Pastor Jonathan's Monday reflection:
We are all defined by the moment of judgment and salvation - specifically the cross of Christ. Either we remain under judgment for our disregard of God or we experience the work of Jesus, fulfilling what we deserve and giving us salvation by his blood. If we lived defined by the cross everything changes. Our priorities, our perspectives and maybe even our place (like Israel moved to make much of God).
Our lives yielded to the cross, in the many ways that will look, is what we are meant for. The average life of wondering what we exist for or finding a definition in lesser things is over and we now have meaning in Jesus.
This is how I hope we will live, with abandon before a watching world because Jesus is better than all of the trifling offerings of those that reject Christ. And who knows what will happen, when redeemed sinners live from the cross for Christ's glory. Anything can happen.
As Andrew Wilson writes:
"Jesus lived as someone who knew something we don’t – that something of dramatic importance was about to happen, and he was bringing it about. And then he rose from the dead, kickstarted the new creation, and told his followers there was a job to do, a planet to heal, a Gospel to share, a world to save. Look what happened. Deadbeat fishermen became apostles. Tax collectors wrote books that are still bestsellers today. Broken, demonised women became the first witnesses of the new creation. Arrogant thugs turned into church planters. Jesus had taken on futility and won, so you don’t have to listen to Marcel Duchamp, or Jean-Paul Sartre, or Radiohead, or whoever is depressing you at the moment. Because of Jesus and resurrection, futility is very, very last season. Meaning is back."
Meaning is back, we have a defining moment we live from and steadily remind each other of. We have a purpose and together we can know Jesus and make him known.
My prayer for us, Grace/Reservoir Church, is an embrace of this meaning, this mission to live knowing Jesus and making him known. That we would expose his glory to the world in need and that we would be forever changed by the truth of the cross of Christ.
Lord, transform us, help us to make communion with you and other saints a priority as we revel in the good news of your cross. Help us to yield our lives to serve your call and cause. Free us from the trappings of what used to define us and shine your grace through us. Amen.