Today

The Today programme on BBC Radio 4 grills politicians, academics, lawyers et al on a daily basis. The intimidating presenters never seem to be lost for words! As each specialist arrives, the presenters greet them with a barrage of insightful questions.

It reminds me of the scene in Matthew 22. The Lord Jesus is in Jerusalem, his Messianic credentials are being examined closely by the authorities. Three different groups of people ask him "old chestnut" questions, to which they are sure there cannot be right answers ... and the Messiah confounds them all!

First up, the political question. "Should we pay taxes to Caesar?" What an issue to raise in Jerusalem, hotbed of Jewish fundamentalism and yet centre of occupying Roman administration! He would have to offend someone, whether he answered yes or no. So what did He reply? "Give Caesar what belongs to him. Give God what belongs to Him." Wow! That's more than playing with a straight bat! That's knocking the hapless interrogators for six!

Second, the hypothetical question. Rather more academic. "If a woman is widowed seven times, after marrying seven brothers one-at-a-time, who will she be married to in the resurrection?" (Questioner almost falls over laughing ... how ridiculous to consider the resurrection to be anything more than metaphorical!) The sniggers soon stop. The Messiah sternly points out that God describes Himself as "I am the God of Abraham," 400 years after Abraham's death. Abraham lives! God is the God of the living! Not the dead! Resurrection is literal. Life is eternal. Marriage is only temporary, unnecessary in heaven.

Third, the legal question. "Which is the greatest of God's laws?" asks an earnest lawyer. "Love God," says the Messiah, the only one who ever lived up to this law. And there's more ... "Love your neighbour," says the Messiah, the one who showed the greatest neighbourly love when He gave His life up so that His fellow humans could have their sins forgiven by His Father God.

No more questions from the audience. The Messiah has silenced his critics.

Gospel Haiku

Christ died for our sins
From the grave He rose again
Jesus Christ is Lord

Notes

This haiku is a celebration of the Christian message
of Easter. The first line is taken from 1 Corinthians 15:3, which Paul states as the basic truth of his evangelistic message. The middle line is a paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 15:4, regarding the resurrection which is a central tenet of the Christian faith. ("If Christ is not alive, your faith is meaningless" - Paul again - 1 Corinthians 15:17.) The final line is a direct quotation from Philippians 2:10-11.

The haiku follows the traditional syllabic pattern of 5/7/5, based on the Japanese hokku pattern. I hope this shows that the Christian message can (and must) be relayed across the world with respect to cultural conventions, although without compromising the raw power of the Gospel.

Each line describes a Christian belief that is firmly embedded in history. (1) Christ died on the cross at Calvary. (2) He rose from the dead three days later. No-one disputes that the tomb was empty! Although unbelievers have attempted to perpetrate alternative explanations, the original resurrection story still withstands careful scrutiny. (3) One day everyone will have to acknowledge the universal dominion of Jesus Christ. God has appointed this future day already. Some will bow grudgingly as a precursor to their judgment. Others will bow willingly in anticipation of His kingdom.

God and recursive acronyms

Note: this article is aimed fairly and squarely at computer scientists and hackers. Apologies to everyone else.

The free software movement abounds with recursive acronyms. Examples include GNU's Not Unix, PNG's Not GIF, etc. Some people see this kind of circular definition as poetical. Others prefer the mathematical intractability. Either way, recursion is symbolic of both complexity and beauty.

God, when describing Himself, employs recursive naming schemes. Consider Moses' meeting with God [Exodus 3], familiar to both Jewish and Christian faiths. When Moses asks God, "What is Your Name?" then God replies "I AM WHO I AM." God's character is incomparable with anyone other than Himself. I AM WHO I AM brings before us God's uniqueness, constancy and eternity...

God also defines His emotions recursively. He describes why He has chosen to rescue the Israelite people from Egypt [Deuteronomy 7]. He says "I love you ... because I love you." God is love, and this is the only reason He needs to love. God's love is determined entirely by the subject, not at all the object, of that love.

So, is this recursive, infinite God entirely unknowable to humanity? No! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to tell us who "I AM" really is, and to show us what "I LOVE" really means...

Why Jesus?

Up to now I have never actually explained why Jesus is "my kind of Messiah". Here are three reasons why I choose Jesus as my Lord and my God...

Jesus cares

How many times have I walked past a beggar on the street today? At least twice, each time fiercely staring at the pavement in front of me, desperately avoiding eye contact. The Lord Jesus Christ was never like that. He stopped to chat with beggars, much to the disgust of his more affluent audience.

But Jesus did more than just ignore social barriers. He removed them altogether, restoring genuine equality and social justice. Whereas Robin Hood robbed from the rich to give to the poor, the Lord Jesus gives to rich and poor alike from his own spiritual riches. "Blessed are the poor, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them" he says.

Jesus challenges

He questioned the values of contemporary society. Apathy, hypocrisy, mockery. Whatever preconceived notions people had about him and his message, he made those people think again. They marvelled at his authoritative words, his diplomatic statement of outrageous truth. Read the words of Jesus again and see if they challenge you!

Jesus changes

Most famously, he turned water into wine. His followers clearly abandoned the task of exhaustively recording his full list of miracles (John 20.30). His greatest transformation takes place in people's hearts. He brought new life to so many people in that day. And he's still in the same business today. "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature altogether. The old has gone, the new has arrived!"

Advent Calendar

It's that time of year again! Everyone is counting down to Christmas! In our house we have a traditional picture calendar, not a chocolate in sight I'm afraid! It's rather unsophisticated - in this age of edible advent calendars, electronic advent calendars, and so on.

I like the picture on the front of our calendar. There is a manger under an open sky. Mary and Joseph are alone with the baby. The first Christmas was an unsophisticated affair. And yet, behind the simplicity of the event, what an amazing spiritual significance. Immanuel - God is with us!

Christmas is Coming

Angels are dancing in Albert Square, central Manchester ... the Christmas lights are on. This year the square hosts a traditional Christmas tree surrounded by three angels with trumpets. How faithful to the original Christmas story! Angels announced Christ's birth to Mary and Joseph before the event, and to the shepherds immediately afterwards.

There are two problems though. First the angels are surrounded by a metal ring-fence, so one has to appreciate them from a distance. Second, the whole of Albert Square is swamped by a Christmas market, which quite diminishes the effect of the festive decorations.

This is representative of modern society's approach to Christmas. If we are to appreciate the true meaning of Christmas at all, then we only do so remotely, from quite a distance. Get close to Christmas this year! Think about the historical narrative in the Gospel records. Think about the apostolic interpretation in the Epistles.

Then again, don't let your Christmas be overcome by rampant consumerism. The Christmas Spirit isn't shopping! Recall the baby born in obscurity - heaven's riches exchanged for earth's poverty. (2 Cor 8v9).

Prayer Challenge

Have you seen the Special K challenge? It involves eating cereal for two weeks, with guaranteed improvements to your waistline! Well, I'm suggesting a prayer challenge with guaranteed improvements in your spiritual experience! I started yesterday, I'll let you know what happens in two weeks. Why don't you start now? Here's how it works. Decide on a suitable time of day and place. Then spend 10 minutes every day for the next two weeks talking to God. Try to go to the same place at the same time, each day. Who knows what the results will be?

There are plenty of Bible examples of people who had regular prayer-conversations with God. And they had amazing experiences! If you follow this through, it's guaranteed that something similar will happen to you! Think about Lydia, down by the river in Philippi. She found God (or God found her) for the first time properly. Daniel discovered old enemies (fellow courtiers) and new friends (hungry lions) in the palace at Babylon. Nehemiah got extended leave for a massive holiday DIY project. Elijah ran the weather forecasting industry out of business.

Finally, what about Jesus? His prayer life led to self-sacrifice on the cross. When he said to His Father - "Not what I want, but what you want. Let that happen" - he knew it would mean going all the way and giving his life. But he was prepared to go anywhere, do anything for God. Even to Calvary!

No timetable for departure (or arrival!)

Tony Blair repeatedly fails to clarify his departure plans. Everyone knows he is on his way out, but no-one is quite sure when, least of all himself it seems. His colleagues excuse this behaviour as necessary to safeguard his political legacy. On the other hand, his critics suggest that he is attempting to cling to power for as long as it takes to undermine his most likely successor.

The Bible promises that Jesus Christ will return one day, but "no-one knows the time, or the day, when the Son of Man will return. Not even the angels know it. It is the Father's secret." (Mark 13.32) He will come to establish himself as supreme world ruler. His government will be fair (Isaiah 32.1), firm (Rev 12.5) and for ever (Dan 2.44). What a marked contrast to present governments which seem so corrupt, weak and temporary!

So why are we waiting for His return? The Bible explains that God is still patiently waiting for people to turn to Christ. The remarkable truth is that if we submit to His rule now, then we will share in His rule in that coming Kingdom. (2 Tim 2.12)

Cross Character

A man's attitude as he approaches death ought to be a cameo of his life's character. Consider the impetuous cry of Horatio Nelson, the unstinting commitment of Robert Scott, the optimistic vision of Martin Luther King, and so on.

Now think about the attitude of Jesus of Nazareth as he hung upon a Roman cross. John 19:25-27 provide a good summary.

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother; his mother's sister; Mary Cleophas and Mary Magdalene. Seeing his mother and his beloved disciple [John], Jesus said to his mother, "Madam, look, this is your son." Then he addressed his disciple, "Look, this is your mother." So from then on, that disciple accepted her into his own family.

Three great virtues of the Lord Jesus Christ were also displayed in his followers at the cross.

1. devotion
   
2. care
   
3. obedience
   

Devotion

If the Son of God had not been devoted to his Father, then he would never have gone to the cross. But his unquestioning devotion had brought him to Calvary, and would take him through Calvary.

Some of his closest acquaintances were so devoted to him that they followed him to Calvary and stood by him, even in that place. At Calvary, it was not only shameful to be associated with Jesus of Nazareth, it was also dangerous. How little stigma is attached to his Company in 21st century western society!

Care

If the Son of God had not cared for us, then he would never have gone to the cross. But because he loved a world of helpless and hopeless humans, he died so that we could have our sins forgiven through faith in him.

It is clear from his words that he expects his followers to show the same self-denying care - first to one another ("This is how all men will know you are my followers, when you love one another" was his advice) and then to the world at large ("love your enemies" was his most stark and difficult command).

Obedience

"He became obedient to the point of death, and that a cross death." Marvel at the extent of his obedience to God the Father! Without that obedience, we would never be able to pay the price for our disobedience to God. But the Bible clearly teaches that his obedience more than compensates for our disobedience, (as ever, with the "by faith" disclaimer!).

His clear expectation on the cross was that his followers would carry out his dying requests in loving obedience to him. His commands still stand today. And obedience is still expected. The first command "You must be born again!" is prerequisite to all others ... faith is fundamental to following Him. With that foundation, we can exhibit devotion to duty, care for others, obedience to God - just like Him.

Mindless Violence

Last Friday night, my friend and I became the victims of mindless violence. A Liverpool youth accosted us, accused us of insulting him and promptly hit us both, hard. Without explanation, indeed, without reason. Causeless, mindless violence.

Over the last few days I have been thinking about our experience. It helped me to imagine a little about how the Lord Jesus must have suffered, as he faced "such contradiction of sinners against himself". They "did not know what they were doing" as they mocked him, battered him and utterly abused him. Was this just mindless violence? In one way - yes - since the perpetrators had no thought about the significance of their actions. However in another way - no - since the victim knew exactly what was coming his way - before as well as during the horrific events of his Passion. He was fully aware of all that "the Father had given him to do" - and fully ready to accomplish it. He never acted mindlessly. He "humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, and that a cross death". Why? He did it for me!

"He was wounded for my disobedience
bruised for my immorality
He took the punishment to bring me peace
And because of his beating, I am healed"

Thank you Lord! Once a victim, now the Victor!

A Peace-Loving Israeli

The concept of shalom permeates Jewish society. From a casual greeting "shalom!" to a title of Divinity "SHALOM" (Judges 6.24) the word is often on their lips. Shalom means peace, the state of rest, well-being, completeness and prosperity (according to W.E. Vine).

This shalom sentiment seems a far cry from the current actions of the state of Israel as portrayed in the Western media (bbc, cnn). But let's think for a while about one Jew whose every word and action epitomized perfect shalom.

He said things like this:

• "Let tired and troubled people come to me and I'll give you shalom" (Matthew 11.28)
  
• "I bequeath shalom to you, my shalom I give to you freely" (John 14.27)
  

He did things like this:

• Bring immediate shalom to nature, on a stormy night at sea. (Mark 4.35-39)
  
• Grant lasting shalom to people, afraid and doubtful as they were (John 20.19-23)
  

The greatest shalom He offers is in our relationship with God. Naturally we are estranged from God, alienated by our sinfulness. He can provide us with forgiveness, reconciliation and shalom. How? Because he
"made shalom by the blood of His cross." (Colossians 1.20)

In His death, He suffered all the trials, troubles and torments so that we can come to know and enjoy the perfect shalom of God in our hearts. The angel song of "Shalom on earth, good-will to men" can become a reality to us when we accept Jesus as Messiah, Saviour, and Lord in our lives.

Of Nazareth and Liverpool

1st century Nazareth was held in the same low esteem as 21st century Liverpool. Yesterday the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme described Liverpool as a "shabby old sea-port". The recent award of European Capital of Culture 2008 is seen by many as a bid to improve Liverpool's poor culture, rather than celebrate its riches. Indeed universally, Liverpool's citizens, the scousers, are mocked for their rough accent; their supposed dishonesty, laziness, and lax morality; not to mention their cheap sense of humour.

And 1st century Palestine had a similar scapegoat city - namely Nazareth. The northern, Galilean dialect was scorned by sophisticated southerners. "Your speech betrays you," says an aristocratic servant to Peter, accusing him of speaking in the same uncouth tones as his Master Jesus.

Nathanael expresses the conventional wisdom with a bite of sarcasm. "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" He found it inconceivable that the Messiah should be associated with such a disreputable place.

Now, strip away the accent and focus on the words. Don't worry about how this man spoke, rather consider what he said. Amazing things like "Come to me and I'll give you rest from all your troubles" and "I'm the true and living way. No-one gets to God except through me."

Again, forget the background and focus on the person. Jesus of Nazareth, yet he was completely different to the stereotypical Nazarene. This man stood out in every company of people. His dignity, authority and generosity amazed everyone who came across him.

Why should the Messiah submit to such humiliation, to be associated with a "shabby old" place like Nazareth? The
Biblical reason is that He became poor in every sense, in order to make others rich. The poverty of Nazareth (and more importantly, Calvary) mean that people like us can enjoy the riches that freely flow from his life (and more importantly, his death).