ASHAMED OF THE CROSS?

 

In his book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, Jim Cymbala tells the story of a soloist at the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York. She was invited to sing at a church and was told in advance, “We want to ask you not to sing any song that mentions the blood of Christ. People feel uncomfortable with that, and our goal here is to be user-friendly.”

Uncomfortable about the blood of Christ? Today, many churches even find the frequent observance of the ordinance of remembering the death of Christ in communion to be a distraction in their up-beat worship services. Some even contend that the ordinance of communion is boring or monotonous.

To be honest, we want a happy Christianity, without symbolic reminders of the consequences of sin. A Christianity with minimal need of reflection. The cross invites us to reflect on the heinousness of sin and the heavy price Jesus paid for it. Forgiveness is only possible because Someone paid the price for sin - death on a cross.

As an atheist, the late Christopher Hitchens could not accept this Christian doctrine. On one occasion he said, “I find something repulsive about the idea of vicarious redemption – you can throw your sins onto somebody else, vulgarly known as scapegoating.” Hitchens understood the message of the cross, but he was not prepared to embrace it.

The cross of Jesus Christ differentiates Christian faith from religion in general. Religion tells us what we must do in order to achieve forgiveness. Christianity insists that forgiveness has already been paid for on the cross. Paul contended, whereas Jews demanded miraculous signs and non-Jews (Greeks) looked for wisdom, he preached Christ crucified – a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to non-Jews.

As a matter of fact, Paul argued that God’s power was evident in the cross of Christ. Whereas others depended on oratorical skills and philosophy to make an intellectual impact; for him, it was the cross of Christ that possessed the power to make a life-changing impact. To the Corinthians Paul said, “When I came to you...I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). He was convinced that what others considered foolishness, was God’s demonstration of power.

In addition, whereas we view death as coming to the end of the road, God viewed the death of Jesus as the beginning. But why would God use the horrific death of Jesus on a cross to bring new life? Paul provides two answers. The first, no one other than God could get the credit. Absolutely no one could bring new life from death – that is a demonstration of divine power. Paul’s second reason is that no one can boast about what he or she accomplished. The truth is new life in Christ cannot be acquired by any human effort.

The Bible calls this grace – undeserved favor. In one of his letters, Paul said, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8).

But couldn’t God have accomplished grace by some other means, probably, not as severe as the cross? The logic is simple – punishment must be commensurate with the crime. Because of the severity of sin, severe punishment was inevitable. Hence, the worst sinner could find God’s grace, because of the cross.

Furthermore, if we could have paid for our sin, then what would happen to those who could not afford to pay? Also, if we could have paid for our sin, we could boast about our ability to help ourselves. Because of the cross, such boasting is not possible, in that new life in Christ is a gift. Since it is free, one may ask, wouldn’t it then cheapen the gift? The question implies that my contribution increases the value of God’s gift – ludicrous thinking.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul argued that any attempt to add to what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross, nullifies the value of the gift – “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned” (Galatians 1:8)!

The 17th century hymn-writer Isaac Watts got it when he wrote: “Forbid it Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ my God; All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.” This Easter season might be a good time to return to the words of Fanny Crosby’s hymn, “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross”, or Elizabeth Clephane, who in 1872 wrote “Beneath the Cross of Jesus”.

There is no user-friendly version of the Gospel. Without the cross, we are presenting another gospel, not the one God offers to anyone who seeks Him. Like Paul, I contend, “I am not ashamed of the gospel...” I further contend that the cross is still the best antidote to the narcissism and violence in our culture today.

 

THE ASBURY REVIVAL - ONE YEAR LATER

 

I just finished viewing the recently released documentary, Asbury Revival: Desperate for More. The YouTube video documents the events of the Asbury University 16-day revival from Thursday, February 08, 2023.

 

Last year we reviewed that outpouring which spread without advertising throughout the world. Enquirers included people from Brazil, South Korea, the Philippines and Singapore. The outpouring spread from its Wilmore, Kentucky base to more that thirty other college campuses.

 

One year after movement of the Holy Spirit, Asbury President, Dr Kevin Brown said, “there’s still a feeling of expectancy in the air. Our students continue to be hungry. They continue to lead. They’ve gone and they’ve shared. We’ve had more than 50 groups go to different ministries and churches, both in the United States and overseas.”

 

Upon reflection, another administrator said, “the temperature on campus is unbelievable. Students are longing for authentic long-term steps, not just 16 days of power and encounter. They’re wanting to pursue holiness. They want to be done with porn. They want to be done with addiction to their phones. They want to really have an authentic walk with the Lord.”

 

The revival appears to have benefitted the Kentucky college in other ways. At the start of this school year, there was a 25% increase in enrolment, the largest incoming freshman class in more than 25 years. President Brown spoke highly of the “radical humility” demonstrated by his students as they hosted other students from some 200 schools. He contended that the revival was a totally spontaneous event – “there was no program, no titles, no celebrities, except Jesus, who was honored as Lord”!

 

After one year, it appears as though the Asbury Spirit-led movement is continuing on college campuses. A few days ago, thousands of college students at Florida State University in Tallahassee, also had an encounter with the Lord. Some 4,500 students responded to an invitation to commit their lives to Jesus Christ. Hundreds of these respondents requested and were baptized in the university’s Westcott Fountain that same day. Thankfully, local churches were positioned to receive the newly baptized converts to enlist them in their discipleship programs.  

 

Agreed, the outpouring at Florida State University was a move of the Holy Spirit. It was a tremendous evangelistic outreach. However, I do not believe it qualifies to be deemed a revival. A revival is a revitalizing of Christians. Evangelism is offering life to persons who do not as yet have the life Jesus gives. Here are at least six ingredients that are characteristic of revivals or spiritual awakenings.

 

Firstly, there is earnest prayer. Church history confirms that all revivals begin with  consistent prayer. Prayer that empties the prayer warrior of selfishness and demonstrates a total reliance on God. A study of revivals indicate that the number of persons praying for revival varies. And so does the period of time in prayer. A revival is totally a display of God’s willingness to visit His people. Whereas we must display our readiness, only God decides when to visit.  

 

Secondly, there are authentic expressions of confession and genuine repentance. This is not provoked by public pressure, rather by personal conviction of the Holy Spirit. This season of awareness of sin is not necessarily publicized. However, there is a sense of vulnerability and desire to abandon hypocrisy and deceitfulness. Please note, this is not gloating about sin. This is brokenness, remorse and repentance.

 

Genuine repentance brings about changes in behavior. Authentic confession is more than admitting wrong – it is a passionate desire to renounce wrong and pursue right. One Congregationalist minister summarized the practical results of the 1860 Jamaican revival as follows: “It closed the rum shops and gambling houses, reconciled long-separated husbands and wives, restored prodigal children, produced scores of bans to be read for marriage, crowded every place of worship, quickened the zeal of ministers, purified the churches, and brought many sinners to repentance. It also excited the rage of those ungodly people whom it had not humbled.”

 

A fourth characteristic of revivals is the visible emotions that are on display. Regardless of social status, participants are often in tears, lifting hands, kneeling and displaying joy. Interestingly, although there is much confession, people do not display shame and embarrassment. Rather, people display freedom and relief from the burden of carrying unconfessed sin.

 

In religious studies, scholars use the term numinous to describe “a quality of mystery and fascination, often ascribed to the sacred”. That sense of sacredness permeates revivals. What one experiences at revivals is not frivolity and hilarity. There is also the absence of routine religious regulations. Instead, there is a sense of holy awe. There is a desire and display of simple worship. There is an adoration of Jesus Christ.

 

Finally, there is spontaneity. There is no appointed leader. There is no choreographed program of events. There are no celebrity performances. People lead as they are led by the Holy Spirit. Without human structures of order, there is decency and order. There is respect for crowd control and law enforcement.

 

We should all long for this kind of divine visitation in our faith communities. Borrowing the language of Psalm 80, we should be crying out, “Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved”.

IS PEACE IN BETHLEHEM POSSIBLE?

 

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, was born in Bethlehem. Today, almost 2,028 years later, there is no peace in Bethlehem. One hotelier commented, “this is the worst Christmas ever”. Normally, this time of year is the brightest for the city of Bethlehem. One church has replaced the traditional crèche with the figure of baby Jesus and shepherds, with Jesus resting surrounded by concrete rubble from a destroyed building.  

This year, no traditional Christmas tree will be placed in Manger Square. Many stores and hotels which cater to tourists will be partially closed. With tongue in cheek, one journalist said of Bethlehem, “there’s plenty room in the Inn”. Imagine, even Christmas celebrations have been cancelled. Bethlehem is heavily reliant for income and jobs on visitors from all around the world who go to see the Church of the Nativity, believed to be built on the site where Jesus was born.

Interestingly, when Jesus was born, many experienced a different kind of emptiness. The philosophical and religious backgrounds of paganism in the first century left a sense of emptiness among many. For instance, belief in the reality of the ancient gods and goddesses of classical mythology resulted in widespread agnosticism.

Many skeptics deduced that the gods were originally men who had distinguished themselves either as warriors or benefactors of mankind, and who after their death were accorded divine honors. What was aptly termed “the failure of nerve” characterized the moral and religious vacuum that many felt, but could not overcome, despite the panaceas offered by a welter of competing teachers, philosophers, priests, astrologers and quacks.

Epictetus, a first century Roman historian and philosopher said of this era: “while the emperor may give peace from war on land and sea, he is unable to give peace from passion, grief and envy. He cannot give peace of heart, for which humanity yearns more than even for outward peace.” As emperor, Caesar Augustus ruled the nations, but could not conquer the human heart.

That was the religious and philosophical world into which Jesus came. That was the world which heard the angels say, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests” (Luke 2:14). So unlike today’s understanding of peace, the angels were not referring to the absence of war. They were declaring God's desire for harmonious relationships between men and nations.

Like with the Hebrew word shalom, the Greek word for peace suggests completeness, wholeness, health, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquillity, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. Shalom comes from the root verb shalom, meaning to be complete, perfect and full.

That understanding of peace is so different from those who believe that assuming a posture of strength dissuades potential attacks, consequently leading to peace – the absence of war. But peace is much more than the absence of war.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul linked peace to a person, and not merely to an ideology. He contended, “for He (Jesus) is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility...” (Ephesians 2:14).

Hundreds of years earlier, the prophet Isaiah predicted of the coming Messiah, that He would be sar shalom – Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus, who Christians believe is that Messiah, said to His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you...” (John 14:27). For this reason, Christians see Christmas as the arrival of the Prince of Peace.

Despite the isolated cases in history of using Christianity to incite and initiate wars, the Christian message is universally known as a message of peace. Christianity influenced the abolition of slavery and infanticide. In addition, it is because of the Christian ethic that the outrage against euthanasia, sex trafficking and abortion persists.

Because Christians are expected to demonstrate the life of Christ as a lifestyle, we should constantly pursue peace. The biblical teaching is unambiguous, “... as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). Christmas provides tremendous opportunities to illustrate this truth. Not knowing that they are referring to Jesus, many Jews believe that the Messiah will bring about peace when he comes. Even Sunni Muslims believe in the second coming of Jesus. Although the purpose of his reappearance is quite different from the view held by Christians, both religions agree that his sovereign might will be on display.

Christians believe that the babe of Bethlehem will return. Until he does, his followers are expected to reflect the peace to which the Angel referred at his birth. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). When the psalmist encouraged pilgrims to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:5), he was not limiting his prayer to the absence of war, but to the presence of wholesomeness, safety, soundness, tranquillity, rest and harmony. May that be our prayer for Bethlehem and the Middle East this Christmas.