My God My God, Why Have Your Forsaken Me (The resolution): Learning to Pray Ps 22:22-31

Poignant lament becomes a testimony of thanksgiving when God answers our prayer. For the psalmist of Ps 22, lament turns to thanksgiving and praise at verse 22. The sorrow of the opening verse “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” morphs into an audacious and free testimony about the power of the LORD to work salvation even in the most hopeless situation.

²² I will declare your name to my people;
    in the assembly I will praise you.
²³ You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
    Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
²⁴ For he has not despised or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.

²⁵ From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
    before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
²⁶ The poor will eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek the Lord will praise him—
    may your hearts live forever!

²⁷ All the ends of the earth
    will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    will bow down before him,
²⁸ for dominion belongs to the Lord
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹ All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
    all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.
³⁰ Posterity will serve him;
    future generations will be told about the Lord.
³¹ They will proclaim his righteousness,
    declaring to a people yet unborn:
    He has done it!

How do we respond to God’s saving work in our lives? With gratitude and public witness. The psalmist knows that God has saved him and makes certain that God gets the credit (v. 22).
Notice that the psalmist’s testimony includes inviting the community to participate in the celebration (vv. 23). This is an important reminder that even psalms that sound individualistic are meant to be heard and shared in community. Following Jesus is not a solitary enterprise. We must always stay connected to our community in times of plenty and in times of want. The psalmist experienced isolation in vv. 1–21. Verses 22–31 model the importance of communal celebration.

In verses 24–25 remind us of the psalmist’s previous plight and summarizes his new found testimony. He had experienced isolation and trauma. He had felt rejected by God. Yet now the psalmist declares the truth: God remained with him. This is deep truth for us. We may feel rejected and alone, but God abides with us. Jesus who knows suffering and pain is our high priest (4:14–16) and extends grace to us in our times of need. God hears our cries and prayers, even our most desperate ones. Moreover, God acts and provides the pray-er with a testimony to share (v. 25).

The deliverance of the psalmist is good news for the world. In verses 26–29 turn to the implications of the psalmist’s experience of salvation for others. God doesn’t just save “me”; God is willing, ready, and able to deliver others. The “other” includes the poor, all who seek the LORD, and even people from the surrounding nations who turn to the LORD. This reminds us of God’s mission. God’s people exist as conduits of God’s grace for the world. This means that our testimony serves not only to encourage other believers but as a word about God’s kingdom to those who do not yet follow Jesus.

Verses 26–29 are inclusive of all: from the prosperous to needy. Verse 29 even hints at persons who have already passed on. The point is this: God’s grace, love, and blessings are available to all who turn to him. The psalmist has experienced this personally and shares this good news with his community and the world.

Verses 30–31 conclude the psalm by emphasizing God’s work in bring deliverance and salvation. God’s acts of grace will carry on and future generations will here of it. The final verdict on human history is this: “He has done it.”

Jesus spoke 22:1 on the cross. Yet Jesus’ death was not the end; God raised Jesus from the dead to secure our future. He, Jesus, has done it indeed. Amen.


What does Ps 22:22–31 teach us about gratitude and giving thanks?

How can we incorporate thanksgiving into our personal lives and into our worship experiences?

How does giving thanks advance God’s mission in the world?

Resurrection and Mission: Part Three. Reflections on Luke 24:36-49

This essay reaches the climactic verses of Luke 24. Read reflections on 24:1-12 and 24:13-35.

In Luke 24:36-49, Jesus appears fully to his gathered disciples. The Resurrected Jesus is before them in all of his glory. There reaction however is puzzling. Reports of Jesus’ resurrection have been trickling in all day (appearances to women and now the report from Cleopas and his friend). 

This passage breaks up neatly into two sections: vv. 36-43 narrates Jesus’ appearance to his astonished disciples and the physical actions that he undertakes to put them at ease; vv. 44-49 contain the Words that Jesus proclaimed to the Eleven regarding their future mission.

Let’s read the first portion of this text:

NRS Luke 24:36 While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate in their presence.

I have always been intrigued by Luke’s remark about the disciples in 24:41: “And while they still did not believe because of joy…”

It is as though the disciples were unable to believe because it all seemed too good to be true.

It almost seems counter intuitive. How could they not believe? How could joy keep them from belief? Perhaps the possibility of Jesus’ life was too profound to grasp. After all, if Jesus were alive, then all that He claimed about himself would be true. Jesus would be the Messiah. The Age of salvation would be at hand. God would be acting to bring renewal, hope, and restoration to a broken world.

It is worth pondering this. How many of us today are unable to believe fully the Gospel because of joy?

Vv. 44-49 contains the meat of Luke 24. It ties up several of the recurring elements noted in our reflection on the previous verses. 

 44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you– that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

1) Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection was God’s Plan all along. In verse 44 Jesus reminds the disciples of his message before his death. This is crucial. Beginning in Luke 9 following Peter’s confession, Jesus had consistently spoken about his impending death: The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed, and on the third day be raised to life (9:22, cf. 9:44, 12:50, 17:25, 18:31-33 etc). This is important for apologetic reasons. It is not a matter of Christians reinterpreting the Bible in order to explain the death of Jesus. Instead, Jesus himself understood the Old Testament to predict the sort of life and death that he lives as well as his resurrection. What happened to Jesus was not haphazard. It was God’s plan all along to which Jesus the Incarnate Word and Son willingly submitted.

2) The Message of the Scriptures Points to Jesus the Messiah as the Climax of God’s Mission. In verses 45- 47, Jesus (re)teaches the Scriptures to his disciples. I like the phrasing of this passage, “He opened their minds to the Scriptures” He showed them the way to read the Scriptures in a manner consistent with the mission of God in Jesus the Messiah. Notice the points that he emphasized:

a) Suffering Messiah (v. 46)

b) Resurrection on Third Day (v. 46)

c) Proclamation to All Nations of Repentance for the Forgiveness of Sins (v. 47)

Verse 47 is key. It links the necessity of proclamation to the nations with the saving acts of the Messiah. In other words, the mission of the Church is the natural response to the mission of the Messiah. So much so that the Scriptures, says Jesus, foresaw this worldwide proclamation. Christopher Wright has stated that the Church does a much better job of reading the Bible messianically than it does reading it missionally.

3) Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection sends the Church forth in mission.

Jesus opens the disciples minds to the Scriptures. Unlike too much of our teaching and preaching today that merely transfer information, Jesus ends his teaching with a commission:

The language here is more emphatic that our English translations are able to convey.

a) YOU are witnesses. Disciples move from frightened and demoralized people to serving God’s vanguard. Jesus emphasizes the missional role in which each disciple will serve. This makes explicit what has been implicit throughout Luke 24-an encounter with the Risen Jesus unleashes believers into the world as witnesses. Mission is the reason for the existence of God’s people in the post-Resurrection era.

Notice the scope of the sending: all nations. Jerusalem represents the starting point. The world is in view.

How large is my understanding of mission?

b) Witness is empowered by Holy Spirit. God’s missional movement is Spirit-drenched. This is so important that Jesus emphatically orders the disciples to wait for the filling of the Spirit. The emphasis on the work of the Spirit is a good reminder that ultimately the fulfillment of God’s mission is the work of the Spirit through us. We are not called to be super men or women. We are called to be Spirit-filled, sent out humans. The work of God in the world is about power. This power comes only through the Spirit.

© 2015 Brian D. Russell  

Check out my latest book, (re)Aligning with God: Reading Scripture for Church and World .

 

Resurrection and Mission (Part Two): Luke 24:13–35 The Road to Emmaus

The second scene in Luke 24 verses 13-35 (Read opening essay on Luke 24:1-12) builds on the first. This is the famous “Walk to Emmaus” narrative:

    NRS Luke 24:13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19 He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” 25 Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. 28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

This narrative is filled with mystery and intrigue. Only one of the two persons is named (Cleopas, v. 18), but neither of them is among the Eleven traditional disciples. They are joined by the Risen Jesus, but are unable to recognize him during the journey. They end up in a conversation about Jesus’ death and the women’s strange (24:1-12) report from earlier in the day. “Jesus” then begins to instruct them from the Scriptures about the necessity of the Messiah to suffer. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus taught them from Israel’s Scriptures beginning with Moses everything taught about Messiah. Upon reaching Emmaus, they persuade “Jesus” to stay with them for the evening. They do not recognize Jesus’ true identity until Jesus “took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them” (24:30). At this moment, they realize that they have been journeying with Jesus. Jesus disappears and the two men hurry back to Jerusalem in order to declare to the Eleven that Jesus is truly risen.

This narrative contains some key insights:

1) The Scriptures must be understood in light of Jesus. Jesus opens the Scriptures to Cleopas and his friend. The Scriptures of Israel (the Old Testament) point to the necessity of a suffering Messiah. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah is the climax of God’s work in calling Israel as a community of God’s people. Individuals now need to find themselves in this narrative and live their lives in light of it.

2) The power, mystery, and possibility of encountering Jesus in the breaking of bread is a theme. In v. 30, Jesus “took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them.”  This was no mere meal. These words are an explicit allusion to the Last Supper. Compare the language of 24:30 with that of 22:19: "And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’” This is a mysterious passage. Why were Cleopas and his friend unable to recognize Jesus? Regardless, it is only after Jesus reenacts the Last Supper meal that they see him for who he truly is. I think that there is a word here for us-particularly for those among us who take a low view of the Eucharist. Let’s invite people to the Lord’s Table so that they may encounter the Risen Jesus through the meal.

3) Cleopas and his friend are transformed from forlorn former followers to empowered, passionate proclaimers. Just as the women in vv. 1-12, Cleopas and his friend are transformed into Jesus’ witnesses. There is no commission given, but they immediately return to Jerusalem to announce to the Eleven what they had seen and heard. Encountering the Risen Jesus is all that is required for a call to a missional life.

Have you encountered the Risen Jesus?

How has the resurrection of Jesus affected your life? 

What would it look like for you to live as an empowered, passionate proclaimmer and witness?

© 2015 Brian D. Russell
For more, pick up and read my latest book, (re)Aligning with God: Reading Scripture for Church and World . Now available!

 

Resurrection and Mission (Part one): Luke 24:1-12

The resurrection scenes in Luke are profound and memorable. They build slowly toward a resounding climax. Luke 24 consists of three interlocking narratives: 1) 24:1-12 Women Find an Empty Tomb, 2) 24:13-35 Two Men Encounter Jesus on the road to Emmaus, 3) 24 36-49 Jesus Appears to the Eleven. Let’s begin with some observations on Luke 24:1-12–

NRS Luke 24:1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in, they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” 8 Then they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

In the opening scene (Luke 24:1-12), a group of women including Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James go to the burial place of Jesus early on the 1st day of the week (they had rested on Sabbath (23:56) and discover that Jesus’ body is gone. Two angelic beings suddenly join them (24:4). The angels say (24:5a-8):

NRS Luke 24:5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” 8 Then they remembered his words

These verses affirm several key elements about the resurrection:

1) It was a bodily resurrection. The tomb was empty. This is affirmed across the NT. To deny a bodily resurrection in favor of a spiritual resurrection is to move outside of the biblical evidence. This part of Luke’s narrative makes little sense if Jesus’ body was present at the tomb.

2) Suffering, death, and resurrection was God's plan all along. In verses 5-8, there is the beginning of a pattern (24:5-8, 25-26, 44-49) in which Jesus’ earlier words are recounted (e.g., 9:22). What happened to Jesus should not have been a surprise. It was God’s plan to which Jesus willingly submitted for Jesus to suffer and die and be raised on the third day. It becomes a central element of early Christian teaching to move toward a Christocentric reading strategy for Scripture. In other words, God’s actions through Jesus becomes the key to understanding the overall movement and message of the Scriptures. A crucial learning for us today is that this reading is not only messianic but also missional. The good news about Jesus must be shared with the nations.

3) Resurrection creates the Church as a missional movement. The women in this story shift from mourners taking spices to the tomb to proclaimers of the Resurrection Story. This group of women (only the two Mary’s and Joanna are named) become the initial witnesses and servants of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

4) The proclamation of the Resurrection is received with skepticism (24:11). This is worth pondering. Sometimes we think that the ancients were gullible and believed anything. Resurrection is an anti-intuitive and supraexperiential claim. Dead men and women are not raised. Bodies do not disappear from tombs except at the hands of robbers. Yet because of the witness of these women Peter responds by running to the tomb to check it out for himself (24:12).

How do you respond to the testimony of these women?

© 2007 (Rev. 2015) Brian D. Russell

Check out my latest book, (re)Aligning with God: Reading Scripture for Church and World .

 

Jesus and the "mustness" of His Suffering and Death: Reflection on Matt 16:21

I want to begin a series of essays on Jesus radical call to discipleship in Matthew 16:21-28 for Holy Week. Today we ponder Matt 16:21

NIV Matthew 16:21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

This text occurs at a major transitional point in Matthew’s Gospel. In Matthew 16:13-20, the disciples through Peter declare the true identity of Jesus - “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus commends Peter and gives a great deal of authority to the disciples for the ordering of the life of the community of faith for the future (Matt 16:17-20).

Matthew 16:21 serves as the transition to the remaining third of Matthew’s Gospel which will culminate in Jesus’ death, resurrection, and commissioning of the disciples for a ministry of “disciple making” (28:16-20). Note the force of 16:21. If Matthew 16:13-20 marks the climax of the initial chapters of Matthew’s Gospel in the disciple’s unambiguous declaration of Jesus’ identity, Matthew 16:21 focuses Jesus’ identity as the Son of God on a journey to Jerusalem where Jesus the Son of God will suffer, be killed, and on the third day raised to life.

In this one verse, Jesus explodes many of our popular conceptions about the person and identity of Jesus. Jesus essentially is saying that his identity cannot be fully comprehended apart from his death and resurrection. This is challenging for us because it forces us to come to the cross as well. My friend, Alex McManus likes to talk about the need for Christian leaders to be people “who must.” Notice that Jesus was the first. It was not optional for him to go to Jerusalem, suffer, die, and be raised. He had to do this. It was a “must do” for him. In the verses that follow, we will discover that the cross is a “must do” for us as well.

As we reflect on Jesus’ passion during this holy week, let us begin to ponder deeply Jesus as one who had to embrace suffering and death on a cross.

Reflection:

1) What role does Jesus’ death and resurrection play in my own faith?

2) Would the Jesus that I believe in be crucified?

3) Have I been so touched by the power of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection that I have been transformed into a person who must?

© 2015 Brian D. Russell