Amazing Faith

April 3, 2016 Background Scripture: Luke 7:1 – 10 Lesson Passage: Luke 7:1 – 10 When was the last time something truly amazed you? Why were you so completely shocked by it? Did you attempt to make sense out of it or convince yourself that maybe you shouldn’t be so surprised after all? Or better yet, when was the last time God amazed you? What was so amazing about it? When something or someone amazes us, we feel compelled to talk to others about it. But what happens when we amaze God? I believe that puts a smile on God’s face. Just imagine what it must feel like to know that you have put a smile on God’s face. Today’s lesson revolves around an unnamed centurion. Jesus found him to be amazing because of his faith. Although the centurion was not a Jew, he was well thought of by the Jewish elders because he was very benevolent towards them. That’s amazing in and of itself in that society. There are several indicators in the biblical narrative to suggest that the centurion was a person of high moral character. First, there is the centurion’s concern for his servant’s health. Although he perhaps had other servants, he showed compassion and concern for this individual’s well being. Second, there is the centurion’s view of himself against the person of Jesus. Although the centurion was held in high esteem in that society, he recognized that Jesus was superior to him. He didn’t feel worthy of being in Jesus’ presence to request healing for his servant. Therefore, he sent the Jewish elders to Jesus (who was probably seen as a Jewish prophet) to request the healing of his servant. The Jewish elders consented because they considered the centurion worthy to receive such a blessing from Jesus. They spoke of the love the centurion had shown towards the Jewish nation by building them a synagogue. When the centurion learned that Jesus was coming to his house to heal his servant, he felt that his house was not worthy of Jesus’ presence. By virtue of his position as a centurion, he understood the use of authority because he was in authority over one hundred Roman soldiers. The centurion applied his understanding of authority to what he perceived to be Jesus’ authority over his own words. The centurion expected Jesus’ words to obey him as much as he expected the Roman soldiers to obey his orders. In fact, the centurion’s faith rested firmly in the belief that Jesus’ word would obey him and accomplish whatever he commanded it to do. Note that this attitude was coming from a man who had not committed to leave his occupation and follow Jesus as the twelve disciples had. We really don’t know if he had even witnessed any of Jesus’ miracles firsthand. But we see in the narrative that he exhibited an amazing faith in Jesus’ ability to accomplish the impossible just by speaking. There is no wonder that Jesus, in his humanity, would marvel or be amazed at such a one as this centurion. Jesus turned to his followers and declared that he had not seen such great faith in Israel. What Christian wouldn’t want to be known as a person of great faith? The centurion demonstrated how to achieve such a distinction—and perhaps amaze Jesus. Robert C. Hudson March 21, 2016

Resurrection Faith

March 27, 2016 Background Scripture: Mark 16 Lesson Passage: Mark 16:1 – 8 Ultimately, the faith of every Christian must rest upon the reality that Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus’ self-proclamation prior to his crucifixion that he would die and rise from the dead on the third day is the crowning evidence of his divine nature and lordship of all. Of all the miracles he performed as recorded by the gospel writers, none of them has had more scrutiny and outright attacks as the many claims by unbelievers that he did not rise from the dead. Anyone who has trusted God and put their unfettered faith in the atoning death of Jesus as the ransom for their sin knows experientially the sureness of Jesus’ resurrection. We don’t arrive at this point by making ourselves believe against all logic we hold to the contrary. Jesus, through the Holy Ghost, manifests himself to believers. This was his promise the night he was betrayed and arrested and he is still keeping it today. No other event in the history of mankind has such far-reaching implications as the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Everything Christians hold dear and hang on to is firmly rooted in this reality. The storyline of the gospel is so simple that it often becomes a stone of stumbling for many. From a human perspective, a Jewish boy who was reportedly born into this world in the most unusual way proved through signs and wonders that he is the begotten son of God. He lived a sinless life and was arrested, falsely accused, and crucified because he was hated by the Jewish religious establishment. If that was the end of the story then Christians would be mere zealots who choose to idolize and worship a martyr. But the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead on the third day validated all of his claims. He is the Son of God. Resurrection faith allows Christians to set our affections on the promises of God of eternal life beyond this world. We know that everything in this world is temporary and our lives today cannot be compared to living in a glorified state of immortality in the absence of sin. Sin and its consequences make life in this world difficult as well as finite. No matter how well we take care of these mortal bodies we live in, they will continue to decay because they are corruptible. In the scheme of eternity, human lifespan covers a very short amount of time. The inward person was created to be an eternal being even though sin has sentenced our mortal bodies to only a few years. Our hope is not in this present life which is fading daily. Our hope is built on eternal things which do not fade or deteriorate. We embrace God’s promise of the bodily resurrection of the saints in glory. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead—to die no more—gives us the assurance that Jesus will fulfill his promise to raise us from the dead into eternal life. Mature Christians have no confidence in the flesh because God has shown us the corruptible nature of our flesh. Jesus warned that living in this world as Christians would bring tribulation but he tempered it with the assurance that we can have joy because he has overcome this world’s tribulation. He is the one who keeps us secure to the day of our resurrection. Robert C. Hudson March 10, 2016