May Day and Resurrection

Here in Omaha today, the temperature will reach a balmy 42 degrees with a chance of showers. “Happy May Day” doesn’t have the same ring to it when you can see your breath heading out to your car for the morning commute.

Still, today is May Day. In the States, this usually means making a paper basket at school to give to your parents. May Day has more depth than that in Western history, however. According to Wikipedia, earliest May Day celebrations “appeared in pre-Christian times, with the festival of Flora, the Roman Goddess of flowers, and the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries.” The day also has roots in celebrating fertility (ancient Egypt), remembering political/social victories (U.S. and U.K.), engaging in sexual activity (Germany), warding against witchcraft (Germany), and commemorating the beginning of spring (England).

Back in medieval times, during the festival in England, at the break of dawn on May 1, villagers would go out into the forest and gather flowers and wood for the day’s celebration.  The largest piece of wood brought back would be used as the Maypole. This gathering of flowers and wood is calling “bringing in the may.”

The poem The Court of Love (c. 1346), written by Geoffrey Chaucer (died c. 1400), was probably an inspiration to the poem which contains this excerpt, dated around 1541. It gives us a glance into the practice of “bringing in the may”:

And furth goth all the Court, both most and lest,
To feche the floures fressh, and braunche and blome;
And namly, hawthorn brought both page and grome.
With fressh garlandes, partie blewe and whyte,
And thaim rejoysen in their greet delyt.

No matter the origins of this strange holiday, we can be thankful to God for giving us spring, and everything goes along with it. After the cold, dark night of winter, life returns! This return is, to be sure, a veritable resurrection. Martin Luther once said, “Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.” What Luther means is that spring exists to remind us that winter is not the end. Death is not the final answer.

Jesus never celebrated May Day or danced around a maypole, of course. But in order that we might sprout forth and blossom as God intended, he was rooted up and tossed out. He was nailed to a heavy, rugged piece of wood called a Roman cross. No, there would be no dancing or laughing around this piece of wood. Only sorrow and pain and a pool of blood and tears below. He embraced his cross with joy, to be sure, but his joy was one that could only be realized through suffering. On that wooden, Roman cross, Jesus absorbed the concentrated wrath of God–his holy, righteous anger at sinners–in our place, as our substitute. He experienced spiritual and physical death on our behalf. But our Lord Jesus did not stay dead. No, he rose from the grave like a stem bursts forth from beneath the soil springtime, conquering death. Jesus became the firstfruits of many others who will burst forth from death to life and be transformed to look like him. All who are united to Jesus by faith will share in his life. His resurrection is their resurrection. His joy is their joy. His triumph is their triumph. 

This is absolute reality. This is why springtime exists. Let this reality be on our minds and captivate our hearts this season when we see budding leaves and blooming flowers, smell a BBQ and freshly mown grass, or hear chirping birds and children at the park. These are good gifts, yes, but they are merely pointers and reminders a much greater, eternal gift.

The Gosnell Story

If you are unfamiliar with the Kermit Gosnell, the Philadelphia abortionist who is on trial for murder, watch this 21-minute documentary below. You can also read about Gosnell in a recent USA Today article. World Magazine has ongoing coverage of the case

As a small way to help spread the word on this atrocity which is being completely ignored by the national media, please Tweet, Facebook, or blog these links.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

By Isaac Watts, 1707

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Rob Bell, Homosexuality, Marriage, and the Gospel

You have probably heard by now that last week Rob Bell approved of so-called gay marriage. This should not be a shock. In fact, it was only a matter of time. In his promo video for Love Wins, he undermined the atonement of Jesus. In the book Love Wins, he preaches a judgment-less gospel. The next obvious progression would the perversion of his morality (i.e. his social morality, not his personal morality). This would especially be true for his view of marriage. If you get the gospel wrong–which Bell has shown he does–you will get marriage wrong.

The problem is that Bell’s a nice guy. He’s cordial and welcoming and a good story teller. You see, no one said that false teachers had to be ruthless and insensitive. People are not going to believe and follow a guy you wouldn’t want to have over for dinner. But a guy like Bell? People get in line because he’s nice.

And he’s nice about the way he talks about relationships. Bell says he is “for marriage…for fidelity.” We all should be. But the kicker is that he is for marriage whether it’s between opposite or same gender couples. Is his conviction wrong simply because the Bible says sex and marriage are reserved for one man and one woman? Well, yes and no. The Bible is clear on marriage, but even more than that, the gospel itself demands we reject so-called gay marriage. Why? Marriage is a reflection of the gospel. A distorted view of the gospel will lead to a distorted view of marriage. A distorted view of marriage reflects a distorted view of the gospel. Bell distorts the gospel, so he will logically distort marriage.

Marriage is meant to be a living drama of Christ’s love for his church. In Ephesians 5, Paul says that marriage is a mystery–not a “riddle” mystery, but a mystery in that the meaning was hidden and only uncovered when the gospel came in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus is the Groom. The Church is the Bride. It’s not Jesus married to Jesus or the Church married to the Church. Man and Women reflect this, and the pattern was established at Creation with Man, the groom, and Woman, the bride (Eph. 5:31; cf. Gen. 2:24). Any perversion of this is an assault on the gospel–on Jesus himself. If there’s any reason evangelicals should be passionate about the marriage debate, that’s it.

Wrong views on justice, hell, wrath, sexuality, marriage, and a thousand other important issues are only symptoms of a greater problem. When Bell rejects marriage as one man and one woman, he rejects the gospel itself, and vice versa. The problem is not primarily thinking so-called gay marriage is acceptable. The problem lies in a fundamental misunderstanding of who Jesus is and what he came to do.

Rob, I doubt you will ever read this or hear of me, but if you do, know I am praying for you.

Related Posts

• Jesus, Paul, Homosexuality, and Identity

Roe v. Wade and the Ultrasound of Our Second Baby

January 22 was the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. As Joe Carter at TGC writes, “To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Center for Reproductive Rights released a creepy video in which actor Mehcad Brooks attempts to humorously sexualize and anthromorphize the abortion-on-demand law.”

January 22 was also the day that my wife and I went to see an ultrasound of our second child. (I’m proud to say that our baby is a girl—our second.) It was surreal to think we are celebrating the life of a little girl, one we get to see through the common grace of modern technology, on the same day others are celebrating the slaughter of millions of little girls and little boys.

Today, our daughter is just over nineteen weeks old. Did you know that according to the latest statistics, 1.8% of abortions kill babies that are between 18-19 weeks? That is almost 22,000 people.

That’s 22,000 people who have their heart beating about 155 beats per minute.

That’s 22,000 people who have a 3 cm-long femur.

That’s 22,000 people who have two fully-functioning kidneys.

That’s 22,000 people who start to grow hair.

That’s 22,000 people who can taste, see, smell, and touch.

That’s 22,000 people who can hear their mommy talk and sing.

That’s 22,000 people who have the ability to suck their thumb, cross their legs, and push back when the ultrasound tech presses in.

Of course, there are nearly 1.21 million total babies each year—3,700 each day—in the United States who are killed. The majority (nearly 90% of babies), however, never get the privilege to develop this far. This right is stolen from them. If we remember anything from our childhood days, it should not be so, for “a person’s a person, no matter how small.”

In light of that, consider these four simple arguments from Scott Klusendorf that prove true Dr. Seuss’s wisdom. You can remember these arguments with the acronym S.L.E.D.

Size: True, embryos are smaller than newborns and adults, but why is that relevant? Do we really want to say that large people are more human than small ones? Men are generally larger than women, but that doesn’t mean that they deserve more rights. Size doesn’t equal value.

Level of development: True, embryos and fetuses are less developed than the adults they’ll one day become. But again, why is this relevant? Four year-old girls are less developed than 14 year-old ones. Should older children have more rights than their younger siblings? Some people say that self-awareness makes one human. But if that is true, newborns do not qualify as valuable human beings. Six-week old infants lack the immediate capacity for performing human mental functions, as do the reversibly comatose, the sleeping, and those with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Environment: Where you are has no bearing on who you are. Does your value change when you cross the street or roll over in bed? If not, how can a journey of eight inches down the birth-canal suddenly change the essential nature of the unborn from non-human to human? If the unborn are not already human, merely changing their location can’t make them valuable.

Degree of Dependency: If viability makes us human, then all those who depend on insulin or kidney medication are not valuable and we may kill them. Conjoined twins who share blood type and bodily systems also have no right to life.

When the day is done, abortion is killing babies. Not tissue or cells. Babies. They will not turn out to be anything else. They will not be birthed as trucks or frogs or trees or laptops or dogs. They are human. Babies.

This is terribly bad news. But there is good news. Don’t you long for some good news? The good news of the gospel is that God saves sinners. Everyone is a sinner—including those who have had abortions, supported abortions, and made creepy abortion videos. Also hear me say, this includes Christians who have been unmerciful and even nasty toward those who have aborted babies. This also includes me, the Christian blog writer, who needs Jesus more than you can imagine! The gospel is the good news that Jesus lived the kind of life we should have lived, in perfect obedience to God, died on the cross to pay the penalty for all our sins, and rose from the grave as proof that God accepted his payment. This is for everyone. All who come to Jesus receive hope, forgiveness, healing, and new life. All who cry out for mercy and grace will be heard.

They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to the demons;
they poured out innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was polluted with blood.
Thus they became unclean by their acts,
and played the whore in their deeds.

Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people,
and he abhorred his heritage;
he gave them into the hand of the nations,
so that those who hated them ruled over them.
Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were brought into subjection under their power.
Many times he delivered them,
but they were rebellious in their purposes
and were brought low through their iniquity.

Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,
when he heard their cry.
For their sake he remembered his covenant,
and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
He caused them to be pitied
by all those who held them captive.

Save us, O Lord our God!

(Psalm 106:37-47)

Valjean or Javert!

On New Year’s Eve, my wife and I saw the most recent film adaptation of Les Misérables. From an aesthetic standpoint, it was one of the more beautiful movies I have seen recently, if not ever. From a literary standpoint, it was, of course, everything the original story was meant to be. My heart wrenched and rejoiced with every lyric. Outside of the Bible, I do not know of another story that so articulately and truthfully captures the power of grace.

Spolier Alert: If you do not know the story and want to see the movie and preserve the element of surprise, you might want to stop reading!

To Jean Valjean (played by Hugh Jackman), grace is utterly mind-blowing, yet relieving. It is an undeserved healing balm to lawbreakers–even the worst of them. Grace is free, Valjean learns, but it is only available to those who humble themselves, recognize their offense, and receive it. During the scene which probably portrays Valjean’s “conversion” moment, he sings:

What have I done?
Sweet Jesus, what have I done?
Become a thief in the night,
Become a dog on the run
And have I fallen so far,
And is the hour so late
That nothing remains but the cry of my hate,
The cries in the dark that nobody hears,
Here where I stand at the turning of the years?

Valjean knows, however, that grace does not simply sweep sin under the rug as if it were nothing. Forgiveness comes at a price. Forgiveness that costs nothing is not grace: it is mere sentimentality at best, or a cruel, devilish trick at worst. Valjean first experience of grace came from a compassionate priest, who sacrificed his own wealth, safety, and reputation to let a guilty man go free. Valjean sings:

Yet why did I allow that man
To touch my soul and teach me love?
He treated me like any other
He gave me his trust
He called me brother
My life he claims for God above
Can such things be?
For I had come to hate the world
This world that always hated me

Valjean realized that all the law produced in his heart was hatred. He had never experienced mercy or grace or compassion, but only strict law. For Valjean, Javert (played by Russell Crowe) was the epitome of coldhearted legalism that did not produce love, but bitterness, rage, slander, and contempt. When grace came to Valjean, however, love, tenderness, and kindness sprouted forth.

Javert is at odds with Valjean because Valjean had broken parole after his conversion moment. He essentially becomes a new man. He changes his name, his demeanor, his location, and his occupation. After Javert finds out Valjean’s true identity, Javert spends his life pursuing this criminal to bring him justice. As police inspector, Javert is hopelessly tethered to the law, so much so that his mind cannot comprehend grace. Grace and law are antithetical. The thought of a convicted criminal living a free and productive life is ludicrous; it is an active, rebellious assault on the law. Grace frustrates him. Grace flabbergasts him. Grace offends him. Javert finds no solution but his own death. Right before his fateful jump off the bridge, he sings:

Damned if I’ll live in the debt of a thief!
Damned if I’ll yield at the end of the chase.
I am the Law and the Law is not mocked
I’ll spit his pity right back in his face
There is nothing on earth that we share
It is either Valjean or Javert!

Javert understood that there is not room enough in the world for Grace and Law. It is either Valjean or Javert. Ultimately, Javert comes to realize that grace had won, and that it always will win.

I have no doubt that most people who have seen this film leave the theater thinking, “I wish that were true. I wish I could experience grace like that.” Many of us wish that there was some relief from the demands of life. We all feel it. We all sense that there is some kind of standard, some law, that we must keep. From the hardest atheist or the most devout legalist, everyone senses they have a proverbial Javert to answer to. O, but what freedom Valjean found! Can it be found outside of the theater?

Les Mis points us in a vague direction for the solution. But I know there is another story, a true story, in which Grace triumphs over Law. In this story, the solution is simply substitution. In this story, there were no Valjeans or Javerts, but there was a Hero who bore the burden of the Law, fulfilling it completely and perfectly, unlike Valjean, Javert, you, or me. This one Hero secures Grace to all who trust in his obedience, not their own, as their righteousness before the Law. Can this be true? It seems unfair! Yet, this is divine fairness to the core: the One takes the penalty for breaking the Law, though he did not deserve to be punished; the many who trust in this One receive Grace and go free, though they deserve none of it. Like Javert these freed-ones do not live to undermine the Law. Oh no, instead they live to spread the aroma of Grace they have received through their Hero, rejoicing in and displaying the fact that the Law now has no power over them.

Les Mis is a beautiful cinematic experience, but it so much more than that. It is a pointer to Jesus, the One who did not abolish the Law, but fulfilled it in our place, and bore the righteous wrath of God in our place, only to rise from the dead triumphing over sin, death, and hell. No more wishing Les Mis were true. It is, and yes, you can experience grace like that.

The Love of Christ Is Rich and Free

Countless songs have been written about the love of God for his people. Many songs, however, particularly modern worship songs, lack specificity. When I sing a song to God about his love for the church corporately or me individually, I want to be specific in my praise toward God. Rather than simply singing, “O how he loves me” (which is true!), I want to rejoice in him for the truth that “in love, he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ” (Eph. 1:4b-5).

One of the greatest songs written on the theme of the love of God (in English, at least), in my opinion, is “The Love of Christ Is Rich and Free” by William Gadsby. The words express the why and how of God’s love. You can read the lyrics below. It’s no secret that I love hymns, but hymns are not all we should sing. I pray that a generation of Christian musicians and poets would write new songs that reflect the same breadth and depth of gospel joy and insight as do the great hymns of old.

The Love of Christ is Rich and Free

The love of Christ is rich and free;
Fixed on His own eternally;
Nor earth, nor hell, can it remove;
Long as He lives, His own He’ll love.

His loving heart engaged to be
Their everlasting Surety;
’Twas love that took their cause in hand,
And love maintains it to the end.

Chorus: Love cannot from its post withdraw;
Nor death, nor hell, nor sin, nor law,
Can turn the Surety’s heart away;
He’ll love His own to endless day.

Love has redeemed His sheep with blood;
And love will bring them safe to God;
Love calls them all from death to life;
And love will finish all their strife.

He loves through every changing scene,
Nor aught from Him can Zion wean;
Not all the wanderings of her heart
Can make His love for her depart.
(Repeat chorus)

At death, beyond the grave, He’ll love;
In endless bliss, His own shall prove
The blazing glory of that love
Which never could from them remove.