Easter: Peace and Forgiveness

Christ is risen! We are celebrating this. So in our gatherings there is a lot of great music, there is a celebratory spirit, there is a lot of optimism, and there is so much joy.

However, this was not the mood on the first Easter. Instead of joy, there was a lot of chaos. There was a violent earthquake (Matt 28:2). The soldiers guarding the tomb were scared because they saw a man whose “appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow” (Matt 28:3). They were so afraid that they shook and became like dead men (28:4). Mary Magdalene was frantic that Jesus’ body was gone (John 20:1), so she ran to Peter and John who also did not understand what was going on (20:9-10). Mary felt extreme grief that she stayed in the tomb, and mistook Jesus as the gardener who stole Jesus’ body (John 20:15). The religious leaders became scared of the news of the resurrection, so they instructed the guards to spread false news that the disciples took Jesus’ body (Matt 28:11-15). Many the people heard the news of the resurrection, which was why the disciples asked the stranger on the road: “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” (Luke 24:18).

Aside from chaos, there was a lot of fear. On resurrection day, the guards became afraid (Matt 28:4), the women who came to the tomb even trembled and remained mute (Mark 16:8). Even the disciples were afraid (Matt 28:10), and they have good reasons. For the disciples, the resurrection was not good news. It was bad news, particularly because the religious leaders accused them of stealing a dead body in order to propagate a story of resurrection! In the eyes of the religious leaders and the pious Jews who were so eager to have Jesus crucified, the disciples violated so many laws: touching a dead body, desecrating a tomb, teaching about resurrection (the Sanhedrin would have been furious), and spreading blasphemy. We must remember that Jesus got killed for blasphemy. The disciples were so afraid that they stayed together “with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders” (John 20:19).

We are very spoiled today because we only face Easter with all its joyful and victorious overtones, but the early disciples were suffering. The resurrection for us today means life, but for the disciples, it meant their death. Whether the resurrection was true or false, it meant that they were doomed to be pursued by the religious leaders. For them, since dawn, they were feeling anxious about their life. The irony of all these is that Jesus allows them to experience such an uneasiness for the entire day! Jesus appears to them only in the evening. Let us read John 20:19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus appeared to the disciples in the midst of their confusion and fear. I actually like this passage because I think Jesus was trying to re-orient them. So far, the resurrection was bad news to the disciples, but Jesus wants them to understand that the resurrection is good news! Instead of feeling confused and afraid, what they should experience is peace (John 20:19, 21). The disciples did not understand the resurrection, but Jesus wanted them to understand its meaning and significance in their lives.

So what is the resurrection about?

The resurrection is about Jesus’ PRESENCE

“Jesus came and stood among them” (John 20:19)

There is no greater comfort when we are faced with confusion, fear, or sorrow than God making Himself present beside us or among us. Most people, when suffering, feels abandoned by God. They feel as if God has left them alone. What they need is not entertainment that can drown their sorrow, or friends who can make them forget realities, or substances that can numb their emotions. What people need in times of fear is the presence of God Himself. And this was precisely what Jesus gave the disciples. I like the description about what happened to the disciples when Jesus showed up: “The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord” (John 20:20).

Depression is real. Fear is real. Confusion is real. The feeling of being alone is real. But God is also real. He never fails to show up in our deepest pains. He never fails to come to us when we need Him. It can be granted that sometimes Jesus can be late, like in the first Easter, but He will show up anyway. Easter is the assurance that Jesus shows up when we need Him the most.

… bringing PEACE

“Peace be with you” (John 20:19, 21)

What is peace? In Hebrew it is shalom, which means wholeness. Peace is the experience of comprehensive happiness, when everything is at the right place. It means that every aspect of our life is well. It does not mean the absence of pain or struggle; but it means contentment and happiness in the midst of struggle. It is the experience of satisfaction in life.

For sure, the disciples did not have peace. They were confused and terrified. They were anxious about their future.

But most of all, they did not have peace because they were so broken as a group and as individuals. Peace is possible only when we are right with God, right with others, and right with ourselves. Unfortunately, the disciples were not right with God because they knew deep in their hearts that they abandoned the Messiah, the Anointed One, right when He needed them. They disciples were not right with one another; in fact, the probably could not look at each other because they knew that each one of them failed. Maybe they were blaming one another. Maybe they were looking down at each other, particularly at Peter, who denied Jesus three times. They were not right with themselves, because they knew they have failed miserably.

The disciples were feeling condemned, accused, guilty, and ashamed. They did not have peace. But Jesus came to them precisely to offer what they needed. He said, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19, 21) twice. The resurrection is about the coming of Christ to bring peace to our broken lives.

… as a result of PARDON of sins

“If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven” (John 20:23)

We can experience peace—or wholeness—only if we experience forgiveness. Let us remember that the disciples felt guilt and shame before God for their sins. They also felt ashamed with one another, because they were not faithful to their Master and supportive of each other. They felt ashamed of themselves, because they were not able to live up to their own confessions. The night before Jesus was crucified, one of the conversations among them was this (Matt 26:33-35):

Peter said, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

³⁴ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

³⁵ But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

I am sure that this particular conversation was still fresh in the minds of the disciples. The memory serves as biting judgment against them. Judas hanged himself because of his guilt, and the disciples felt the same heavy guilt. So when Jesus came to them and said, “If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven” (John 20:23), he was offering them a way out. He is saying that He has already forgiven them, but they need to forgive each other and forgive themselves. They can only experience peace if they accept God’s forgiveness and if they also learn to forgive. 

Jesus did not only give them hope for themselves. Jesus has given them a mission to preach forgiveness and lead others to experience forgiveness. Our mission is to find others who have no peace, and lead them to experience the peace that comes from forgiveness. The resurrection is for us, but also for others through us. 

Conclusion

What is the resurrection for the disciples? It is about Jesus’ PRESENCE bringing PEACE that comes from PARDON of sins. My prayer is that at Easter, each one of us will experience this. May Jesus come and visit our homes. May Jesus come and manifest Himself today so that those who have no peace might experience peace, and those who need forgiveness might also be forgiven.

Easter and the Holy Spirit

For many of us, it is easier to pronounce "Christ is risen" when things are going well, or when we are experiencing the happiness of life. We think of the resurrection as a message of victory; therefore, we think of it as a reason for celebration. But this means that celebrating the Easter can be a bit awkward when life is not turning out very well. This is especially true right now that the world is facing a pandemic that has already claimed thousands of lives and continues to bring anxiety to the heart of everyone.

Today, as we think of Easter--which is about life--we are being confronted by the reality of death. As Christians, we face the paradox of believing in the God of life while surrounded by forces of death. We audaciously proclaim victory while struggling with a powerful enemy. Today, at Easter, we express the joy of the past while living in a painful present.

So, what is it about Easter that makes us so confident and bold in the here and now of April 2020? 

First, we must realize that most of the New Testament books were written during the time of persecution. The biblical writers were not writing in the context of wellness. Their situation was actually very bad. The Roman empire sought for their cruel and undeserved deaths. The threat to their life was even more imminent--near--than our struggle with the coronavirus today! They were living in a period where homing missiles were invented to obliterate Christians!

This means that the New Testament writers were writing the message of resurrection to a group of people whose love ones have been killed and were themselves in great danger of dying. This means that the message of Easter is precisely for a world of death, suffering, turmoil, fear, and anxiety.

This 2020, I would like to highlight one specific aspect of Easter that is most often neglected: THE LIFE-GIVING WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Easter is not just about Jesus Christ; it is also about the Holy Spirit who made the first Easter possible. Let us look at two verses: "The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you" (Rom 8:11, NLT), and "[Jesus] suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit" (1 Peter 3:18, NLT). The work of the Holy Spirit is to give life.

This is the message of Easter: The Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is active in the world today to give and sustain life! In the same way that God breathed life into Adam's nostrils (Gen 2:7) and in the same way that He breathed life into the vast army that stood at the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel's vision (Ezek 37:1-14), He is sustaining life on the planet right now! If the Holy Spirit is not in the world, we all would have already died: "If God were to take back his spirit and withdraw his breath, all life would cease, and humanity would turn again to dust" (Job 34:14-15, NLT). This means that although there are deaths in the midst of the pandemic, there are also many recoveries. Yes, there are deaths, but majority still keep their lives.

Samuel Rayan wrote: “The Spirit’s outpouring is there on all struggles against oppression, on all movements for justice, equality and freedom, on all strivings for a sane, human and gentle history” (Renew the Face of the Earth, 32). What does this mean? This means that if the Spirit is the life-giving Spirit, then he is actively working precisely where there is death, oppression, struggle, pain. Because the Spirit's work is to give and sustain life, He is active where and when forces of anti-life are active and evident!

This further means that the best way to celebrate Easter--when the Spirit raised Jesus from the dead--is not to gather around and sing celebration songs to remember a glorious past. The best way to celebrate Easter--as the people of God--is to participate in the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit in the world. So what we must be asking today are these: How can I participate in the Spirit's work of sustaining the life of babies who have no access to milk? How can I participate in the Spirit's work of sustaining the life of the poor who have no food? How can I participate in the Spirit's work of sustaining the life of the elderly who has no one to rely on? How can I participate in the Spirit's work of sustaining the life of the vulnerable, the oppressed, the abused?  In short, what are the implications of the fact that "the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you" (Rom 8:11, NLT)?

Today, we celebrate Easter. We celebrate the fact that the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead and whose work is to give and sustain life is actively working in the world today. Yes, the Holy Spirit is at work! This is our message of hope. But Easter, is not just an event that reminds us of hope. It is an event that demands us to participate, in our puny capacities as humans, in the life-giving work of the Spirit. This is our responsibility as worshippers of the risen Christ!

He is risen! Let us worship Him responsibly.

The One That You Love

One of the saddest movies I have watched is Toy Story 3, where Woody and his friends felt abandoned because they were slowly discarded by their owner, Andy. The movie starts with reels of Andy always playing with his toys, but Andy goes to college—basically growing too old for his toys. So, even though Andy was unwilling to give them up, the toys are given away to their new owners in the end. The point of this is simple. Time can create a wedge between us and the things that we once loved. We can grow cold in our relationships with anyone or anything. We can be like any other kid who loves her new toys, but only for a while. She may be very excited about a toy for a few days, but she will ultimately leave them behind to look for something more interesting or exciting. Paul warns us against this sort of situation through his letter to his disciple Timothy:

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power (2 Tim 3:1-5).

Paul’s description of the last days is very grim. People will continue to love, but the object of their love will be things found in creation. People will prefer creatures over the Creator. Three idolatrous loves are the focus of the passage: love of self, love of money, and love of pleasure. 

First, according to Paul, people will be lovers of themselves. Whitney Houston’s hit song The Greatest Love of All actually promotes this. The song starts with a great note: “I believe the children’s our future,” so we might be led to think that it is a song about awesome love. Unfortunately, to our dismay, the chorus ends with these lines: “The greatest love of all is easy to achieve / Learning to love yourself – is the greatest love of all.”

People love themselves. This is very true today. Without a doubt, our era is one of the most narcissistic eras in the history of the world. The new English word “selfie” was coined in this era. Last year, I unfriended my neighbor from my province because my Facebook newsfeed was littered with her face. She takes delight in taking selfies almost every hour. Technology today provides several platforms for people suffering from Kulang Sa Pansin (KSP) or Attention Deficiency Syndrome (ASD) to be noticed. People today are lovers of themselves. They seek attention, recognition, and appreciation. People’s sense of self-worth are measured by the number of likes and reactions they get from a Facebook post.

Imagine if you visit someone’s home. He is single and living alone. You look around and notice that there is particular section in the receiving room, for everyone to see, that is filled with pictures, awards, travels, and even records of their good deeds. There is even a picture of him at the very center of all these things. It is basically like a shrine to idolize, worship, and promote himself. It is placed in the receiving area precisely so that people who come to the house can see everything and make comments. So you think to yourself: “Wow! This guy has a lot of ego!” Well, this is now called a website or a Facebook wall. People might be embarrassed to create a physical shrine for themselves, but they are shameless in creating online shrines.

Secondly, Paul says that people will be lovers of pleasure. This is also related to the love of self. Several surveys have been conducted about the greatest pleasures in life, and the results include: squeezing a pimple, cleaning your earwax, chocolate, bacon, a long bath, shopping, food, and sex. Among the three loves in the passage, it is love of pleasure that is contrasted with love of God. It seems, therefore, that the greatest competition for loving God is the love of pleasure. The temptation is to prioritize what we want over what God wants.

Thirdly, people will be lovers of money. The reason why this is not a good thing is found in the two other passages in the New Testament where love of money is mentioned. First, in Luke 16:1-14, after talking about the parable of the shrewd manager, Jesus affirmed that “no servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (16:13). Immediately after Jesus said this, the next verse reads: “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him” (Luke 16:14). People who love their money are easily prone to reject Jesus’ words about money if their interests clash with the kingdom’s. The second passage is 1 Timothy 6:6, 9-10, “Godliness with contentment is great gain… But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” Very clearly, Paul’s concern is that love of money can cause people to fall into many temptations. Worse, love of money is the root of all evil. It has historically brought faithful Christians to wander from the faith and cause numerous afflictions upon themselves. In the parable of the sower, those who are sown among thorns are described as “those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” (Mark 4:18-19).

The picture 2 Timothy 3:1-5 paint is extremely grim. Thankfully, the chapter does not end in verse 5. It actually goes on to sing a better tune in the next few verses. Paul wrote:

You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness… ¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it ¹⁵ and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Tim 3:10, 14-15).

These verses are a breath of fresh air. Paul says to Timothy, his disciple, that the world will turn sour and people will be lovers of themselves, of money, and of pleasure—except him. Timothy is the only hand whose palm is up when everyone else have their palms down. In 3:14-15, the reason why Timothy is different from the rest of the world is revealed: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it  and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Timothy is different from the rest of the world because he is a believer of Jesus Christ. Moreover, he has a life deeply grounded in the Word.

We must be different. We are not narcissistic; we love God. We are not lovers of money; we are sacrificial. We are not lovers of pleasure; we are the masters of our selves. In a narcissistic and ego-centric world, do we love God more than ourselves? In an economically-driven world, do we love God more than money? In a sensual world, do we love God more than pleasure? Can God say the same words He spoke about Job for us: “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” (Job 1:8). What is it that we love? Who is it that we love? Oscar C. A. Bernadotte wrote a beautiful hymn with words that should be the heart of everyone.

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands;
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand

Than to be the king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway;
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;

I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;

I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame;

I’d rather be true to His holy name.

Greed to Generosity

One of the most important topics of our time is our relation with money. Commenting on our human situation today, Dewi Hughes is spot on in saying that “the widespread  consumerism and materialism of the culture—expressed above all in our incessant advertising—seduces many people into making extravagant decisions about major purchases like houses and cars and smaller things like recreation, eating out, vacations, etc.; and the result is that most families are financially pressed in spite of enormous wealth.”[1] Everywhere in the world, money is increasingly becoming more accessible to many people and families. The abundance of malls, shopping centers, restaurants and entertainment places indicates that investors believe that we have money to spend. The problem is that even though we are earning more money than ever before, we still feel hard-pressed and may be under huge debts.

In one of the episodes of the television series The Big Bang Theory, Rajesh Koothrapali got a new girlfriend who was more in love with his money than with him. His parents learned about it and gave him a video call. His father, exasperated by his son’s stupidity, asked him to choose between his girlfriend and his allowance. Rajesh’s response is this: “You’re going to make me choose between the woman I love and the money I have very strong feelings for?” Like Rajesh, we all have strong feelings for money. This is not a problem only for modern humanity. In the first century, Paul already warned Timothy: “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows” (1 Tim 6:10). But there is hope for us. God is able to transform His people. Our inappropriate love of or concern about money may be replaced by lavish generosity.

This was what happened to Zacchaeus, and this can happen to all of us as well. His story was recorded by the historian Luke:

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ² A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.³ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-figtree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. ⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. ⁷ All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner” (Luke 19:1-10, NIV).

There was no profession in the New Testament that was more disdained than being a tax collector. The attitude of the religious leaders toward these people was negative, and they were very vocal about it. In fact, several times in the Gospels, the terms “tax collector” and “sinners” went together (Matt 9:10-11; 11:19; Mark 2:15-16; Luke 5:30; 7:34; 15:1). In several other passages, tax collectors are grouped together with other heinous sins. The Pharisee at the temple prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector” (Luke 18:11). Jesus lumped the sins of unbelieving pagans or Gentiles together with tax collectors (Matt 18:17). Elsewhere, Jesus grouped tax collectors with prostitutes in terms of the difficulty in entering the kingdom of God (Matt 21:31-32).

Why was there such a negativity against tax collectors in the times of Jesus? First, tax collectors were Jewish people working for the Romans, the enemies of the Jews. Therefore, they were considered as traitors to their own people. Instead of fighting against the Romans, they were helping them and were becoming rich in the process. Secondly, nobody wanted to pay taxes to the Romans, especially because they were oppressive. Thirdly, it was common knowledge that tax collectors cheated the people they collected from. They would collect more than what was required and keep the extra for themselves. When Jesus gave an advice to a tax collector, he said: “Don’t collect any more than you are required to” (Luke 3:13), signaling that it was common knowledge or assumption that they are cheaters. So finally, tax collectors were resented because they were extremely wealthy and enjoying lavish lifestyles at a time of oppression. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector, so imagine the even greater amount of animosity the people felt about him. Zacchaeus himself confessed that he indeed cheated people (19:8).

However, was Zacchaeus always a cheat? I am inclined to say NO. The nature of his work gave him the opportunity to cheat. Perhaps he was like many godly men and women who started in their work with no intention to abuse their positions at all. No one applies to a job with the intention of cheating. Rather, when we apply for jobs, we earnestly desire to be productive and helpful. Perhaps Zacchaeus was like a young Filipino who zealously aspired to become a policeman with the goal to help his fellow citizens. Perhaps he started as a tax collector with a vision to be a different kind of tax collector. Perhaps he started with a vision to change the image of tax collectors in the minds of people by staying godly. I don’t believe that people are naturally evil from the beginning. People progress from being good to being downright evil or callous in their ways. I think Zacchaeus started cheating in small scales because of fear. After all, he was still a God-believing Jew. But the more wealth he accumulated, the more he wanted more; and the more he wanted more, the more he became steeped in his greedy deeds.

The nature of humanity is that we want more. John D. Rockefeller, an American oil industry business magnate and industrialist in the early 1900s, was once considered the wealthiest person on earth. He was once asked “How much is enough?” and his response was a very short: “Just a little bit more.” Discontent seems to be a part of our fallen human DNA. Greedy people will always think that they lack abundance, no matter how much money they are receiving in comparison to the past. There is always something better to buy, something bigger to accumulate, something grander to own. The irony is that the more money we have, the more things we think we should buy.

Leo Tolstoy once wrote a story about a successful peasant farmer who was not satisfied with his lot. He wanted more of everything. One day he received a novel offer. For 1000 rubles, he could buy all the land he could walk around in a day. The only catch in the deal was that he had to be back at his starting point by sundown. Early the next morning he started out walking at a fast pace. By midday he was very tired, but he kept going, covering more and more ground. Well into the afternoon he realized that his greed had taken him far from the starting point. He quickened his pace and as the sun began to sink low in the sky, he began to run, knowing that if he did not make it back by sundown the opportunity to become an even bigger landholder would be lost. As the sun began to sink below the horizon he came within sight of the finish line. Gasping for breath, his heart pounding, he called upon every bit of strength left in his body and staggered across the line just before the sun disappeared. He immediately collapsed, blood streaming from his mouth. In a few minutes he was dead. Afterwards, his servants dug a grave. It was not much over six feet long and three feet wide. The title of Tolstoy's story was: How Much Land Does a Man Need?[2]

Greed has two interrelated forms: it takes and it withholds. In the case of Zacchaeus, it was primarily taking other people’s money. Christians may not be struggling with stealing. If there are Christian thieves, their number is certainly small. However, the sin of withholding is probably something that many of us are still struggling with. In the book of Malachi, God’s complaints against the Israelites were precisely because they were withholding from God:

“Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord” (Mal 1:14)

Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. ⁹ You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me” (Mal 3:8-9)

We may not be cheating our neighbors, and therefore think that we are not struggling with greed and the love of money. We may not be taking people’s money for our own sake or stealing them like tax collectors. But we are no better than tax collectors who steal from others if we are withholding from God what belongs to Him in tithes and offerings. My hope is that we experience a new beginning like the one experienced by Zacchaeus. The story continues to narrate:

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:8-10).

The transformation that happened in Zacchaeus’ life is astonishing. Looking closely at the story, Jesus actually did nothing apart from entering Zacchaeus’ house. Jesus did not preach a sermon. He did not rebuke the tax collector. He did not quote the Scriptures in order to teach Zacchaeus. Jesus did nothing. He just entered the house. But lo, and behold, Zacchaeus spontaneously stood up and made statements that would have shocked everyone in the house. He became a completely different man, totally transformed.

What happened? I think the answer is simple. He was touched by grace. He experienced the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. He experienced what it meant to be a recipient of grace. He knew that He did not deserve to have Jesus in his house. He knew that he did not deserve the attention Jesus gave him. He was always a man condemned by the religious leaders. He was always shunned by everyone. But from Jesus, he felt received. Although there were no utterances of forgiveness from Jesus, the fact that Jesus entered his home was a mighty evidence for Zacchaeus that he was accepted by Jesus. Zacchaeus was transformed from being greedy to being generous. If being greedy means both taking and withholding, being generous means not taking and not withholding. This was precisely the transformation that happened to Zacchaeus. Like him, we have already experienced God’s lavish grace and the acceptance of our Lord Jesus Christ. The question that remains is: Have we already been transformed like him too?


(This is the fourth manuscript in the New Beginning sermon series. The first, second, and third are also available in this blog.)

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[1] Hughes, “The Whole Church as a Transformed and Transforming Society,” 50.

[2] http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/g/greed.htm

Forget the Past; Forge the Future

If we are to describe our last year in one word, what would it be? Would it be success, failure, busy, lazy, challenging, joyride, stressful, chill, change, constant, love, sorrow, heartbreak, excitement? The thing is that whether we have had a good or challenging year, we are all going to leave last year behind. Last year is already the past. This is both a scary and a beautiful prospect. For some of us who have had a good year, there is no assurance that we will have another abundant 2018. For those of us who have had a difficult year, we are looking forward for a better one.

The common image in Filipino comics that describes the changing of the year is an old man being replaced by a new baby. There is a new beginning, almost from nothing. The new year affords great opportunities to start again. The apostle Paul, reflecting about his life as a missionary of the gospel, has written one of the most important set of verses in the whole New Testament about what it means to put the past behind as we look forward to the future. This is one of my favorite passages: Philippians 3:4-14 (NIV)

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Our primary verse is this: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (3:13). These two complement each other. When we look at the life of Paul, the message is very clear.

Forget the Past

Paul’s first advice is to forget what is behind. Typically, Paul’s advice is interpreted from a negative perspective. Paul is thought to be admonishing that we should leave our experiences of troubles behind and forget all of these. We should forget both the offenses of others against us and our own self-inflicted failures. To a certain degree, Paul was probably thinking of these when he was writing the letter. He had the right to say these things, because his past was not a rose-colored story of righteousness and success. He was once a blasphemer, violent, and persecutor of the church (1 Tim 1:13). People persecuted him. People stoned him. He was undeservedly punished. He was a recipient of envy and scorn, even from those he ministered with (the Corinthian believers). He was tossed and battered by the angry sea. He was accused of all sorts of things, arrested, and beaten.

So Paul’s words may be understood as a challenge that if we have been violent blasphemers of our faith, defiling the name of God in the process, we should leave that behind in the coming year. If we have experienced suffering because of persecution, misunderstanding, envy, and others, we should forget about these things and leave them behind. We may have been criticized, talked about negatively, pushed aside, neglected, offended, not respected enough, rejected, or whatever, we are being asked to forget and let go. We should let go of the thoughts of vengeance or bitterness or unforgiveness. We are to leave behind the sufferings of the past year, both self-inflicted and caused by others.

However, I think Paul’s main thought in the passage is about forgetting our sufferings. In fact, when we go back and read verses 4-6, Paul enumerated a few things that he can boast about himself. He was talking about his achievements. It seems to me that Paul’s primary message in Philippians 3 is that if we are to forget something, we must concentrate on forgetting our past achievements. We are entering the new year. We may have accomplished this and that, we may have achieved this and that, we may have received this and that, we may have done this and that, but it is time to forget them and move on. We may be tempted to live in the glories of the past and lose sight of the greater work that is in front of us. We might become conceited about what we have accomplished in the past and develop spiritual pride and superiority complex over others. Paul says in verse 7: “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless” (NLT). Let go of the past, and strain toward what is ahead, because as Paul wrote, “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it” (3:13). There is so much more to do. We have not even reached half of our task and goal.

Forge the Future

When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, he was in prison. He was probably aware that he was almost at the end of his life. He had an inkling that the Roman empire would not leave him alive. We can sense that he was torn:

“Now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. ²² If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! ²³ I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” (Phil 1:20-23).

Whatever the outcome of his imprisonment would be, Paul’s attitude was exemplary. He was discerning that the end for him was very near, but he still admonished that we should all strain toward what is ahead. What is ahead might be death and other many forms of suffering for the sake of the kingdom, but Paul says, strain toward it anyway!

We must forget about our past accomplishments and consider everyday as a new start, because our goals are yet to be achieved. We cannot be content with our past victories. We cannot be content with our historical record, but must strive to break them. We must move toward even more victories, more accomplishments, and more labor. There is no time to be complacent. Our victories in the past should pale in comparison to the victories of tomorrow, so that when we look back, we can laugh and scorn our old selves and say, “How foolish of the old me, thinking that this was the meaning of success.”

However, and more importantly, we should learn why Paul talked about forgetting what is behind and straining toward the future. Why should we forget our past accomplishments behind? What is the goal that we should strain toward? The answer is found in verses 7-10:

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.

Let us leave our victories behind. What truly matters is our deepening relationship and knowledge of Jesus Christ. So what if we have earned more money last year? So what if we have been promoted at work? So what if we have served a thousand hours in our ministries? Paul says that these are garbage, because what we should really gain is Jesus Christ (Phil 3:8). He is the goal that we should strain toward. All our efforts should be concentrated on knowing Him, in experiencing the power of his resurrection, in participating in his suffering, and becoming like Him in his death (Phil 3:10). Forget the past, leave it behind, and strain toward our goal, Jesus Christ. He is the true crown of righteousness for us. Our destiny and purpose is not predicated on what we do, but on who we are with. Our desire for this new year must therefore be to get closer to God, to know Him more, and to have Him manifested in our lives.

This is what our 2018 as disciples of Jesus Christ should look like.


[This is first of the sermon series entitled New Beginnings.]

Easter: Peter Reinstated

The Easter story deals with hope when it presented the transformed lives of the disciples. The death of Christ rendered them hopeless, but the resurrection gave them hope. The resurrection also deals with faith in the story of Thomas the doubter. Thomas’ faith in Jesus Christ was shaken because of Jesus’ death, but Jesus appears to Him to restore His faith and confidence in Him. In this post, the greatest of the triad—love—will be highlighted. This is just proper, because if at the cross God showed His love for us, during the resurrection days, God asked about our love for Him. The reading is from John 21:15-17

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶ He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

Do you love me more than these? (15:15)

The setting of John 21:15-17 is that of a breakfast over fish (21:12). It was in the context of this communal gathering that Jesus opened His mouth and directed a question to Peter: “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” (15:17). I can imagine the tension here. The question was addressed only to Peter, not to the whole crowd. Jesus locked His eyes on to Peter and asked him of his love for Him in the presence and hearing of the other disciples. This must have been a very awkward moment. The disciples all knew the not-so-distant-blunder of the outspoken Peter. They can remember how Peter publicly declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you!” (Matt 26:33-35; Mark 14:29-31; John 13:37; 15:12-13), and also how Peter also publicly denied Jesus Christ three times (Matt 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:54-62; John 18:16-18, 25-27).

Jesus’ question to Peter was like a knife wrenched in his heart, but the fang of the question was probably intended by Jesus. The question about our love for God is not a private question between God and us only. There is no such a thing as secret love for God. God asks the question of our devotion to Him in the presence of our close friends and family members. The question stings painfully because like Peter, these close friends and family members are the ones who know us and our blunders. To answer the question in public is scary, because the eyes and ears of many are attentive to us. But there is no other way. God demands that our love for Him be made public and for the world to see.

The first question is very interesting. What do the “these” refer to? Leon Morris argues that the “these” does not refer to the other disciples. Jesus was not asking if Peter loved Him more than how the other disciples love Him. Rather, “these” refer to the fishing paraphernalia. The question, therefore, is “Do you love me more than fishing?” It sounds like a simple question, but it actually is quite profound. Jesus was asking Peter about his future. It was a question of Peter’s way of life. It was a question of career choice.[1] Was Peter going to be a fisherman or an apostle? Let us remember that the disciples went fishing at the instigation of Peter (John 15:3). This is interesting because for one week, the disciples locked themselves in the room (John 20:19, 26), and the story of John 21:1-14 was the first time in the resurrection narratives that the disciples voluntarily went out, and their purpose was to fish. It would appear that Peter was going back to His old career as a fisherman. They no longer feared the Jewish leaders because the act of fishing symbolized that they have returned to their old lives and have moved on. Their Jesus experience and commitment were over. When Jesus asked “Do you love me more than these?” He was asking if Peter loved Him that He would go back to His calling to be a fisher of men (Matt 4:19). When Peter said “Yes Lord, you know that I love you,” the immediate response of Jesus was, then “Feed my lambs” (John 15:15).

Do you truly love me? (15:16)

It seems that Jesus was not satisfied with Peter’s affirmation, because Jesus asked Peter again: “Simon, son of John, do you truly love me?” (15:16). Again, it is good to remember that Jesus’ questions to Peter were in the presence of the disciples. If the first question created an awkward atmosphere, the fact that Jesus asked the same question to Peter might have further thickened the air. But Jesus had the right to ask the question again, because Peter did not really answer Jesus’ question in the first instance. This is more obvious in the original Greek manuscripts:

            Jesus: “Simon, son of John, do you love (agapas) me more than these?” 

Peter: “Yes, Lord; you know that I love (philo) you.”

Jesus: “Simon, son of John, do you love (agapas) me?” 

Thus, the reason Jesus asked Peter the same question again was that Peter did not answer Jesus’ question in the first place. Jesus was asking if Peter love Him in an agape way. Agape is the kind of love that God has for humanity. It refers to God’s faithful love—a love that never lets go. It is love that is willing to make a sacrifice for others to the point of death (Rom 5:8; 1 John 3:16). Jesus was asking Peter if he had this kind of love for Jesus. But as we see in 20:15, Peter actually avoided the question and literally said, “Yes Lord, I have a brotherly affection for you.” Basically, Peter said something like: “Yes Lord, I love you but not the kind of love that you are expecting from me.” Jesus was bro-zoned by Peter!

Jesus asked Peter again because Peter’s response was disappointing. Jesus wanted him to love Him with all his heart, soul, body, and mind (Matt 22:37), but Peter’s commitment was limited. In fact, Peter was actually shameless, because his response to Jesus’ second question was the same as the first one:

Jesus: “Simon, son of John, do you love (agapas) me more than these?” 

Peter: “Yes, Lord; you know that I love (philo) you.”

Jesus: “Simon, son of John, do you love (agapas) me?” 

Peter: “Yes, Lord; you know that I love (philo) you” (John 15:15-16).

Maybe the reason Peter responded in this way was because He no longer dared to be arrogantly sure in front of others again. He was afraid that He would fail again. He knew himself better now. He once proclaimed his undying commitment to Jesus in front of the other disciples, and he failed miserably in fulfilling his words. So this time, in the presence of the disciples, He did not dare to be so sure again. But you know what, it was precisely what Peter did not want to say that Jesus wanted to hear. Jesus wanted to hear from Peter his confession again. Jesus was challenging Peter to be so valiant again. He wanted Peter to express the same level of devotion for Him before his denials. Jesus was challenging Peter and us today if we can love Him in the same way that He loves us.

Do you love me? (15:17)

Jesus was not satisfied even after asking Peter twice, and receiving Peter’s response twice too. In John 20:17, it says that “He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” Jesus was a persistent stalker. He asked the same question a third time, and but what was Jesus’ focus this time?

It would appear that Peter’s love and commitment to Jesus has turned somewhat cold when Jesus died. He no longer had the same passion as before for Jesus Christ. He went back to fishing and when asked if he loved Jesus, he responded that he loved Jesus as a brother or friend. Something happened to Peter’s love when Jesus died. He lost his motivation. He lost his zeal. He lost his vigor. He lost the fiery love that he once had for Jesus.

The third question is actually probably the most important. Whether we like it or not, Peter did not want a crucified Messiah. He was expecting a victorious political king. This is why when Jesus said that He would suffer and be killed, Peter rebuked Jesus sternly (Matt 16:22; Mark 8:32). Peter loved the Jesus who was popular and was going to be the political liberator of the nation of Israel. Peter wanted a victorious Lord, not a failed revolutionary. Peter wanted a Lion, not a Lamb. Again, his actions of going back to fish and his affirmation that he loved Jesus only as a brother indicate that something has changed in his heart. Jesus’ third question asked Peter if he still loved Him even though He was not the person Peter wanted and expected. Jesus was a crucified Messiah. Would Peter still follow Him? Would Peter love Him even though He was not the man he wanted?

Conclusions

Jesus asked Peter three times. The same questions apply to us today. In the first question, Jesus is asking us if we love Jesus more than we love our career and our future and is comfortable for us. In the second question, Jesus is asking us if we love Him the way He loves us. In the third question, Jesus is asking if we love Him as He is, even though He does not respond to our prayers, even though He seems silent, even though He is not granting our deepest desires? We have expectations about God and how He should work in our lives, but these expectations often fail. Do we love Jesus the way He is?

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[1] Leon Morris, The Gospel of John (rev. ed., Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995), 767-72.

Lent: Jesus' Triumphal Entry 2

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the Holy Week. On Friday, the whole world will commemorate the death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. It is amazing how such a gloomy week begins with a triumphalist event when Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem. The account is so important that it is actually recorded in all four gospels (Matt 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19).

And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰ saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” ³² So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. ³³ And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” ³⁴ And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” ³⁵ And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. ³⁶ And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. ³⁷ As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, ³⁸ saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:28-38)

Luke 19:28-38 is definitely a story of celebration, jubilation, and the exaltation of Jesus as King and Messiah. The use of a colt which no one has ever sat (19:30) points to the fact that Jesus was entering Jerusalem with a sacred purpose (see Num 19:2; Deut 21:3;1 Sam 6:7). Even the fact that they had to borrow the donkey was actually giving a political signal (19:30-34). This was just common practice. When a political figure is arriving at a town, they would often borrow a mount to ride (see Gen 49:10-11). The actions of the people also indicate that they saw Jesus as a royalty, and they welcomed Him as such: “They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road” (19:35-36). This spreading of cloaks was a Jewish custom of paying respect to royalty, something which their ancestors already did for King Jehu (see 2 Kings 9:12-13). So the people were conscious of the fact that Jesus was king entering Jerusalem. They were even shouting praises to Him as king: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 19:38)

However, with all these festivities going on, Jesus’ reaction was quite extraordinary: “When he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it” (19:41). Why did Jesus weep? Amidst all the attention and praise He was receiving from the people, why was the first recorded reaction that of grief? The clue to answer these questions is found in what Jesus did immediately after entering Jerusalem. Hence, in this post, we need to look at the four gospels.

House of Robbers

Luke 19:45-46; Matthew 21:12-13

In the gospels of Luke and Matthew, the first thing Jesus did after entering Jerusalem was to visit the Temple. This is where we find our first clue why Jesus wept upon seeing Jerusalem. First, Jesus wept because Jerusalem has become a city that has forgotten its identity. The Temple was supposedly the place instituted by Yahweh as the place of forgiveness, cleansing, and even communion with God. In fact, as soon as the Temple was constructed, Solomon dedicated it to the Lord as a place of prayer, where people may come in their needs (2 Chron 6:12-42). Truly, it was a “house of prayer” (Isa 56:7).

The problem was that Jesus found the Temple not fulfilling its purpose: “And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, ‘It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers’” (Luke 19:45-46). How could Jesus not weep? The people have forgotten the sanctity of the Temple and its purpose. They have forgotten to honor and prioritize God for the sake of perishable monetary gains. The merchants were robbing God of the glory and attention that belong to Him. They were robbing God of His place in the Temple. The Temple has become a marketplace for profit, not a sanctuary for healing. It was filled with more merchants than worshippers.

The desecrating act of the people to the Temple is quite surprising, considering how, in the history of Israel, the Jews even used violence just to maintain the sanctity of the Tempe. In 168 BC, when Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the Temple by offering a pig in it as a sacrifice, the people of Israel organized a massive revolt. In AD 4, at the instigation of the priests, two young boys toppled down a golden eagle placed by the Roman empire on top of the Temple, which led to the death of the youths. Both these stories highlight the fact that the people of Israel valued the sanctity of the Temple. The Jews did not like any foreign thing to desecrate it. Unfortunately, during the time of Jesus, it was the Jews themselves who desecrated the Temple. Jesus wept because the center of religious life, and the very core of Jewish faith, has become corrupt. Jesus wept because the people have forgotten their own history.

House of Fruitlessness

Mark 11:13-14

In the gospel of Mark, Jesus’ actions at the Temple were just mentioned in passing (11:11). Mark actually emphasized the fact that after entering Jerusalem, Jesus cursed a fig tree (11:13-14). This is actually an important part of gospel, especially when understood in the light of Luke 19:29, which narrates that Jesus passed by Bethpage and Bethany, places which literally meant “House of Unripe Figs” and “House of Many Figs.” It would seem as if Jesus was going to Jerusalem to find out whether Jerusalem was either a house of unripe figs or a house of many figs. And when we read of Jesus finding a fig tree that does not even have a single fruit, Jerusalem is portrayed neither as a house of unripe figs nor a house of many figs, but a house of fruitless figs. Jesus wept because He found Jerusalem a fruitless city.

The parable of the talents immediately come to mind, which is precisely the parable that Jesus told His disciples right before His entry to Jerusalem (Luke 19:11-27). Jesus is the master who just returned from his journey, wanting his servants to report to him (19:15). At least in the parable, there were two servants who the master commended for their fruitful stewardship. But it would appear that in Jesus’ accounting of Jerusalem, the holy city was like the third servant who kept the talent away in a handkerchief (19:20), and was called a “wicked servant” (19:22). The servant was sent for punishment (19:24-27) in the same way as the fig tree withered (Matt 21:19).

House of Ignorance

John 12:20-34

In the gospel of John, what happened immediately after the Triumphal entry was that some Greeks came hopefully to see Jesus (12:20). Upon hearing the request of the Greeks, Jesus’ response was simple: “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified” (12:23), then went on to describe how He would die (12:24-33). Jesus disappointed the disciples, the Jews, and the Greeks, because His glory is found not in being seated on a throne, but in being hanged on the cross. His exaltation is found not within the mountain of God, but outside the city on another mountain called Golgotha, the place of skull (Matt 27:33). His glory is found not in His entrance to Jerusalem, but in His exit from the city, while carrying the cross (Matt 27:31-35).

Jesus wept because He found Jerusalem as a house of ignorance. They did not understand Him and God’s purposes. Jesus said, “I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32; see also John 3:14 and 8:28). His glory—His being lifted up—is not on a horse or a donkey, but on a wooden cross. The cross is the throne from which Christ governs the world! Revelations 19:11-13 also gives a beautiful picture of the glory of Jesus Christ: “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.” The one riding the horse is portrayed as a victorious king, returning from battle, which is probably why “he is clothed in a robe dipped in blood” (Rev 19:13). But whose blood is on His robe? It is His own blood. His glory is found in His sacrifice.

Jesus wept when He saw Jerusalem because the people did not understand: “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:42). Like in His exasperation with His disciples, He was asking: “Do you not yet understand?” (Mark 8:21).

Conclusions

Jesus wept because Jerusalem has become a house of robbers, a house of fruitlessness, and a house of ignorance. His earthly ministry was almost at its end, and He only had seven days left before His death, but the people for whom He came to save still remained in the dark. His heart was truly crushed. He was in deep anguish. But here is the good news: Jesus entered Jerusalem precisely for these kinds of people. He did not come for the righteous, but for robbers, the fruitless, and the ignorant. It is probably true that Jesus suffered deep anguish as He saw Jerusalem and its people, but His heart was also filled with compassion for them. He entered Jerusalem precisely for them. He enters the cities of our own lives, full of uncleanness and helplessness—and He comes to save.

Lent: Jesus' Triumphal Entry

Luke 19:28-44 begins with this statement: “After Jesus said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem” (19:28). So what did Jesus just say? He just told the parable about “a man of noble birth” who “went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return” (Luke 19:11), and which ended with this statement: “But those enemies of mine who did not want to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me” (19:27). When the disciples heard these statements, coupled with the fact that they were entering Jerusalem, they probably thought that the time has come for Jesus to sweep away the Romans and reclaim His rightful throne as the Messiah as soon as they enter Jerusalem.

The disciples were even greatly delighted when Jesus called two of them, and said, “I am sending two of you ahead, OK?” (19:29c). The other disciples who were seeing this should have been further hyped up. They knew something really momentous was about to happen. The instruction given to them was very clear: “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here” (19:30). The instruction that the colt has never been ridden points to the fact that it would be used for sacred reasons. For instance, the instruction to the Israelites was that the red heifer (a young female cow) to be used in ceremonies of cleansing was to be one that had never bore a yoke (Num 19:2; Deut 21:3). Another instance is the cart on which the ark of the covenant was to be carried had to be one which had been used for any other purpose (1 Sam 6:7). When the disciples heard Jesus’ instructions, their suspicion about Jesus as the Messiah who will start something awesome at the capital was further intensified.

Even the fact that they had to borrow the donkey was actually giving a political signal. This was just common practice. When a political figure is arriving at a town, they would often borrow a mount to ride. For the people, it was such a privilege to have their horses or animals be used by a king or a prince or a general or a famous teacher riding to town (see Gen 49:10-11). This is how we can understand the next verses: “If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ They replied, ‘The Lord needs it’” (19:31-34). And just like that, they obtained a colt. For the owner of the donkey, he was being given a rare privilege to have his animal ridden by an important person. Again, for the disciples, the fact the Jesus asked them to borrow a colt meant that Jesus thought of Himself as someone important riding into town.

If Jesus’ most immediate parable pointed to a king exercising authority and dominion, His command to secure an unridden donkey pointed to both a sacred task and a political statement. If we add the fact that they are now entering the royal capital city of Israel, we can understand how the disciples felt excited. Everything seemed to be in place. It was very clear to the disciples that Jesus was coming in to Jerusalem as the returning king.

Even the people were thinking precisely what the disciples were thinking. Their actions indicated that they saw Jesus as a royalty, and they welcomed Him as such: “They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road” (19:35-36). In other passages, “the people took palm branches” (John 12:13) “while others cut branches of trees and spread them on the road” (Matt 21:8). In Luke, the people “threw their cloaks” and “spread their cloaks on the road” (19:35-36). This spreading of cloaks was a Jewish custom of paying respect to royalty, something which their ancestors already did for King Jehu: “They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!” (2 Kings 9:12-13). So the people were conscious of the fact that Jesus was king entering Jerusalem. They were even shouting praises to Him as king:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 19:38)

“Blessed is the king of Israel!” (John 12:13)

“Hosanna to the Son of David!” (Matt 21:9)

The disciples, maybe walking alongside Jesus Christ, were really overjoyed. Their thoughts were being confirmed by the people. It was obvious that the people were thinking the same thing as them. Surely, this was a divine affirmation.

With all these festivities going on, Jesus’ reaction was quite extraordinary: “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it” (19:41). Why did Jesus weep? Amidst all the attention and praise He was receiving from the people, why was the first recorded reaction that of grief? The clue to the answer is found in 19:29, where Jesus is said to have passed by Bethpage and Bethany, places which literally meant “House of Unripe Figs” and “House of Many Figs.” It would seem as if He was going to Jerusalem to find out whether Jerusalem was either a house of unripe figs or a house of many figs. And when we read of Jesus finding a fig tree that does not even have a single fruit, Jerusalem is portrayed neither as a house of unripe figs nor a house of many figs, but a house of fruitless figs (Matt 21:18-19; Mark 11:13-14). Jesus wept because He found Jerusalem a fruitless city.

But also, Jesus was weeping because like His words to Peter, He found that the citizens of Israel did not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns (Mark 8:33). When Jesus was entering Jerusalem, what Jesus was thinking was different from what the disciples and the people were thinking. “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it,” and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes’” (19:41-42).

Obviously, Jesus wept because He saw that Jerusalem was barren. But He was also grieved because the people of Israel were looking for peace. He knew that they felt oppressed. He knew that they were crying out for freedom. He knew their hearts’ desires. He knew that they wanted peace more than anything else. When they saw Jesus Christ, they saw a faint ray of light, that maybe the Messiah has come to bring peace. This was why they shouted: “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (19:38).

But Jesus was grieved. In response to their shouts for peace, He said: “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes” (19:42). At least the people and Jesus Christ were thinking about one same thing: peace. The difference was on how such a peace will be obtained for them. The Jews were looking for peace, but for them, true peace meant the overthrow of their political oppressors. They did not recognize that the path of peace is through self-less sacrifice, not revengeful rebellion. The peace the Jews envisioned was a peace obtained through shedding the blood of their enemies. They did not recognize that the path of peace is through the blood of the Lamb. The peace they were looking for is achieved through violence; the peace that Jesus brings is achieved through sacrifice. The peace the Jews wanted was the absence of external control. They did not recognize that the kingdom is about submission to the will of God.

What the disciples were thinking was different from what Jesus was thinking.

What the people were thinking was different from what Jesus was thinking.

The irony is that when the Prince of Peace went to Jerusalem, they opposed Him with violence. In the words of Jesus, they “did not recognize the time of God’s coming” to them (Luke 19:44). What Jesus did in Galilee and Samaria—healing the sick, setting people free from oppression (of demons), preaching the kingdom, and offering forgiveness—these are the same things that He wanted to do for the people of Jerusalem. But unfortunately, the people did not recognize the time of God’s coming in their midst. The people had their own agenda, and they were not willing to listen and obey God’s agenda. They preferred to follow their corrupted visions of salvation, so they were blind when God was acting in their midst.

The same is probably true about us. We have our own agenda. We have our own desires. We want to achieve these things and we want to use Jesus to attain them. But Jesus retaliates. He escapes our grasps. He moves in His own mysterious ways. But even in the midst of all these misunderstandings and misjudgments, God shows His lavish grace. He still brings peace to violent people.

He entered Jerusalem to bring peace, because it was peace that the people were looking for. Five days from now, we will celebrate Good Friday, when we will commemorate what He did to “reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross” (Col 1:20). This is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, for even though the people did not understand Him, and the people did not receive Him, and the people crucified Him, and yet in His love and mercy, He willingly went to the cross (Isa 53:7; Acts 8:32) so that through Him, we have peace with God (Rom 5:1). The number of people was quite astonishing. How did such a great number of people gather? John 12:17-18 explains: “The crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. ¹⁸ Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him.”