Alleluia! He is risen!

Mt. 28:1-10 (TPT)

After the Sabbath ended, at the first light of dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to take a look at the tomb. Suddenly, the earth shook violently beneath their feet as the angel of the Yahweh descended from heaven. Lightning flashed around him and his robe was dazzling white! The guards were stunned and terrified—lying motionless like dead men. Then the angel walked up to the tomb, rolled away the stone, and sat on top of it!

The women were breathless and terrified, until the angel said to them, “There’s no reason to be afraid. I know you’re here looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here—he has risen victoriously, just as he said! Come inside the tomb and see the place where our Lord was lying. Then run and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead! I give you his message: ‘I am going ahead of you to Galilee and you will see me there.’ ”

They rushed quickly to tell his disciples, and their hearts were filled with fear, awe, and great joy at the same time.

Along the way, Jesus suddenly appeared in front of them and said, “Rejoice!”They were so overwhelmed by seeing him that they bowed down and grasped his feet in adoring worship. Then Jesus said to them, “Throw off all your fears. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee. They will find me there.”

Can you just imagine? Their hearts were filled with fear, awe, and great joy at the same time. I don’t know about you, but I can relate to all of these emotions in this season. It has been a long year. It has been a long season filled with emotions of fear, awe, and joy at the same time. Maybe more fear and awe than actual feelings of joy. The women were overwhelmed. I know we can relate to that. But, even in their overwhelming fears, the moment they saw Jesus, it all washed away. They bowed down in adoration and in thankfulness. God, their Savior, their King, their teacher had risen from the dead. He has overcome victoriously. There was no better response for them. How about us? Do we extend such a response of thankfulness as we encounter the presence of the Lord?

This needs to be our response.

He has risen! He has overcome victoriously!

Alleluia! He is risen!

What does ‘He is risen’ mean? What does this term of resurrection imply exactly?

The resurrection means that Jesus is in fact the Son of God and Lord of all.

The resurrection means that evil and death are overcome! Death could not hold Him!

The resurrection means that we have received resurrection power to overcome sin in our lives!

The resurrection means that all who are in Christ will also be resurrected! If the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, you will also live! He will give life to our mortal bodies through his Spirit who lives in us.

The resurrection means that the grave is not the end! The resurrection means that no matter how bad things are right now, there is hope in Christ! We have life in Christ! The resurrection means that we no longer live, but Christ lives in us!

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live in my body, I live by faith, indeed, by the faithfulness of God’s Son, who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal. 2:20).

The life we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God who LOVED us and gave himself for us! Resurrection means new life and new beginnings for all of us.

On the cross, Jesus clothed Himself in our sin. He took our sin upon Himself to save and rescue all of us. The hope of resurrection is that we do not have to live our old lives anymore! The resurrection means we get to be clothed in something better. Colossians. 3:12 says, “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Following Jesus allows us to put away our old lives and begin new ones. The resurrection invites us into eternal life. Eternal life is knowing God and believing God sent jesus to rescue us.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Christ is risen indeed!

Prayer

We praise you, Lord Jesus, for your remarkable resurrection! Forgive us for the times we have taken the glorious gift of the gospel and all that your resurrection means for granted. Please forgive us for not being deeply and profoundly grateful for all that you have done for us in and through your death, burial, and resurrection. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

John 12:12-15 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

“Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
    see, your king is coming,
    seated on a donkey’s colt.” (Zec. 9:9)

Jesus is preparing to tread the path of Calvary. He comes into Jerusalem on a donkey. The King has arrived! It seems kind of strange. But this was all to fulfill what was written about Jesus in Zechariah 9:9. They were celebrating him and anointing him as king. But little did they know what His identity of king would mean. All this time, they were waiting on a Messiah, and the results of this messiah is not quite what they eagerly anticipated.

The people in the crowd greeted Jesus as the Messiah. In doing so, they were acknowledging Him as the Son of David. They were acknowledging that He was the anointed one and the King of Israel, the rightful heir to David’s throne. Do we acknowledge Jesus in the same way today? How would we acknowledge Jesus if He came today? How would He be received. He was acknowledged as the One who comes to bring a reign of peace. Do we rest in Him in this way?

When everything seems as though it’s falling apart ( and it so does today), is He the Lord of All to us?

Is He our very peace?

…on a donkey?

…on the cross?

…in the tomb?

…at resurrection?

…in our souls/

…in our minds?

They declared Him as king and a week later, they would be pushing Him to death on the cross. Can we just imagine the up and down emotions Jesus must have been feeling? Palm Sunday was not merely a commemoration of a past event. It is, rather, the ceremonial remembrance through which Jesus’ entry becomes real for the present-day Christian community. It becomes a moment for communal reflection on Jesus’ identity. Palm Sunday invites us to remember the life and love of this identity that Jesus embodies. John wants us to pause, remember and reflect.

We are being brought into a place of remembrance.

During this Holy week, let’s ask our Lord to search our hearts and help us confess our unbelief, our doubts, our fears, our worries, our self-righteousness, and our idolatry. Let us ask Him to be Lord of all in our lives. Let us rest in Him. Let us put our hope in Him alone. Let us rely on what He says rather than what we see. Let us live to please Him rather than living to please others or ourselves.

He is the anointed King. Let us praise him. This week, let us remember how the One who is Lord of all suffered in our our place that He might bring us peace.

Lord Jesus, please be Lord of all in all of our lives. Be all that we want and everything that we need. Be our peace. We place our lives in Your hands. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Reflection:

• What do we need to remember as we enter into Holy Week and walk toward the cross?

• What pieces of God’s faithfulness are you being asked to recall?

• What does it look like for you to spend more time in pausing and reflecting this Holy Week? What is God saying to you about remembrance?

John emphasizes in his gospel a lot on the divinity of Jesus. We clearly see this through the identification presented through the I Am statements. We have studying them through the last few weeks.

Let’s take a break from the “I Am” statements to focus upon the kingship of Jesus.

. Let’s take a look at John 12:1-8

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany,where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

In the days of Jesus, when a young woman reached the age of availability for marriage, her family would purchase an alabaster box for her and fill it with precious ointment. The size of the box and the value of the ointment would parallel her family’s wealth. This alabaster box would be part of her dowry. When the young man came to ask for her in marriage, she would respond by taking the alabaster box and breaking it at his feet. The gesture of anointing his feet showed him honor.

She knew what she was doing. She knew what she was sacrificing. Everyone could see the value.She ignores the room. She kneels, takes the perfume, and breaks it. And she never stops pouring. She didn’t keep any of it. She holds nothing back.

Imagine their reaction “Who do you think you are?” Jesus didn’t force her. He wasn’t disappointed. He was disappointed in those present, and He quiets the room. This woman was willing to pour it all out for her king.

There were two types of people present.

Those questioning the costly bottle asking “Why waste this on Jesus?”

The disciples—“Why waste it on Jesus?”

They scolded her. The definition of scold is “one who scolds habitually or persistently; a woman who disturbs the public peace by noisy or abusive behavior.”

Is the issue they believed her action so preposterous, or is that they would never be willing to act like that Were they concerned about money or her worship? Maybe they grumbled because they thought they could never be willing to part with their possessions.

We criticize the disciples. We think differently. What’s wrong with us? We aren’t willing to sacrifice. We hold our possessions tightly. We desire security over sacrifice. We try harder for more money, more friends, and more control.

Why should we give up everything? She gave up her future and her security for Jesus. Sacrifice isn’t easy. Mother Theresa says, “It costs, hurts, and empties us.” We all struggle with sacrifice.

“The terrible, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self—all your wishes and precautions—to Christ.”

- C.S. Lewis

Our response is not willing sacrifice but willing participation. We will give little, but not too much.Sacrifice implies complete, total devotion.When we pursue devotion, we are saying this one thing is most important

Is Jesus more important than our new salary, relationships, or security?

She surrendered her last most precious possession. We feel discomfort with this. We scold devotion because we are not willing to part with our possessions for Jesus.But Jesus doesn’t scold her. He honors her devotion. She understands what it means to know Jesus. She did what she could with what she had.

This is a simple act of love. When you fall in love, you do what appears to be love. A woman anoints her husband's feet to honor. But she anointed Jesus' head, and this is reserved for a king. In this room, she was announcing Jesus as King. She was announcing Him as king over her life. I bind myself to him because he is worthy my time; He is worthy of my resources. He is worthy of everything I have.

Jesus is captivated by the full attention she gives. This is what love looks like. Jesus honors her devotion. Jesus still acknowledges disciples. There will be poor for centuries. How you help the poor and the world is insignificant. Dedicate your life in love to Jesus first. He desires affection and sole devotion.

Jesus is not disappointed. Jesus honors us she we give Him our attention. So much calls for our attention. He isn’t disappointed in what we give. He honors us when we make Him our security, give control to Him, let Him be our king. He honors our willingness to devote to him. What if we realized that self-sacrifice is the place where we begin to taste His Joy! The joy of knowing Him.

This passage also reflects what Jesus would do for the world. Jesus parted with heaven’s riches to devote life to world of rejection. Jesus showed His devotion by going to the cross for you and me. He parted with selfishness for the sake of the whole world. His full attention is upon us. His whole life is pouring out for us—drop after drop. Think of it—“Christ voluntarily emptied himself out of anything that could obstruct him from revealing and gaining glory of the Father.”

How does Jesus make you respond?

She needs to pour herself out. When’s the lat time you needed to pour yourself out on him in true devotion?

This week during our MC’s, we are looking at Jesus as the Light of the World.

John 8:12 says,

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

This is the second “I Am” statement in John and it refers to Jesus’ identity and purpose. Light is who Jesus is. He came to bring light to what is dark. He came to bring life to what is dead. “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 (John 1:4-5).”

Light is a very common image to us. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as “something that makes vision possible.” This is physical as well as spiritual. We light a room in order to better see what is all around us. Jesus is declaring how He makes vision possible. He desires to illuminate our lives with His Life. This light illuminates what is hidden. We take a candle into a room to expel the darkness. Likewise, the Light of Jesus Christ comes in and dispels the darkness in our hearts. This is truth covering the lies. This is light dispelling the darkness. This is healing restoring our brokenness.

Light is also a familiar concept within the Old Testament as well. Light was God’s first creation (Gen. 1:3-4). In the Exodus tradition, God went before Israel in the wilderness as a pillar of fire at night “to give them light (Exod. 13:21). Just like God went before Israel in the wilderness, He wants to lead us in the same way. As we receive this light, He teaches us and directs our steps.

Isa. 60:19 “The sun will no more be you right by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.”

Ps. 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

The first promise in John 8:12 is for us to receive the light and walk in this new life. The second promise is for us to reflect this light. We want to share it with others. We are called to shine as “lights” in the world.

Matthew 5:14-16“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

How is God leading you to shine your light in the world? Just as He came as the Light of the world, He commands us to be “lights,” too.

Reflection

• How does God want to bring His healing light into your life?

• How does God want you to bring healing life into the places you live, work, and play?

Jesus is life and the gospel of John introduces this to us through the prologue. The prologue is an introduction to everything that will follow throughout the gospel. There are many themes presented in the prologue that continue to be unpacked throughout the pages that follow. The themes of light and darkness, acceptance and rejection, life and truth.

Jesus is light and life. He comes bringing light and life. Where light is being shone is also where life is being given and that life is being sustained.

This concept of life is presented in a few different areas of the gospel.

For instance:

• Jn 3:16 For God so loved the world that he have his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

• Jn. 5:26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

• Jn 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

• Jn. 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

• Jn. 11:25-26 I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believe sin me will live, even though they die.

John has a bit to say about this life. He understands that Jesus came into the world to save the world. He came into the world giving this gift of life. He wants to evoke the wonder of this gift of life. The enemy is trying to steal and kill and destroy, but Jesus comes that they may have life and have it to the full.

This week during our MCs, we are examining Jesus as the bread of life in chapter 6. Here’s what it says:

“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Wow. We will never hunger or thirst again? We all desperately want that. But that is not what Jesus means. He is not talking about physical food. No, rather he is suggesting that He is the source of life. Jesus is saying that He is the bread and the source of the bread. This means He is able to provide the essential needs for life. Do we trust and believe in Him as our Provider? That is the role He wants to have in our lives.

Andrew Murray says:

He did receive you. He did pardon you. He did love you and save you—you know it. If Christ did this for you while you were still a stranger to Him—an enemy to grace!—won’t He do at least this much for you now that you are His own? Won’t He keep His promises to those He loves?

Jesus knows exactly what we need. He is our source. Apart from Christ, nothing else satisfies. Jesus does not want us to depend on earthly things for life. But we are to look for food that endures. Rather than focusing on earthly food to sustain us, He asks us to look to Him. In the wilderness, God called the people to rely on Him for the provision. In the same way, Jesus is calling us to rely on him for His provision in our daily lives. This means coming to Him, believing in the relationship and in the promise of what he is capable of doing.

The things that we become more dependent upon than God himself are idols. These are the things that we choose to trust in as our source of life more than God. What are these things? Is it your job? Is it your relationship? Is it social media? Is it finances? Jesus fills the essential needs of our lives. Jesus fills the hunger of our souls if we would just come to Him and let Him. Jesus is the bread that people must eat to have life, and He is also the bread to whom people must listen in order to have life. We have physical and spiritual needs and Jesus is capable of meeting them all. He calls us to come to him, yield ourselves to Him, depending on Him to meet our needs.

Reflection:

- What other “bread” are you filling up on?

- What else do you depend on for life?

- What does contentment mean or look like in your life?

This week all of our Missional Communities are diving into the first three chapters of John. One of our church planting residents, Clay Blackwell, is sharing with us some of his initial thoughts on John 1. Take a read and reflect on the incarnation for yourself in this next week.

The Prologue's Got It All.

This Lent (a liturgical season of the Christian Church) at Evergreen we are going through the Gospel of John. This Sunday during our Ann Arbor Missional Community, we were talking about the first three chapters of John, and today, specifically the prologue of the gospel, found in verses 1-18.

I started thinking during the teaching portion of our time together about how the prologue has the Gospel written inside of it, all while introducing the rest of John's book. Generally, if we want to break the prologue into its 'paragraphs', we can separate out four different sections, all with such deep truths about who Jesus Christ is and what that means for us as followers of him.

The Cosmological Christ Creates.

Verses 1-5 starts out the Gospel with a beautiful combination of prose and poetry where the writer of John introduces us to the cosmic Christ. The Word in the beginning from which all creation has come, and from whom life proceeds and is sustained. What do we notice here, and how does it communicate the Gospel?

Christ is in the beginning, with God, and is God. Not only is Jesus Christ the source of all creation, but creation happens through the Word, Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, without the Word of God, creation would not happen. Nothing came into being without the Word! The Word, Jesus Christ, is light that shines in the darkness.

In the NRSV, we read that "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." I love the way the translation team decided to translate this verse. I think it speaks so much about the message of the Gospel and how Jesus Christ has defeated the powers of sin, death, and darkness. The light shines. This is a present tense translation. The light did not JUST shine, but it continues to do so and bring light. What else we should notice is that the darkness did not overcome it. This is not something that is a continuous battle. The light has defeated the darkness to where it does not have power over the light. Jesus Christ is that light that has defeated the darkness - the powers of sin and death - that keep us in chains, but no more as we are in Christ.

God Brings the Good News Through humanity.

Verses 6-8 tell us about John the Baptist, who has come as a witness to Jesus, to the light. What is so beautiful in this section is that we read that "The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world."

Two things here. First, the light was the true light. Not everything that we seek to bring understanding in our lives will be the true light. It might be a deflected ray that brightens things from darkness to a dim light, but the true light has come. Second, the light enlightens everyone. The light not only brings light to some, but to the whole world. We see this theme later in John as Jesus speaks to Nicodemus and tells him about new birth. Not only is brining light to everyone, but Jesus, the light, enlightens them. There are so many readings to that word, but all those readings speak to so many actions of Jesus in themselves.

Jesus in the World, the World through Jesus.

It is hard to say what my favorite part of the prologue is but verses 10-13 is up there on top. These four verses carry SO MUCH information about who Jesus is as well!

Just a few things to mention include Jesus did not create the world from the outside, but he was in the world. And he did not create from some other means but created through himself. However! The world did not know him.

Verse 11 in my study bible has a great note that mentions the verse could be read to say, "his own home." I think that this is such a beautiful reading, because we can relate to it so well. When we create our home, when we put it together with all our favorite things, we do not do it in a way that is impersonal. Creating a home is something that has our own personal touch to it. This is what Jesus did as he created the world. "The rocks will cry out" and tell us that they too have been formed by the Word in such a way that was particular and decided! 

We also read that to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God. We, as we have also created a home, as children of God, hear the knock of Jesus Christ at the door. Receive him. Believe in his name, and he gives us the power to become part of the family of God. This is such a central theme of the Gospel. We are not simply saved from far away, by some impersonal force, from some thing to something else, but we become part of the family of God. This is not of the blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. It is Godself that has wanted us to become part of the family of God, and it is not of our own power to do so. Amen and amen! How beautiful it is to be born into the family.

Jesus, you've got me, I've been seen right here!

I said I loved verses 10-13, but wow, take some time and sit with 14-18 will you please?

Jesus, the Word, the Son of GOD! Has become flesh and lived among us. We have seen his glory. He is the father's only son! And he is full of grace and truth. Grace and Truth are the key attributes as to how the writer of John sees Jesus Christ. We can see so many interactions between Jesus Christ and various people in the Gospel where Jesus offers grace to them, but also delivers truth. Jesus is so full of grace and truth that it oozes out of him and people can feel it around them. They flock to Jesus because of who he is. When Jesus meets with people, he offers grace and in the same breath tells them to "go and sin no more." Jesus offers grace, he offers forgiveness, but he also requires repentance - turning around and walking the other way. It is not only up to us, but Christians are empowered, are helped by the power of the Holy Spirit, to turn from Sin and to shake off sin.

We are constantly searching for what fulfills us. We want to see what we think is good for us and make it happen. On our own terms. At our own pace. We might find something that scratches our itch for fulfillment and completeness, but we can never find that fullness. Jesus Christ is that fullness, offers that completeness. He is full - complete. Nothing more do we need to seek to 'find our place' in life, 'to find happiness,' because we have all received, grace upon grace.

Not only are we constantly searching for what fulfills us, but we are also searching for ways to touch God, ways to see God. As Jesus Christ has become God incarnate, we no longer have to strive for ways to touch God, for ways to see God. Jesus walked the Earth. The God who lowered himself to become one of humankind and live as a servant to all, was able to be seen. He was able to be touched, but what we are told is this. Before Jesus came as God incarnate, No one has ever seen God. It just was not possible. But what is more important is this! It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known. Seeing God, knowing God, is not what really matters. We, through all our ways to try to see or touch the holy, are really seeking the heart of God. We are seeking to know God, and to be fully known by God and those around us. It is Jesus Christ who most of all, who is close to the Father's heart, and who knows God. Believe, repent, be born again, become part of the family of God. Become close to the Fathers heart and know and be known.

Today commemorates Ash Wednesday. Now, depending on the church tradition you grew up in, you might be wondering what this means. No worries. I have been there. I vaguely knew about Lent in my church growing up. It wasn’t until my years in college that I learned more about it. It was during this time that many of my college friends would choose something to fast for the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter. I always thought Lent was a season to give up something. But I never truly understood the purpose or reasoning behind it. And maybe many of my friends didn’t either. They would choose to give up social media and chocolate and it would appear to be this really holy thing. But I think they might have missed the purpose. 

What is this thing called Lent and why is it important? 

Fasting is a spiritual discipline we practice in order to find fulfillment and dependence in God alone. Fasting is a crucial part of Lent. But some of us may be doing the fasting part without the intentional repentance. It’s important to explain what fasting entails and how it can impact our relationship with God and with each other. 

In her book, Soul Feast, Marjorie Thompson writes this: “Fasting was a form of humble supplication before God in the face of imminent destruction or calamity. The second purpose of a fast was to prepare oneself inwardly for receiving the necessary strength and grace to complete a mission of faithful service in God’s name (1).” John Calvin praised the practice of fasting. He commended it to (1) subdue the needless desires of the flesh; (2) prepare for prayer and meditation and (3) express humility before God in confession (1). 

Fasting has a way of revealing where our dependencies actually lie. Fasting reveals our unrestrained attachments. Food is necessary to life, but we have almost made it more necessary than God. We often forget God’s presence, but we never forget to eat. The truth is fasting makes us more aware of how we have placed the material world ahead of its Creator and true source. 

Marjorie challenges us in this regard: “Are we aware of how much sustains our life apart from physical food? Do we have an inner conviction that Christ is our life? We will comprehend little of how we are nourished by Christ until we have emptied ourselves of the kinds of sustenance that keep us content to live at life’s surface (1).” 

Lent is the traditional season of prayer and fasting in preparation for the great “Feast of feasts,” Easter (1). Lent could be considered the great fast of the church year. It is a season that enlarges our understanding of spiritual discipline. We minimize spiritual disciplines when we lose sight of their real purpose. Lent is not an inconvenience or a challenge to be accepted. 

Ash Wednesday is the start of the season of Lent. Lent is a 40 day period committed to repentance, fasting, and preparation for Easter. Ash Wednesday reminds us of our sinfulness before God and our human mortality. Through the service of ashes, we become fully reminded of our humanity and our sin. We come before God, remembering who we are and who we can be because of Christ (2). 

To repent is to acknowledge that a life turned away from God doesn’t contribute to human flourishing. In this regard, the ashes signify a turn of heart that leads to life.

- Rich Villodas (3)

Lent is actually derived from a Saxon word meaning “spring.” It brings a new understanding to this season. “In the early church, Lent was viewed as a spiritual spring, a time of light and joy in the renewal of the soul’s life. It represented a return to the “fact” that Adam and Eve broke: a life in which God was once more center and source, and the material world was again received as a means of communion with God. 79” fasting is a form of interior ‘spring cleaning.’ it involves real labor, but how satisfying and freeing it is to get rid of all that unnecessary stuff! But in pursuing fasting in such ways, we need to ask for God’s help. What does God want to accomplish in you through this practice? 

Maybe we are seeking comfort in binge-watching Netflix instead of seeking comfort in the Lord. So, maybe incorporating silence over incessant music or TV is pertinent to you. 

Maybe you need to abstain from eating foods that you depend on too much.

Maybe you need to fast from shopping sprees or spending money too frivolously.

What does God want to do in you through this practice? It may not be even about fasting or abstaining. But it could be about adding something into your day. Maybe it is the need to add in prayer, intercession, solitude, rest or deeper scripture engagement. Maybe you give up sleeping in to pursue these or just put it in your schedule as an appointment you keep. 

Macrina Wiederkehr says:

Fasting is cleansing. It cleans out our bodies. It lays bare our souls. It leads us into the arms of that One for whom we hunger. In the Divine Arms we become less demanding and more like the One who holds us. Then we experience new hungers. We hunger and thirst for justice, for goodness and holiness. We hunger for what is right. We hunger to be saints (1).

What are you hungry for? What do long for? What does deepening your faith in Christ look like for you in this season? 

Reflection

• As you walk toward Easter, how do you want to be changed?

• As you walk toward the cross, what do you want to lay down and how do you want to be filled and renewed by the Lord? 

• What does God want to accomplish in you through this practice?

Resources

1. Marjorie J. Thompson. “Rediscovering the Fast,” in Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2005), 75-88.

2. “When Did Ash Wednesday Begin and Why Do We Celebrate It?” https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-when-did-ash-wed-begin-and-why-do-we-celebrate-it

3. Rich Villodas. “The Wisdom of Ashes: Understanding Ash Wednesday.” Missio Alliance. https://www.missioalliance.org/wisdom-ashes-understanding-ash-wednesday/?fbclid=IwAR2z1bt1DnTzNLfzW2S_1iJYlgBo3Pj5WwkAmoKn9qiH2_HaVWI-8jZRiso

Our lead pastor, Derik Heumann, writes here about the value of discipleship in our lives and in our community.

“What is a disciple and how do we make one?” This question has been a blessing and a curse to many leaders in the church in the last few years. We are reaping the fruit of decades of attractional, consumer focused, seeker-sensitive, non-missional forms of “church” which have left us with shallow spiritual consumers and converts but not disciples. If you were to ask a group of church attenders, “how many of you have been intentionally discipled and subsequently discipled another person?” most would stare at you without being able to answer you. People who have been in church for decades have never been discipled. Even some pastors struggle with this question! The Church has a discipleship problem. The main thing Jesus calls his church to has become one of many products and services offered by the church for spiritual consumption by the masses. Mike Breen, founder of 3DM, says in his book Building a Discipling Culture, “If you make disciples you always get the church. But if you make a church, you rarely get disciples.”[1] This statement should give us pastors and leaders pause, as well as challenge us to run into the arms of Jesus if we are caught up in managing the church instead of making disciples. Most of us are very familiar with Matthew’s great commission text to, “go and make disciples of all nations”[2] or John’s commission, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you”[3], but again we are left with the question, “what is a disciple and how do we make them?” As with everything in our faith, we must turn to Jesus. How did he live his life? What can we learn about being a disciple from Jesus? How did Jesus make disciples?

Being a disciple means growing in intimacy with Jesus and imitating him in all areas of life. The “What?” of growing in intimacy and imitation of Jesus is described in a variety of ways in missional discipleship literature: some call it worship, community, mission[4]; others call it communion, community, co-mission[5]; and even others Up, In, and Out.[6] The Inspire Movement, an international network of people committed to developing missional discipleship in the life and leadership of the church breaks down Jesus’ Way of Life into four ingredients: 1) seeking growth in the love of God; 2) using spiritual disciplines as means of grace; 3) sharing fellowship with spiritual friends; and 4) engaging mission through love of neighbor.[7]

Seeking growth in the love of God begins with truly knowing and holding onto one’s identity in Christ. Before Jesus began his public ministry he hears from the Father in his baptism, “This is my son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased.”[8] Jesus knows who he is and whose he is before doing anything. One cannot join God on mission and follow him without first receiving the love of the Father. 1 John 4:19 tells us, “We love because he first loved us.” Being a disciple means breathing in and breathing out the holy love of God. We continually press into and respond with God’s loving presence and prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying graces which welcomes us as we are, brings us to repentance, regenerates and then transforms us more into the likeness of Jesus. In other words, it’s about being in relationship with the Father, Son, and Spirit.

Using spiritual disciplines as means of grace are the ways we cooperate with the Spirit of God in our daily life. John Wesley described the means of grace as, “outward signs, words, or actions, ordained of God, and appointed for this end, to be the ordinary channels whereby he might convey to men, preventing, justifying, or sanctifying grace.”[9] Scripture engagement, fasting, prayer, the Eucharist/Lord’s Supper, and Christian community are the five instituted means of grace that Jesus gives in the Gospels. Engaging with these disciplines awakens us to the presence and mission of God in our lives. These are to be done individually but also in community with spiritual friends and co-laborers in the gospel.

Sharing fellowship in community is modeled by Jesus as he chose the 12 as his missional community to invest his life into for the sake of many, as well as the smaller “band” of disciples Peter, James, and John who were the only ones to be invited to participate in the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter, the Mount of Transfiguration, and to pray with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus, being fully human, needed community as he joined in the Father’s mission. Jesus said, “where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.”[10] This community listens to the Spirit, offers encouragement, support, unconditional love, and becomes an extended family to one another as we all seek to grow in intimacy with Jesus and imitate him in all areas of life. Without the support of others, we will fall away from Jesus because we were made for relationship with one another. It is modeled in the essence of the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our faith communities are meant to reflect not only the image of God to the world but the self-giving, mutually submissive, love between the persons of God. Discipleship must involve intentional spaces and vehicles to grow with one another in Jesus’ Way of Life.

One cannot be a disciple of Jesus without also engaging missionally in the world. We are each called to be everyday missionaries where we live, work, and play. We are each sent by the Father to announce and demonstrate the universal reign of God. The Kingdom is here in our midst and we are ambassadors of the King of kings and Lord of lords. God goes before us and invites us to join him! The more we abide with Jesus, grow in the Spirit, and receive the love of the Father we discover the heart for all those not yet declaring, “Jesus is Lord!” We are called to bless others, extend hospitality, notice the unnoticeable, listen genuinely to all, ask good questions to invite others into the life of God, and serve the least and the lost. We must breathe out the love we’ve received! We are sent out to incarnate in neighborhoods, social networks, and our workplaces, or as one mentor of mine says, “We must fish where the fish are!”

So, what is a disciple and how do we make them? A disciple is a follower of Jesus who increasingly is growing in intimacy with God and imitation of him in every aspect of life by pressing into Jesus’ way of life. It has to begin with us, though we cannot do this alone. We need one another and a community of other disciples surrounding us to keep us journeying with the Lord. One such way is through discipleship bands[11], a micro-community of 3-5 spiritual friends helping to point one another to Jesus. This band is a catalyzing and healing space to confess sins, grow in friendship with the Spirit, and be encouraged to continue looking at and being obedient to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.

Pastors, leaders, church planters, beloved sons and daughters of God. Are we growing in intimacy with and imitation of our Lord and Savior? These questions can serve as an assessment and self-reflection for you to wrestle with the Lord, your family, and your community as we abide deeply with our Lord, keep the mission of God at the forefront of our lives and ministries, and discipleship the main thing the Church. This is the only way we will see the fulfillment of our vision as the Free Methodist Church to bring wholeness to the world through healthy biblical communities of disciples, leaders, groups, and churches.

Seeking growth in the love of God

1. Am I enjoying the love of God?

2. Am I becoming more like Jesus?

3. Am I aware of God’s presence in daily life?

4. Am I making God known to others by my way of life?

Using spiritual disciplines as means of grace

1. Am I praying in all circumstances?

2. Am I listening to God through the Bible?

3. Am I meeting Jesus in the Eucharist?

4. Am I practicing fasting and self-denial?

5. Am I living as a servant of others?

Sharing fellowship with spiritual friends

1. Am I sharing the ups and downs of my spiritual life?

2. Am I giving and receiving spiritual guidance?

3. Am I growing in the fruit of the Spirit?

4. Am I developing the use of spiritual gifts?

5. Am I sharing spiritual wisdom?

Engaging mission through love of neighbor

1. Am I aware of being sent by God into daily life?

2. Am I making new friends with my neighbors?

3. Am I offering hospitality to others?

4. Am I showing God’s love in practical ways?

5. Am I speaking to others about Jesus?

This article was first published by the Free Methodist Church USA.

[1] Breen, Mike. Building a Discipling Culture. 2016. Kindle Location 100.

[2] Matthew 28:16-20

[3] John 20:21

[4] fmcusa.org

[5] Woodward, J.R. & White Jr., Dan. The Church as Movement.

[6]. Breen, Mike. Building a Discipling Culture

[7] inspiremovement.org/missional-discipleship

[8] Matthew 3:16-17

[9] Wesley, John. “The Means of Grace.” The Sermons of John Wesley. Ed. Kenneth Collins.

[10] Matthew 18:20.

[11] For more information on discipleship bands see The Band Meeting by Kevin Watson, or visit inspiremovement.org or seedbed.com for more information and a contemporary model of this historic disciple making vehicle.

Here at Evergreen we talk a lot about pressing into Jesus’ way of life. Jesus’ way of life incorporates this familiar term of discipleship. But what is this?

You might be thinking, what is the deal with discipleship, anyway? Well you are in luck. For the next several weeks, we will be exploring the topic of discipleship and mission. We genuinely hope this is encouraging and empowering to you as Jesus’ disciples.

At Evergreen, we use the language of whole-life disciples and everyday missionaries. To be a disciple and everyday missionary is to follow Jesus as a student and an apprentice, joining God in the renewal of all things in the fullness of the Holy Spirit as we are transformed into the likeness of Jesus in all areas of life, resulting in the image of God to be seen more clearly. Being a disciple is a lifetime journey of growing in intimacy with God and imitating him in ALL areas of life. A whole-life disciple and everyday missionary is one who gives and receives hope by pressing into Jesus’ way of life through loving UP (worship), loving IN (community), and loving OUT (mission).

Discipleship is a lifelong process of becoming more like Jesus in thought, word, and deed. We seek growth in love of God, use spiritual disciplines as means of grace, share fellowship in community, and engage missionally where we live, work, and play.

Discipleship begins with Jesus. To be a disciple and to fruitfully make disciples we need to look to the true teacher of discipleship. As you read these passages, let the words take root within you. Pause and ask yourself what Jesus is teaching about discipleship with each passage.

Matthew 28:18-20 - Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

John 8:31 Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.

John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

John 15:8-10 “By this, My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

1 John 4:9-12 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 John 4:9-12 helps to sum up what discipleship needs to look like in our lives. We prove to be His disciples when we bear much fruit. This fruit comes from our unity and fellowship with Christ. It come from receiving and living in this amazing love. Jesus was obedient to the Father and He calls us into that same obedience. But He was also one with the Father. This love leads us to keep His commands. This love guides us in loving others. This love guides us in seeking out the lost, the broken, and the oppressed. This is crucial for us in living as active disciples. We love God (UP). We love one another (IN). We seek to love those who are disconnected from the Father and this love (OUT).

What does discipleship mean to you?

Reflection

• In what ways do you need to learn and practice sitting in this abiding love of Christ’s?

• In what ways do you need to grow in discipleship within the context of community?

• In what ways do you need to step out in discipling others?

We’re the Kozmas. I (Michael) have gone by “Koz” because of my last name since high school and that nickname has never left me. We’re both 30 years old and live in Chelsea, where I grew up. Emily is from Clarkelake, near Jackson, but we’re both near enough to see our families frequently. We got married 9 years ago while I was in the Army and we lived in Colorado Springs for a few years following that. Since moving back to Michigan about 5 years ago, Emily has been nannying in Ann Arbor, and I’m finishing my BS in economics at the University of Michigan while hoping to continue on and get my masters in data science. We got connected with Evergreen around 2 years ago because I went to church and high school with Pastor Derik and he met me for coffee on the U-M campus one day to talk about his vision for the church and convinced me to come check it out. Emily and I were both hesitant at first because it’s so different from traditional churches, but we’ve really made it a central part of our lives in the last couple years and have enjoyed the close-knit community that we have here at Evergreen. 

1. What is your favorite thing about Christmas? 

Koz: I like having the Christmas lights around the house, it makes everyday life feel more enjoyable.

Emily: I like seeing the snow-covered houses and trees, all decorated for Christmas.

1. What was Christmas like when you were growing up?

Koz: I would wake my parents up on Christmas morning and my mom would start making Cinnamon rolls while we opened our stockings. After breakfast I got to open my presents and then usually in the evening we’d go to my aunt’s house and I’d get to see all my cousins and compare what we all got for Christmas.

Emily: My sister and I would spend the night in my brothers room. And we would wait to go to the basement where our tree and presents were at until our parents were up. I would alway leave santa cookies (sometimes a ham sandwich) and milk (or vernors) and a candy cane for Mrs. Claus and carrots for the reindeer. We didn’t do traditional stockings on Christmas. Instead we had Father Time, which is French. My dad did it when he was younger too. Father Time was an older man that would follow Santa and put presents in kids stockings New year’s eve and we’d open them on New Year’s day. 

1. Describe a Christmas present you wanted badly as a kid, but never received.

Koz: I really wanted a PS2, but my parents scoffed at spending that much on video games, so a year later, I got a gamecube that was on sale. I have since spent enough on video games myself to make up for this tragedy.

Emily: I didn’t get the American Girl doll I wanted one year, although I did actually get it later. I think even as a kid, I knew not to ask for anything too crazy, so I got most things I asked for, except for a puppy. I’m no Koz, trying to get all the expensive video games, ha.

1. What was your first Christmas together as a married couple like? 

We got married in November while I was on my two weeks of leave from my unit’s deployment to Afghanistan, so we spent our first Christmas apart, though I believe we got in a short video call at least. Our first Christmas actually being together, we returned home from Colorado to be with family, which was nice, but was also quite chaotic since we had a lot of people to see and not much time to see them. It took us a good few years before we were able to settle into our own Christmas routines and traditions.

1. Real Christmas tree or artificial? 

We’ve had to do artificial out of necessity because we don’t yet trust our German Shepherd, Hank to not knock over a real tree, but we both prefer a real tree and are working Hank up to that. He’s doing well so far, so we’re holding onto hope for next year.

1. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

I (Koz) grew up with colored lights on the tree, so that was initially what I preferred, but we’ve since agreed to switch to white lights, and they really do give a nice soft glow, which I like. This year, also because we’re worried about Hank’s destructive tail, we’re doing all our cheap and easily replaceable ornaments on the tree, but normally we have many special ones that we put up. We’ve been fortunate to do a fair bit of travelling in our lives, so we have ornaments that we’ve bought at most of the places we’ve gone, and it’s nice to remember all those exciting trips each year.

1. If you could only have one type of Christmas candy this year, what would you choose?

Koz:  Buckeyes. It pains me to say that because I despise Ohio State, but I do love chocolate and peanut butter.

Emily: Peanut Brittle, although I also like buckeyes a lot.

1. What's the best – or worst – Christmas present you've ever received?

Koz: I got a lot of clothes when I was young. I probably needed them, but I didn’t want clothes. I probably wanted legos.

Emily: I got an easy-bake oven when I was little, it was wonderful.

1. If you could travel anywhere for Christmas, where would you go?

Koz: I love a good ski town around Christmas, we got spoiled with that out in Colorado, but if I could pick anywhere, it would probably be some little ski town in the Swiss Alps.

Emily- The Christmas market in Germany: Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg.

1. What holiday movie or special do you watch over and over again? 

Koz- White Christmas. Die Hard. Jermemiah Johnson. That last one isn’t a Christmas movie, but it’s my favorite movie and I usually make Emily watch it with me around Christmas anyways because I first watched it in Afghanistan on Christmas day.

Emily- White Christmas. Charlie Brown Christmas.

1. What’s your favorite – or least favorite – Christmas song? 

Koz: Least favorite is Last Christmas. My favorite is Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, specifically the version on the John Denver and the Muppets Christmas album, featuring John Denver and Rowlf the dog.

Emily: Least favorite Christmas song would be Santa Baby. Favorite songs are the instrumental versions of Christmas hymns.

1. What one thing are you most grateful for this holiday season?

Koz: The birth of Jesus is probably the right answer, but honestly, the break from school and getting some unencumbered time with Emily around the house.

Emily: Health of my family and time off work to rest and spend time together as a couple.

1. Name three words that best describe Christmas for you.

Family. Celebration. Kindness.

1. The true meaning of Christmas is [fill in the blank].

I learned this one from Linus in A Charlie Brown Christmas. As usual, the birth of Jesus is probably the right answer. I think it’s important to not take for granted how important the birth of Jesus is to us though. We often take the New Testament as a given, but for all of human history leading up to the birth of Christ, they didn’t have a New Testament. We could just as easily still be waiting on the savior to arrive, but instead, we get to live in a world where he has already come. While we eagerly await his second coming, we can know that we’re absolved of our uncleanliness, and we have nothing to fear. That makes us pretty blessed. That’s what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown.