The Cornerstone? (1 Peter 2:4-10)

Peter was a fisherman who Jesus called to become a fisher of men.  I don't know what he saw in Jesus that first day, but it was enough for Peter to drop his nets and follow him.  Peter saw something in Jesus worth following that day.  As time went on, his picture of Jesus continued to grow.

As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him-- you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5 NIV)

Peter continued the pattern Jesus began with him.  In his first letter, Peter reminds us that God wants to build us into his new, living church.  We are the new temple and the new priesthood.  Through us, people will reconciled to God...through Jesus.

For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," and, "A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for. (1 Peter 2:6-8 NIV)

Jesus is not only the final, perfect sacrifice - paying the penalty for our sins.  He is also the cornerstone for the church.  We are supposed to be aligned to him.  Some of us are.  To us, he is the cornerstone.  Some of us are not.  For them, he is a stumbling block.  Either way, Jesus does not waver.  His role stays the same.  He is the rock we need in our lives.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV)

Because of Jesus we have received mercy from God.  Because of Jesus, we are God's holy people.  Because of Jesus, we are God's special possession, a chosen people, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation.  Jesus was not just all of the titles we discussed this week.  Jesus is the reason we can be forgiven, different, and filled with purpose.  Jesus changes our lives - if we let him.

What about you?  Do you let Jesus change your life?  Is he the cornerstone against which you align your life?  Or is Jesus a stumbling block you trip over?  Who is Jesus to you?

What is God Like? (Hebrews 1:1-4)

The earliest books of the Bible are attributed to Moses.  His many miraculous signs earned him the right to be trusted as a prophet of God.  When Moses descended from the mountain saying, "Thus saith The Lord," the people drinking miraculous water and eating miraculous bread had reason to believe him.  When Moses was reaching the end of his life, the people wanted to know how to receive direction or instructions from God.  God gave them an answer.

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. (Deuteronomy 18:18 NIV)

Prophets would become the mouthpiece for God.  He would speak with them.  They would speak to the people.  They had tests to pass and the people would be given signs so they knew whether to listen to them or not.  But in the end, prophets were the solution.

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, (Hebrews 1:1 NIV)

Prophets spoke on behalf of God for over a thousand years.  We have the writings from many of these prophets compiled in the Old Testament of our Bibles.  There was a day, though, when God's communication style with people changed.

but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. (Hebrews 1:2 NIV)

In the New Testament era, Jesus became the mouthpiece of God.  The writer to the Hebrews describes Jesus as God's Son, heir of all things, and creator of the universe.  Jesus has earned the right to be trusted as a prophet of God.  His relationship with God is much closer than the one Moses had with Him.

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. (Hebrews 1:3a NIV)

Perhaps this is because the Son is more than a friend, prophet or Son.  Jesus is God himself - the exact representation of His being.  Jesus sustains all things, because in him all things hold together (read Colossians again).  This writer once again sees Jesus as God, then reminds us we can "see" God by "seeing" Jesus.

After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. (Hebrews 1:3b-4 NIV)

He washed away our sins, sits at the right hand of the Father, and rules even the angels.  Jesus is the all-powerful King of Kings who rules the entire universe.  What could possibly bring a writer from seeing Jesus as a man to seeing Jesus in this way?  What about you?  Do you see Jesus as God/King/Ruler?  If not, what would it take for you to see Jesus in this way?

Creator, Ruler, & Redeemer? (Colossians 1:15-23)

I remember the class in Seminary that completely rocked my world.  Everyone had told me about a class, "Doctrine of Grace," that they thought would impact my life.  While that class was excellent, it didn't live up to its hype for me because my local pastor had already been teaching the concepts consistently and well.  In other words, I had already heard it before.

No, the class that rocked my world did so because there wasn't any hype.  No one warned me about its content or instructor.  No one let me know the depth of the teaching or the intensity of the study.  All I knew was that the class was required for my concentration in Theology and that it was entitled "Doctrine of God."

The class outline followed a 3-volume set of books written by the instructor himself.  The books were entitled simply "God the Creator," "God the Ruler," and "God the Redeemer."  The instructor explained that the books began as a cover to cover Bible study of God.  He noted Scriptures he found about God on yellow pads of paper, cut them into strips, then began placing them in piles.  He originally intended to write only one book on the subject, but there was so much information that the final work became three volumes.  There's a lot we can learn from Scripture about God.

The Apostle Paul was a great theologian and clearly had studies his Scriptures (our Old Testament) as well.  When Paul wrote to the church in Colossae, he followed the same outline my theology professor followed.  He spoke of God as Creator, Ruler, and Redeemer.  Here's the catch: Paul's outline was describing Jesus.

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. (Colossians 1:15-16 NIV)

When you think of God creating the heavens and the earth in the beginning, think of Jesus.  When you remember God's Spirit hovering over the depths of the sea, speaking light into existence, separating water below from above, separating water from land, creating plants, animals, the sun, moon and stars, think of Jesus.  When you think about atoms and angels being spoken into existence, think of Jesus.  Jesus is the Creator of the heavens and the earth - of all that is seen and unseen.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.  (Colossians 1:17-18 NIV)

Often times when I'm teaching, I'll pull out a game and point out the rules to the game.  Then I point out that the maker of the game gets to make the rules.  God created the heavens and the earth - all that is seen and unseen.  So, God gets to make the rules.  Paul says, is that Ruler is Jesus.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.  But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. (Colossians 1:19-22 NIV) 

The same God who created all things and is in charge of all things, provided a way to reconcile with all of His creation.  In other words, God provides a way for us to get back together with Him even if we set ourselves up as His enemies.  God is our Redeemer.  That Redeemer, Paul says, is Jesus.

This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. (Colossians 1:23 NIV)

I think this is why the class rocked my world so much.  The bigger our picture of God gets, the smaller we get in comparison - yet He cares about us.  The more powerful our Ruler gets, the easier it is for Him to just squash us - yet He lifts us up, holds us, and protects us from our enemy.  The more unfathomable God becomes in our minds, the more unfathomable His mercy and grace becomes.  The God of the Universe loves...me.  Paul says we encountered this God face to face.  He is Jesus.

How about you?  How big is your picture of God?  Is God the ruler of your life?  Do you want to be redeemed, reconciled, and get back together with God?  Does it help to think of the God of the Universe as Jesus?

Humble Lord? (Philippians 2:1-11)

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  (Philippians 2:1-4 NIV)

The Apostle, Paul, believed that Jesus was God just as John did.  Here, however, he doesn't talk about Jesus only as the supreme creator of all that is seen and unseen.  He speaks of Jesus as a role-model for us all.  Jesus shows us how God lives as one of us.  We, then, should look at His life as an example to follow.  Since we believers all have Christ in common and all share His Spirit as well, then we should all be united in our mind, spirits, and love.  Knowing Jesus changes our relationship with others who know Him.  We are connected by Him.  We are His Body: the Church.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-- even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8 NIV)

This connection changes the way we treat one another.  Rather than getting full of ourselves and looking down on others, Paul implores us to think like Jesus did.  Yes, He is God.  He didn't stay God in the heavenly realms, barking down orders to us from above the clouds.  Instead, God humbled himself for our sake.  He came down to earth as one of us, limiting Himself to serve us and to save us.  He even took the death-penalty for us just so we could walk once again with God.

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11 NIV)

While Jesus created the heavens and the earth, that doesn't mean that all of His free-willed creation listens to Him, follows Him, or bows down to Him.  That only happens when we recognize Jesus as Lord.  His humble service to us has more than earned Him the right to our humble service.  It's time for us to humble ourselves like He did and walk in His ways - making Him Lord of our lives.

So what do you think about this Jesus who humbled Himself to serve you?  Are you ready to humble yourself to serve Him?  Are you willing to call Him Lord?

God in the Flesh? (John 1:1-18)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-5 NIV)

Over the years, much discussion has taken place over these verses.  People have struggled over the qualities attributed to the "Word."  Whoever it is, the Word is described as being with God in the beginning, creating all things, the sustainer of life, and light overcoming the darkness.  These attributes had never been used to describe anyone but Yahweh, the living God.  Now John, the Apostle and revelator,  uses them to describe someone else.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.  (John 1:6-8 NIV)

John, the Apostle, takes a moment to talk about John the Baptist.  He makes it clear that John the Baptist was not the "Word."  He was, however, one of many people who testified about the "Word."  John the Baptist wanted everyone to believe in the "Word."  That's because the "Word" was bringing light to a dark world.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:9-13 NIV)

The "Word" is also described as "true light,"  This "Word-light" came to the world, wasn't received by His own people (the Israelite nation) even though He offered a great gift: the right to become a child of God.

This Word-light, then, has qualities only attributed to God, has many people testifying about him, and offers the way to reconcile us with God and become God's children again.  It would really be nice to know who this "Word" is!

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, "This is the one I spoke about when I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'") Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:14-17 NIV)

John the Apostle, as he often does, builds the description of this person so we can figure it out.  The Word became flesh - he is talking about someone who was here as a flesh and blood person.  The Word is the person John the Baptist testified about - referring to a specific story we would read a little later.  In case you still haven't figured it out, John tells you: the Word brought grace and truth.  The Word is Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. (John 1:18 NIV)

People have struggled over the years with John's description of Jesus because his description takes us to uncomfortable places.  John doesn't say that Jesus was just a good man.  He doesn't describe Jesus as just a prophet with truth from God.  John doesn't only claim that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah sent from God.  No, John clearly takes things to a step no one expected of the Messiah.  John said that Jesus "is himself God."  

Somehow, John went from seeing Jesus as a man just like himself, to clearly believing Jesus is God.  Where are you on that spectrum from man to God?  Who do you think Jesus is?