Lent 2022: Holy Spirit's Indwelling

Editor’s Note: Lent is a season of personal reflection. As Advent provides a time to prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Lent offers us time to reflect on our sin, and the need for our Savior’s death and resurrection on the cross.

This year, our weekly reflections have focused on the mercy of God. In His goodness, God has displayed mercy towards us from the start. He knew sin would enter the world and created a means to have right-standing with Him. As we each spend time remembering God’s mercy and His pursuit of us—from our sinfulness and need, to the institution of sacrifices for the Israelites, culminating with the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we remember that God has been always kind, always just, always loving, always merciful.

As this Sunday is Easter, we wanted to spend some time focusing on “what next”? Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again. So how now do we live in light of his work on the cross? In God’s mercy, He has not left us alone. After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, God sent the third person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit, to be our constant companion and advocate. Even before his death, Jesus knew this was the plan and shared that promise with his friends in the upper room.

Holy Spirit’s Indwelling

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.  On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you”.

John 14:15-20

Reflect: 

1.     Describe the sense of comfort that this passage gives to you.  Imagine Jesus’ voice saying these words to you, “[fill in your name], I will not leave you. I will come to you.  Because I live in you, [your name], you will also live.”

2.     So many scriptures contrast the life of the orphan and the life of a beloved child. Especially in our current world crises, we see images of orphans. What one or two specific things is Jesus asking you to do, knowing that you are not an orphan, but you have the Holy Spirit in you?

Paul describes the reality that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit brings in Romans 8: 1-2, 6-11:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death…The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

1.     This scripture is both convicting and invigorating in its contrast of the flesh and the Spirit. What do you notice about the differences?  In your own life what do you notice when your flesh is more obvious?  What do you notice when the indwelling spirit is in evidence?

2.     Both the passage in John 14 and Romans 8 talk about Christ giving us life.  What does that mean to you, especially if your own physical body is failing?  Or someone you know is declining physically?

Prayer:

A prayer adapted from “Every Moment Holy, vol. 11” by Douglas McKelvey 

“Oh Lord, you have appointed us to live in these very places, in these unsettled times. It is no surprise to you that we are here now, sharing in the turmoil. You have called us to be salt and light, to be your agents of forgiveness, salvation, healing, reconciliation, and hope.  And in these holy vocations, you have not left us helpless. You have not left us at all. Your Spirit indwells us.  Holy Spirit, equip us now for your work, this day. To all you have prepared for us, to the new and next, we say Yes.”

Additional scripture: Consider reading the verses above in their full chapter context (John 14 and Romans 8). You many also want to read and think about Jeremiah 31: 31-34

Lent 2022: Jesus as Sacrifice

Editor’s Note: Lent is a season of personal reflection. As Advent provides a time to prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Lent offers us time to reflect on our sin, and the need for our Savior’s death and resurrection on the cross.

This year, our weekly reflections will focus on the mercy of God. In His goodness, God has displayed mercy towards us from the start. He knew sin would enter the world and created a means to have right-standing with Him. In the coming weeks, we will spend time remembering God’s mercy and His pursuit of us—from our sinfulness and need, to the institution of sacrifices for the Israelites, culminating with the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. God has been always kind, always just, always loving, always merciful.

Last week, we put ourselves in the place of a lost sheep that God pursues and finds. This week, the apostle Peter reminds us we are all sheep who are going astray.

Jesus as Sacrifice

“’He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’ For ‘you were like sheep going astray,’ but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

I Peter 2:22-25, quoting Isaiah 53

Reflect:

1.  You may have noticed in this translation that the sheep were going astray. It was an active situation of straying. What is something that is happening for you right now, this week, where you are straying? Sinning?  Jesus bore those sins so that we could live for righteousness. What righteous choice, by Jesus’ strength, do you want to do instead?  How can you create your own “But now…” chapter of your faith story?

2. What new awe do you have for Jesus, being reminded by scripture that he didn’t return insults or threats?  If Jesus entrusted himself to God as his judge, what do you think he wants each of us to do regarding judgment of others?  What specific circumstance is God bringing to your mind?

 “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

1 John 2:1-2

Reflect: John calls Jesus both “the Righteous One” and our “advocate.”  Jesus’ righteousness is presented in stark contrast to our sinfulness. Even good people have sin.

1.  To atone means to compensate, to make amends. What is the largest chasm you can think of?  The largest number or price tag you can imagine? The most horrendous wrong?  Write those down. Contemplate the immensity of them.  Then recognize that Jesus is greater. He paid for the sins of the whole world!

2. Who “in the whole world” still needs to hear the good news of Jesus’ atonement?  Make a list. Pray that all may hear.

This week’s scriptures provide precious insights into our Savior—the righteous one, our advocate, the shepherd and overseer of our souls.  Spend time praising our Savior using these names.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, You are our perfect sacrifice. You are the righteous one who advocates for us with Your heavenly Father. You are the Great Shepherd, the one who pursues us, finds us, brings us back to the fold. You are the overseer of our souls. Because of your atoning sacrifice, we are healed. You are the hope of the whole world. We bow in awe of you, in devotion to you, in silence before you, the lamb who was slain.  Amen.

Additional scriptures: Luke 22:32-43, Isaiah 53:6-12, Genesis 22:1-14

*New International Version of the Bible was used for scriptures in this piece.

Lent 2022: God's Pursuit

Editor’s Note: Lent is a season of personal reflection. As Advent provides a time to prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Lent offers us time to reflect on our sin, and the need for our Savior’s death and resurrection on the cross.

This year, our weekly reflections will focus on the mercy of God. In His goodness, God has displayed mercy towards us from the start. He knew sin would enter the world and created a means to have right-standing with Him. In the coming weeks, it is our hope that we each spend time remembering God’s mercy and His pursuit of us—from our sinfulness and need, to the institution of sacrifices for the Israelites, culminating with the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. God has been always kind, always just, always loving, always merciful. 

This week, we make a turn from Old Testament to New. We have recognized our sin and need for repentance and mercy through the Old Testament institution of sacrifice— a temporary act that must be oft repeated. Now, as we move into the New Testament, we begin to see God set the stage for the ultimate sacrifice through Jesus Christ, but first, we will spend some time reflecting on God’s heart for us and what great lengths he would go to pursue us.

 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.”

Matthew 18: 10-14

Reflect:

God’s mercy is not passive, waiting for us to come to our senses, working to find him and finally experience his mercy. In his mercy, he relentlessly pursues us, even when we are far from the sheepfold. Matthew 18 seems to be about God’s measuring of greatness and humility and the valuing children.

1. If you are a parent, have you ever had a child wander away from you?  How did it feel to realize the child was missing?  How did it feel to be reunited?
2. Think back, do you ever remember being lost?  Compare the lost feelings with the feelings that raced through your body once you were back in a familiar safe place with safe people. How do those memories bring new understanding to God’s pursuit of us?
3. What feelings might you need to examine if you find yourself feeling like one of the ninety-nine obedient sheep?
4. In prayer to God, name one or two people whom you don’t want to perish. Ask Him to relentlessly pursue them.

In Ezekiel 37, God demonstrates that He is a source of life and hope for people who are exhausted and scattered.

“Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God…I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.’”

Ezekiel 37: 21-23, 26-28

Reflect:

1. What meaning does God’s Old Testament pronouncement and fulfilment of unification and salvation for Israel mean to you today in the 21st century in the United States, especially if you are non-Jewish?
2. Just as God has the power to cleanse Israel, God has the power to cleanse each of us. From what “idols” and “vile images or other offenses” do you need to be cleansed?
3. These scriptures highlight God’s pursuit of his chosen people Israel. Given this glimpse of his character, what thoughts do you have about his pursuit of people in other countries and his capacity to bring peace when nations put him in the center of their plans? (John 12:32; Revelation 7: 9-11)

Prayer:

Dear God, as I reflect on your unrelenting pursuit of me and of other humans, made in your image, loved by you from before the beginning of time, I am overcome with gratitude. But I am also humbled.  Sometimes I continue to turn away or ignore you rather than falling into your arms of care.  Teach me more clearly how to get in step with you. Give me a relentless concern for others around me, especially those who may have been forgotten by the world because they are not part of the 99 who are seen and safe. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Additional scriptures: Isaiah 59:16-21 and Jeremiah 31:20, 31-34.

*New International Version of the Bible was used for scriptures in this piece.

Lent 2022: Sacrifice

Editor’s Note: Lent is a season of personal reflection. As Advent provides a time to prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Lent offers us time to reflect on our sin, and the need for our Savior’s death and resurrection on the cross.

This year, our weekly reflections will focus on the mercy of God. In His goodness, God has displayed mercy towards us from the start. He knew sin would enter the world and created a means to have right-standing with Him. In the coming weeks, it is our hope that we each spend time remembering God’s mercy and His pursuit of us—from our sinfulness and need, to the institution of sacrifices for the Israelites, culminating with the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. God has been always kind, always just, always loving, always merciful. 

This week, we spend time reflecting on the institution of sacrifices. God, in His mercy, prescribed various sacrifices to allow His people to atone for their sins.

 Sacrifice

Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. This is how you are to deal with those who sin unintentionally by doing anything that violates one of the Lord’s commands.

3 “If the high priest sins, bringing guilt upon the entire community, he must give a sin offering for the sin he has committed. He must present to the Lord a young bull with no defects. 4 He must bring the bull to the Lord at the entrance of the Tabernacle, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and slaughter it before the Lord. 

5 The high priest will then take some of the bull’s blood into the Tabernacle, 6 dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the inner curtain of the sanctuary. 7 The priest will then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar for fragrant incense that stands in the Lord’s presence inside the Tabernacle. He will pour out the rest of the bull’s blood at the base of the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 

8 Then the priest must remove all the fat of the bull to be offered as a sin offering. This includes all the fat around the internal organs, 9 the two kidneys and the fat around them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. He must remove these along with the kidneys, 10 just as he does with cattle offered as a peace offering and burn them on the altar of burnt offerings. 11 But he must take whatever is left of the bull—its hide, meat, head, legs, internal organs, and dung— 12 and carry it away to a place outside the camp that is ceremonially clean, the place where the ashes are dumped. There, on the ash heap, he will burn it on a wood fire.

13 “If the entire Israelite community sins by violating one of the Lord’s commands, but the people don’t realize it, they are still guilty. 14 When they become aware of their sin, the people must bring a young bull as an offering for their sin and present it before the Tabernacle. 15 The elders of the community must then lay their hands on the bull’s head and slaughter it before the Lord. 16 The high priest will then take some of the bull’s blood into the Tabernacle, 17 dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the inner curtain. 

18 He will then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar for fragrant incense that stands in the Lord’s presence inside the Tabernacle. He will pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 

19 Then the priest must remove all the animal’s fat and burn it on the altar, 20 just as he does with the bull offered as a sin offering for the high priest. Through this process, the priest will purify the people, making them right with the Lord, and they will be forgiven. 21 Then the priest must take what is left of the bull and carry it outside the camp and burn it there, just as is done with the sin offering for the high priest. This offering is for the sin of the entire congregation of Israel.

22 “If one of Israel’s leaders sins by violating one of the commands of the Lord his God but doesn’t realize it, he is still guilty. 23 When he becomes aware of his sin, he must bring as his offering a male goat with no defects. 

24 He must lay his hand on the goat’s head and slaughter it at the place where burnt offerings are slaughtered before the Lord. This is an offering for his sin. 25 Then the priest will dip his finger in the blood of the sin offering and put it on the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. He will pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 

26 Then he must burn all the goat’s fat on the altar, just as he does with the peace offering. Through this process, the priest will purify the leader from his sin, making him right with the Lord, and he will be forgiven.

27 “If any of the common people sin by violating one of the Lord’s commands, but they don’t realize it, they are still guilty. 28 When they become aware of their sin, they must bring as an offering for their sin a female goat with no defects. 29 They must lay a hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place where burnt offerings are slaughtered. 

30 Then the priest will dip his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. He will pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 31 Then he must remove all the goat’s fat, just as he does with the fat of the peace offering. He will burn the fat on the altar, and it will be a pleasing aroma to the Lord. Through this process, the priest will purify the people, making them right with the Lord, and they will be forgiven.

32 “If the people bring a sheep as their sin offering, it must be a female with no defects. 33 They must lay a hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place where burnt offerings are slaughtered. 34 Then the priest will dip his finger in the blood of the sin offering and put it on the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. He will pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 

35 Then he must remove all the sheep’s fat, just as he does with the fat of a sheep presented as a peace offering. He will burn the fat on the altar on top of the special gifts presented to the Lord. Through this process, the priest will purify the people from their sin, making them right with the Lord, and they will be forgiven.

Leviticus 4, emphasis added

Reflect:

1.     Why was such a violent, painful, and bloody offering required by God to make atonement for sin?

2.     Why didn’t God have his people perform another ritual or ceremony that didn’t require death?

3.     How do these requirements reveal how pure and holy He is?

4.     How does the sacrifices required by God show how He views our sin?

5.     How do these sacrifice requirements foreshadow the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross?

Psalm 139:24 says,

    “Search me, O God and know my heart, test me and know my thoughts.  Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting.”

Additional scripture: Leviticus 5:17-19, 6:1-7; Psalm 51:16-19

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

   You are pure and holy.  Search my heart and know my thoughts.  Open my eyes to the sin in my life.  Help me to turn from it and respond to Your love.  Each day, make me the living sacrifice You’ve called me to be, so that all may see Jesus in me and know how much You love them. 

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lent 2022: Sin

Editor’s Note: Lent is a season of personal reflection. As Advent provides a time to prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Lent offers us time to reflect on our sin, and the need for our Savior’s death and resurrection on the cross.

This year, our weekly reflections will focus on the mercy of God. In His goodness, God has displayed mercy towards us from the start. He knew sin would enter the world and created a means to have right-standing with Him. In the coming weeks, we will spend time remembering God’s mercy and His pursuit of us—from our sinfulness and need, to the institution of sacrifices for the Israelites, culminating with the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. God has been always kind, always just, always loving, always merciful.

This week we focus on sin. To understand the depth of God’s mercy, we must also understand the weight of our sin.

Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,

    or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;

but your iniquities have made a separation

    between you and your God,

and your sins have hidden his face from you

    so that he does not hear.

For your hands are defiled with blood

    and your fingers with iniquity;

your lips have spoken lies;

    your tongue mutters wickedness.

No one enters suit justly;

    no one goes to law honestly;

they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies,

    they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.

They hatch adders' eggs;

    they weave the spider's web;

he who eats their eggs dies,

    and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched.

Their webs will not serve as clothing;

    men will not cover themselves with what they make.

Their works are works of iniquity,

    and deeds of violence are in their hands.

Their feet run to evil,

    and they are swift to shed innocent blood;

their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;

    desolation and destruction are in their highways.

The way of peace they do not know,

    and there is no justice in their paths;

they have made their roads crooked;

    no one who treads on them knows peace.

Therefore justice is far from us,

    and righteousness does not overtake us;

we hope for light, and behold, darkness,

    and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.

We grope for the wall like the blind;

    we grope like those who have no eyes;

we stumble at noon as in the twilight,

    among those in full vigor we are like dead men.

We all growl like bears;

    we moan and moan like doves;

we hope for justice, but there is none;

    for salvation, but it is far from us.

For our transgressions are multiplied before you,

    and our sins testify against us;

for our transgressions are with us,

    and we know our iniquities:

transgressing, and denying the Lord,

    and turning back from following our God,

speaking oppression and revolt,

    conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.

Isaiah 59:1-13

Reflect:

1. Reflect on the shift in this passage on those committing transgressions from second/third person (you/they) to first person (we/us). Who do you think about when you read verses criticizing “transgressors,” “sinners,” etc.? Is it ever yourself?

2. Timothy Keller says that the gospel message of Christianity is “We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” Why is it so critical to the core of Christianity that we realize sin dwells in “me” and is not just something that “those bad people do?”

3. Later, the apostle Paul says, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). What does the Isaiah 59 passage portray as the results of sin and iniquity? How could those things be equated to a spiritual, relational, or physical “death?”

4. The next part of the Romans 6:23 verse proclaims, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” What is the difference between “wages” and a “gift?” How does the Isaiah 59 passage depict our need for someone outside of ourselves to help us in our sinful state?

Additional reading: James 1:14-15; Romans 1:29-31; Romans 5:12-14; Ephesians 2:1-3

Lent 2022: Mercy

Editor’s Note: Lent is a season of personal reflection. As Advent provides a time to prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Lent offers us time to reflect on our sin, and the need for our Savior’s death and resurrection on the cross.

This year, our weekly reflections will focus on the mercy of God. In His goodness, God has displayed mercy towards us from the start. He knew sin would enter the world and created a means to have right-standing with Him. In the coming weeks, it is our hope that we each spend time remembering God’s mercy and His pursuit of us—from our sinfulness and need, to the institution of sacrifices for the Israelites, culminating with the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. God has been always kind, always just, always loving, always merciful. 

Mercy

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

Reflect: “Mercy” is defined* as “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.” When we talk about God's mercy, it is easy to focus on the high standards of a holy God that require mercy to be extended, and that is necessary and right, but we cannot neglect to reflect on what we are given instead because of the kindness of God and His love for us. God’s mercy never runs out on us.

How have you seen His steadfast love and mercies renewed each morning for you?

*********************************************************************************

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus 3:4-7

Reflect: Have you ever tried to save yourself by “works done in righteousness?” When did you come to realize that your salvation comes from God’s mercy? How does that change how you view your sin and your thoughts towards God?  

*********************************************************************************

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:4-7

Reflect: Why do you think mercy and love seem to go hand-in-hand in each of these passages? In what ways has God shown His rich mercy—throughout the Bible, history, and your own life? What can you do in response to His rich mercy throughout this Lenten season?

Additional reading: Psalm 51:1

*Definition taken from the Oxford Languages Dictionary on Google.

All verses quoted are from the English Standard Version (ESV) translation of the Bible.