people for over a thousand years. And as we approach Christmas, we recognize that on one ordinary night in an ordinary stable in an ordinary town, two ordinary people became parents to the most extraordinary child.

The Word became flesh. The Promise took on skin and bone. The Light of the World stepped down into darkness. Son of God, Son of Man, Prophet, Priest, King. The Prophets foretold his coming. The angels waited with eager anticipation.

The Messiah is coming.

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Messiah Is Coming, part 4

If you haven’t yet, read part 1, part 2, and part 3.

The history of Israel was a rough ride. You can read all the good, the bad, and the very ugly in the books of 1 & 2 Kings. God made a great promise to King David, but because of the foolishness of David’s own grandson, Rehoboam, the kingdom divided into two distinct nations – the 10 Northern Tribes formed the nation of Israel (also known as Ephraim), and the 2 Southern Tribes of Judah and Benjamin formed the nation of Judah.

The monarchies of these respective kingdoms were riddled with wickedness and sin. There was no one to keep the kings in line. They were answerable to no one, seemingly above the Law. So God raised up a school of Prophets who would be his mouthpiece to the kings. Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Amos – all these men and more were God’s means of speaking truth to the powers that be. But none would be more well-known or have a greater lasting impact than the priest-turned-prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah would become the most-quoted prophet in the New Testament. His writings became known as “The First Gospel.” This is because much of what we know about Jesus’ life and ministry was foreshadowed in Isaiah’s prophecies.

In chapter 7, Judah was being threatened by the joint armies of Aram and Israel. God reassured King Ahaz that the threat would pass and everything would be ok. In fact, God gave Ahaz a sign that God had everything under control.

Listen then. You are none other than the house of David, the one who inherited God’s promise of permanent kingship for David’s descendants. Is it so easy to be a bore to people that you would exhaust God’s patience too? Suit yourself. The Lord will give you a proof-sign anyway: See, a young maiden will conceive. She will give birth to a son and name Him Immanuel, that is, “God with us.”  There will indeed be something Godlike about Him. He’ll be eating curds and honey when he knows to choose what is right and good and refuse what is not. But before the boy has the wisdom to refuse evil and choose good the territory of the two kings you now dread will be abandoned.
(Isaiah 7:13-16 | The Voice)

When the Southern nation of Judah felt anger toward their Northern neighbors in the region of Galilee, God reassured them that things would not always be this way. Darkness will turn to light, night will become day, and enemies will become brothers once again – all because of a baby.

Hope of all hopes, dream of our dreams,
a child is born, sweet-breathed; a son is given to us: a living gift.
And even now, with tiny features and dewy hair, He is great.
The power of leadership, and the weight of authority, will rest on His shoulders.
His name? His name we’ll know in many ways—
He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Dear Father everlasting, ever-present never-failing,
Master of Wholeness, Prince of Peace.
His leadership will bring such prosperity as you’ve never seen before—sustainable peace for all time.
This child: God’s promise to David—a throne forever, among us,
to restore sound leadership that cannot be perverted or shaken.
He will ensure justice without fail and absolute equity. Always.
The intense passion of the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, will carry this to completion.
(Isaiah 9:6-7 | The Voice)

God, through Isaiah, had much to say about this child who would come, who would be a sign of God’s presence with his people, who would reunite the people of God’s chosen nation.

Look here, let Me present My servant;
I have taken hold of him.
He is My chosen, and I delight in him.
I have put My Spirit on him;
by this he will bring justice to the nations.
(Isaiah 42:1 | The Voice)

The Servant, the Chosen One, the Beloved would be God’s agent for justice and righteousness in the world, calling people to faithfulness. But the words of Isaiah 52 and 53 also remind us that this Servant would suffer unimaginably at the hands of the worldly governments. The Servant, Emmanuel, would suffer and die and be vindicated by God for all to see.

See here! My servant will succeed.
He will grow in character and reputation, achieving high standing and status.
Just as people used to be shocked by you,
even so his appearance was disfigured;
His form—once glorious—was marred until it hardly seemed human.
Now many nations will be astonished at his prominence;
world rulers will be speechless in his presence,
For they will see what they’ve never been told;
they will understand what they’ve never heard.
(Isaiah 52:13-15 | The Voice)

It is only through the Chosen Servant’s suffering, death, and resurrection that he would complete the ultimate objective – bringing about God’s kingdom here on earth.

The Spirit of the Lord, the Eternal, is on me.
The Lord has appointed me for a special purpose.
He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to repair broken hearts,
And to declare to those who are held captive and bound in prison, “Be free from your imprisonment!”
He has sent me to announce the year of jubilee, the season of the Eternal’s favor:
for our enemies it will be a day of God’s wrath;
For those who mourn it will be a time of comfort.
(Isaiah 61:1-2 | The Voice)

The Messiah would be known as a Servant, on whom the Spirit of God would descend, and who would be chosen and loved by God – the one and only beloved. This Suffering Servant would right all wrongs and set the Kingdom of Heaven in motion, bringing joy and light and freedom and favor.

The Messiah is coming.