Taft Mitchell's Blog

Journey to the Resurrection - March 31

“He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins—that he was suffering their punishment? He had done no wrong, and he never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.” Isaiah 53:7-9

After all these years I am still struck by the crystal specificity of this prophecy. I read the words and I can see the images of Jesus’ passion, even to the detail of burial in the grave of a rich follower, Joseph of Arimathea, who, along with Nicodemus, took Jesus’ body from the cross, and put him in the tomb.

I cannot begin to unfold the meaning of the death of Christ without first confessing that much remains a mystery. Christians believe that the cross is the pivotal event in history, but our small minds cannot fully take it in. One day the veil will be altogether removed, and all riddles will be solved. We shall see Christ as he is and worship him through eternity for what he has done. “Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.” So said the great apostle Paul with his massive intellect and many revelations; and if he said it, how much more should we?

When everything unnecessary is taken away I am left with this comforting truth:

  “Jesus love me, this I know,
   for the Bible tells me so.
  Little ones to him belong;
   they are weak, but he is strong.”

“Great Father in Heaven, change my feeble heart. I plead for a miracle within so that I am able to love as you love, and am able to live with a complete trust in you. I do not fully understand why you willingly embraced the cross for me, but I know that you did. I am humbled and I am shamed that I was so far from you that you had to go to such a great length in order to bring me home. But now I am yours and wish to remain so forever. I love you more than the earth itself. In Jesus’ powerful name…Amen.”

Journey to the Resurrection - March 30

“Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins! But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! Yet all of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the guilt and sins of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-6

The apostle Paul tells us that God loved us while we were yet sinners. That is true. Also true is that he did what was necessary to save us from the death of sin before we even knew of our need. Christianity is eminently a faith of profound grace. It is unique in that respect…grace as opposed to good works. The repeated promises in the Qu’ran of the forgiveness of a compassionate and merciful Allah are all made to the meritorious, whose good deeds have been weighed in Allah’s scales, whereas the gospel is good news of mercy to the undeserving. The symbol of the faith of Jesus is the cross, not the scales.

“Great God in Heaven, when I read the words of Isaiah I am reminded of the heavy cost of my salvation. I am again struck by the incredible lengths to which you are willing to go in order to save me. I am thankful for your grace and for your mercy. I am thankful for your gift of eternal life through Jesus. I am thankful for a new life that can be lived in your presence. I am rich. In Jesus’ name…Amen.”

Journey to the Resurrection - March 29

The birth, life, and passion of Christ were all foretold in the Old Testament, hundreds of years in advance. All of this last week before we celebrate Easter we will focus on the most arresting of those prophesies, Isaiah 53, a description of his passion. The book of the prophet Isaiah was written at approximately 650 B.C., making its clarity all the more amazing.
“Who has believed our message? To whom will the LORD reveal his saving power? My servant grew up in the LORD’S presence like a tender green shoot sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised and we did not care.” Isaiah 53:1-3

“Tender green shoot…root…dry and sterile ground.” Indeed, from the root of Jewish faith Jesus came as God’s new shoot of life…but into a Jewish faith that had grown dry and sterile, lost in rules-keeping and endless ceremony. As he came into that environment it was appropriate to ask, “Who has believed our message?” for many of them heard the message, but would not believe. Was he despised and rejected? Yes. Was he a man of sorrows, acquainted with the bitterest kinds of grief? Yes. And did we turn our backs on him? Yes.

We continue to do the same today. If you have heard me speak, you have heard me say that we approach our faith new each day. Each day we must make a new commitment, for that day, to follow God. We don’t always succeed in that commitment, and sometimes we turn our back on him and look the other way.

In this week before Resurrection Sunday I ask you to make a conscious decision at the start of each day to fully surrender that day to Jesus. What will that mean…where will that take you? That’s up to him. Our job is to make our hearts soft and to surrender to him…to believe his message and honor his messenger.

“Lord Jesus, come into my heart. You are honored there. I believe your message and I will not reject you. I pray that I will cause you no more sorrow or grief. Come into my heart. Come in to stay. Amen.”

Journey to the Resurrection - March 28

“At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?...then Jesus shouted out again, and he gave up his spirit.’ (Matthew 27:45)

Only one act of pure love, unsullied by any taint of ulterior motive, has ever been performed in the history of the world, namely the self-giving of God in Christ on the cross for undeserving sinners. That is why, if we are looking for a definition of love, we should look not in a dictionary, but at the cross.

Come to worship today with a readiness in your heart to receive and to give love. God has called you to receive, and he has equipped you to give. Come ready to sing your heart out with praise and thanksgiving.

“Dear Father in Heaven, I am yours today…all day! On this day, please receive my worship and my desire to honor you. I pray that you will find pleasure as well as honor in the worship of this day. Strike from my heart any thing that might compete for my attention, and protect your church from the evil one. As we gather to praise you. I ask you to empower your preachers today with the message of truth. I ask these things in the name of Jesus…Amen”

Journey to the Resurrection - March 27

Imagine yourself on religious pilgrimage, traveling on foot from Northern Africa to Palestine with your family. Finally, you reach Jerusalem, your destination, only to be caught up in a crowd full of anger and hatred. At the middle of the crowd is a condemned man, beaten so badly that he cannot carry the burden of his own cross. Perhaps you are a large man. Perhaps you just stand out in the crowd. Whatever the reason, you are thrust into the role of carrying that cross so that the procession to the place of death can carry on. You do so.

That is all we know of Simon, save for one other fact: He was the father of two sons, Alexander and Rufus, who were known to Peter and the early church (Mark 15:21). From that fact we can reasonably surmise that Simon was so powerfully impacted by his encounter with Jesus that he became a Christian, he and his family.

I would expect that everyone who came into contact with Jesus would have reacted that way, but that happened not to be the case. Some were so hard of heart that they went the other direction. Some were too busy; some, like Pilate, too inflexible. Some were too full of anger, some too full of themselves. Tradition had captured many of them, while others ‘knew’ what God should do.

Our openness of heart has much to do with what our heart of full of.

“Great Father in Heaven, give me a great and a soft heart. Soften my heart to your will and your word, so that I do not fall in to rebellion. Make me like Simon, Father, a partner in carrying the burden of Jesus for the world. I am yours, Father. I have heard your voice, but I long to rise in the arms of faith and be drawn closer to you. Use me today. In Jesus’ name…Amen.”

Journey to the Resurrection - March 26

Caiaphus and Peter…both failures, each going in a different direction of their own choosing. An altogether different person was Pilate, Roman Governor of Judea. He was described by his peers as, “naturally inflexible, a blend of self-will and relentlessness.” The apostle John, who of all the apostles (we believe) remained closest to Jesus during his trial, suffering, and crucifixion, describes Pilate as one whose sole allegiance was to the powers of this world. He was convinced of Jesus’ innocence, yet driven against his better judgment to sentence him to death. He then called for water and washed his hands of him.

How can Jesus just stand there, subject to such suffering and humiliation? How can he restrain himself from calling on the armies of heaven, laying low his enemies, demonstrating his majesty? His suffering was CHOSEN, not forced. He considered the indignity of the moment less than the need of eternity. He was, by choice, the very spear point of God’s will.

Regard him standing before Pilate, silent in the face of the accusations before him. Who is he? We can name him with our lips, but we will not know him until our knee has bowed before his complete majesty. Reverence always precedes understanding. We shall truly know him only when we are willing to truly obey him.

“Majestic Jesus, when I read the words that describe your suffering and your silence I am driven to awe. Nowhere in history do I see such determination to do God’s will. When I think of the rejection, suffering, humiliation, and dehumanization you willingly endured, I see them from the vantage point of history…I know that you endured, and then triumphed. How majestic you are! Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord, to thee. Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of your love. I ask this in your name…Amen”

Journey to the Resurrection - March 25

“Meanwhile, as Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, a servant girl came over and said to him, ‘You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.’ But Peter denied it in front of everyone. ‘I don’t know what you are talking about,’ he said. Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. ‘I don’t even know the man,’ he said, ‘I swear by God, I don’t know the man.’ And immediately the rooster crowed. Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.’ And he went away, crying bitterly.” Matthew 26:69-75

He was an unlikely candidate to lead a religious revolution, but at the moment Jesus called him to follow, his life was changed dramatically and irrevocably. He was married. He was a partner in a fishing business. He has been baptized by John the Baptizer. He was a seeker of truth and the Messiah. He was a loudmouth capable of insight and humility. He was a natural leader, but was fiercely loyal to Jesus.

His lowest moment came when he denied Jesus. He could have spoken for him. He could have defended him. But he did not, and his inability to do so caused him deep grief.

But after the resurrection Peter was the first of the inner circle to whom Jesus went, and the one to whom Jesus extended both restoration and the charge to feed his sheep. He became a changed man, the rock of the nascent church, and the greatest of its leaders. In the end, he too was crucified for his faith. It is said that he asked to be crucified upside down, because he was unworthy to be crucified like Christ.

God can do incredible things with ordinary people. As you approach Easter, surrounded as it is with stories of failure, remember the full story…God took the failures and worked miraculous things. What can he, what will he do with you? FAR MORE than you can ever imagine.

“Great God of creation, how great you are, that you bring the very best from our very worst. I give you my whole and entire life today, especially the failures. They are too much for me, and they weigh me down. But I know that you do great things with failures. Lead me to your purpose for my life. In Jesus’ name…Amen.”

Journey to the Resurrection - March 23

The primary antagonist of Jesus among the Jewish leaders was Caiaphas, the High Priest. We know little about him, save that he presided over Jesus’ trial and was the one who gave the answer to the Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling council) when they worried about Jesus after the raising of Lazarus. It’s recorded in John 11:47, 48, and 50. “’What are we going to do?’ they asked each other. ‘This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. If we leave him alone, the whole nation will follow him, and then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.’ And one of them, Caiaphus, who was high priest that year, said, ‘How can you be so stupid? Why should the whole nation be destroyed? Let this one man die for the people.’”

And with that, the issue was settled. Caiaphus was a busy man. He had a temple to run, a governing council to lead, and political allies to keep happy. Jesus was just a threat to it all.

Lest we demonize Caiaphus, we share his feelings, to greater or lesser degree. Following Jesus is not convenient, and has a way of upsetting our carefully thought out agendas and plans. We, too, are busy people, and it is far easier to dismiss the demands of the faith than it is to put them at the foundation of our lives. Caiaphus was no dimbulb. He knew that following Jesus was revolutionary…that it would change the face of his nation. It is the same for us. Following Jesus will change the face of our lives. Historically, we know that, in spite of the efforts of Caiaphus to the contrary, Jesus did in fact change the face of the Jewish nation, then the Roman Empire, then the whole world

God’s will is going to be accomplished. Ours is to decide if we will be willing followers of his revolution, or resisters. Today I encourage you to look for the ways you resist God. If you find resistance in yourself, take that issue to God in prayer and ask for a willing spirit.

“Great Father in Heaven, How great you are! You move nations and peoples in order to accomplish your will of grace. How great you are! You are irresistible in your purpose of redemption. Examine my heart today, Father, and see if there is resistance to your will. Cleanse me of stubbornness and a rigid mind. Break my resistance and give me a willing spirit to sustain me as you continue the good work you have begun in me. I ask these things in the name of Jesus…Amen.”

Journey to the Resurrection - March 22

“’Abba, Father,’ he said, ‘everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.’” Mark 14:36

When Jesus uttered these words, he had already seen the sun set for the last time. Within about 15 hours his limbs would be stretched on the cross. Within 24 hours he would be both dead and buried. And he knew it. Yet the amazing thing is that he was thinking of his mission as still future, not past. He was still a young man, between 30 and 35 years of age. He had lived barely half the allotted span of human life. At his age most people still have their best years ahead of them. Muhammad lived until he was 60, Socrates until he was 70, Plato and the Buddha until 80. If death threatens to cut a person’s life short, a sense of frustration often plunges him or her into depression. But not Jesus…for this simple reason: He did not regard the death he was about to die as bringing his mission to an untimely end, but as actually necessary to accomplish it. He was still looking forward to a mission he was about to fulfill. Of all his life, the last six hours were the most important.

But what is to come for him will be extreme in its agony. He knows it. So he calls for help in the midst of his surrender.

None of us have, or will, suffer in such a manner. But we have suffered. We know loneliness in the face of necessity. We can begin to identify…but only begin. His enemies are close at hand and his passion is about to begin. He will embrace it for the greater good…ours…and for the glory of God.

“O God, listen to my cry!
 Hear my prayer!
From the ends of the earth,
 I cry to you for help,
 for my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the towering rock of safety…”
   Psalm 61:1-2

“Great Father in Heaven, How it must have wrenched you to hear the plea of Jesus, knowing that you would not take the cup of suffering from him. I am shamed that my sin was so complete that it must require your life. How grateful I am that you are so intent to save, so irrevocably committed to your mission of forgiveness and restoration. War within me against that which would stand between me and thee. From the suffering of Jesus, bring forth life in this weary heart. How grateful I am to you. In Jesus’ name…Amen.

Journey to the Resurrection - March 21

I hope that you rise today and gather with fellow believers in worship. Whether you do or not, center your attention on the garden on the western flank of the Mount of Olives in which Jesus prayed, was betrayed, and was arrested. In the midst of his prayer was his determination…”Yet I want your will, not mine.” That determination led him to fully embrace the path of sacrificial death God had ordained for him.

I believe that God wants us to give ourselves to him so completely that we too would assert, “Yet I want your will, not mine.” He has an ordained path for us as well, and we are happiest, strongest, and most noble when we fully embrace that path.

I don’t think people go to worship services just to sing some songs and hear a 2,000 year old story. I think we really desire to encounter God and live entirely for him. Tell him so. On your way to worship, pray. If your car is full of noisy children, tell them you’re going to talk to God right now, then pray out loud so they can be a part of your hope before God. If your car is quiet, turn off the radio and use your drive to tell God of your life and of your hope. ASK HIM TO TAKE OVER YOUR HEART as you worship. ASK HIM TO FILL YOU WITH HIS HOLY SPIRIT and to do with you whatever he wishes. If you come to worship with no expectation of being moved, changed, or challenged, your expectations will be met. If you come expecting to meet with God, to be spoken to by him, and to be lifted up by him, you will be gratified by his response.

“Dear Father in heaven, I am eager to be in worship today! I am eager to honor you and to exalt you in my life. I ask you to make me entirely sensitive to your presence and to make me ready to worship. Purify my heart. Make me clean and wash me of the sin that so easily entangles me. Turn my eyes from worthless things so that I am eager for truth. And fill my heart with your presence. Shake me and remove my complacency and smallness of heart. I give myself entirely to you today. Do with me as you would. I trust you and I am eager for you. In Jesus’ name…Amen.”