Read the first verse of Matthew’s gospel. Jesus knew David’s ways. He witnessed the adultery, winced at the murders, and grieved at the dishonesty. But David’s failures didn’t change Jesus’ relation to David. The initial verse of the first chapter of the first gospel calls Christ “the son of David” (Matt. 1:1 KJV). The title contains no disclaimers, explanations, or asterisks. I’d have added a footnote: “This connection in no way offers tacit approval to David’s behavior.” No such words appear. David blew it. Jesus knew it. But he claimed David anyway.

He did for David what my father did for my brother and me.

Back in our elementary school days, my brother received a BB gun for Christmas. We immediately set up a firing range in the backyard and spent the afternoon shooting at an archery target. Growing bored with the ease of hitting the circle, my brother sent me to fetch a hand mirror. He placed the gun backward on his shoulder, spotted the archery bull’s-eye in the mirror, and did his best Buffalo Bill imitation. But he missed the target. He also missed the storehouse behind the target and the fence behind the storehouse. We had no idea where the BB pellet flew. Our neighbor across the alley knew, however. He soon appeared at the back fence, asking who had shot the BB gun and who was going to pay for his sliding-glass door.

At this point I disowned my brother. I changed my last name and claimed to be a holiday visitor from Canada. My father was more noble than I. Hearing the noise, he appeared in the backyard, freshly rousted from his Christmas Day nap, and talked with the neighbor.

Among his words were these:
“Yes, they are my children.”
“Yes, I’ll pay for their mistakes.”

Christ says the same about you. He knows you miss the target. He knows you can’t pay for your mistakes. But he can. “God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins” (Rom. 3:25 NLT).

Since he was sinless, he could.

Since he loves you, he did. “This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:10 NLT).

He became one of us to redeem all of us. “Jesus, who makes people holy, and those who are made holy are from the same family. So he is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters” (Heb. 2:11 NCV).

He wasn’t ashamed of David. He isn’t ashamed of you. He calls you brother; he calls you sister. The question is, do you call him Savior?

From Facing Your Giants
© (W Publishing Group, 2006) Max Lucado
Used by permission

Question: Are we sometimes “ashamed of Christ” when we are talking with non-Christians? (See Mark 8:38)

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)

I think of all the pain in the world and wonder, “Why God?” Disease and deformation plague mankind, along with a slew of psychological pains and traumas – the severity of which I hardly begin to know. I am forced to accept the hard truth that we do not live in Eden any more, and that the effects of the Fall are our own fault. As much as I try, that fact alone does not seem to make individual lives any easier.

What hope can we offer those who physically suffer for no apparent reason?

Many years ago there was a man who suffered greatly. His cry of hope was simply this: “For I know that my redeemer lives, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth” (Job 19:25). That’s the answer. Our God is a redeemer. He was for Job and he is now. He is both powerful and good, which causes him to be Haggo’el or Redeemer God.

What does it mean to redeem? It means He buys back that which has departed from Him. It means He clears the payment of that which is in debt. He has done this through His son Jesus, who was God in the flesh. The purity and power of such a sacrifice can be the only thing to give hope for today.

I understand that my words written to you can provide very little lasting hope, so allow me instead to point you to words of eternal truth for those who suffer – God bless you today.

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”  (Romans 8:22-25)

God, When I see the people around me suffering, don’t let me give them pat answers or a witty response that masquerades as the truth. Remind me to point them to You.  You are the only one who can help.  Amen.

Question: How do you balance the reality of pain with sureness of God’s grace?

“Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:6-8)

Jesus Paid it ALL
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a Crimson Stain
He washed it white as snow (Author, Elvina M. Hall)

We sang that old hymn this morning in church and honestly, I just wanted to sit down and bawl my head off.   Maybe it is just PMS but I don’t think so.

I grew up in a Christian home; in fact my parents were missionaries in the frozen tundra of Alaska.  I was the oldest in my family and a people pleaser.  I never did drugs, never drank before I was 21 and basically kept my parents from feeling like they weren’t terrible at their job.  I never really saw my true depravity and that led to become a pretty arrogant and superior young woman.

Every once in a while, I would realize I wasn’t perfect.  Like the time I tripped and fell down the stairs, after an older gentleman had praised me for my “maturity”.  But it really wasn’t until I began to have children of my own that I began to see myself for who I really was.  My children brought out this monster in me that I never knew existed!

I began to see that I truly did need a Savior and that my heart was dark and evil and wanted to go its own way.  I was in desperate need of a Redeemer.  This experience of mothering was the turning point for me.  God began to show me that I was just as much in need of a Savior as anybody else, that my sin was just as evil and destructive as the next person.

He slowly softened my heart and I became less judgmental.  How can you judge someone else when you know in the deepest darkest place in your heart, it’s just like theirs or even worse? Evil is evil, sin is sin and it all turns us away from God.

So remember:

Jesus paid it ALL – I did nothing to save myself
All to Him I owe – I owe Him everything!
Sin had left a Crimson Stain –The stain on my heart I could not in my own strength make clean
He Washed it White as Snow! - God did EVERYTHING

In the words of another hymn, “Oh Sacred Head Now Wounded”  (author, Bernard of Clairvoux)

What language shall I borrow?
To Thank Thee dearest friend
For this Thy dying sorrow
Thy pity without end

Oh, make me Thine forever
And should I fainting be
Lord, let me never, never
Outlive my love for Thee

Question: Are there any uncovered sins you need to bring to the foot of the cross? How can you share your story of faith with another person?

“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.’”  (Luke 23:39-43)

This brief scene at Golgotha can tell us a lot about who Jesus is and who we are called to be.

Who are we called to be? Clearly not the first thief. He rejects Jesus. The pride of life pushes him fiercely from redemption and firmly toward godlessness. However, the other thief understands two things that are crucial for salvation.

First, he knows the problem lies within himself. He rightly diagnoses his situation and proclaims, “We are punished justly.” A proper grasp of sin is the first step toward redemption. After all, we don’t need a savior if there is nothing to be saved from.

Second, he properly understands his need for the person of Jesus Christ. He cries out, “Remember me!” In this cry he acknowledges that Jesus is able to save. By calling on Jesus name, we reveal our trust is in him.

Do we call out to God? Are we able to trace the blame back to ourselves? Can we admit our sin is the source of ungodliness? We must.

And what does Jesus do? He receives our repentant heart and accepts us as we are. He forgives us and gives us hope for a better world.

Jesus, I acknowledge myself as the source of sin and pain in the world. I am fallen and justly punished. I cry out to you for mercy. Remember me, forgive me, and give me hope for a better world. Amen.

Do you struggle with the deep darkness of depression and find yourself without hope? Talk to us.

“Having believed, you were marked in him (Christ) with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13,14).

I heard of a clever little bird in the tropics that will cover his young in the nest with leaves. When a poisonous snake slithers up the branch to devour the helpless birds, it strikes its tongue against the leaves and instantly recoils. The leaves are poisonous to the snake.

This little story reminds me that as Christians, we also have an adversary, the devil, who wants to destroy us. But we have a three – fold security: the seal of the Holy Spirit which means ownership by God; the blood of Jesus Christ which atones for every sin; and the name of Christ which sends Satan running. When we are in danger, all of heaven comes to our defense.

Some years ago, in an African country, weak in body and discouraged in soul, I sensed an encroaching darkness descend upon me. On this particular day, I had gone to bed but couldn’t sleep. An ominous dread filled my heart. When I opened my eyes, I saw a dark figure had entered the room. I called for my husband to come and together we said, “In the name of Jesus Christ, we command you to leave. We are covered with the blood of Jesus Christ and you cannot touch us. We belong to God.”

Instantly the darkness vanished.

In Christ, we have a covering that the powers of darkness cannot penetrate. Therefore, we have nothing to fear – ever.

Father, I thank you for the victory that is ours in Christ Jesus. I pray for your covering upon myself and my children today.

Question: Have you ever experienced a period or moment of spiritual darkness? How did God bring you through it?

“The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.” (Genesis 39:2-3, NKJV)

We were born to succeed! God wants us to prosper in everything we set our hand to do. He tells us that if we will diligently obey His

voice and observe all His commandments, that we will be set high above all others, and that His blessings will “come upon” us and even

“overtake” us. He will bless every area of our lives, our homes,

families, health, livestock, our nation, and more. We will be above and

not beneath in everything, we will be the head and not the tail.

In Deut. 28:1-14, God so clearly lays out the kind of life He wants

us to have as He lists the blessings. In Deut. 28:15-68 we see the

curses that will come when a person or nation chooses to walk out of

alignment with God’s way. If something you are experiencing falls under the curse (and we are all experiencing this to some degree), you can be sure, based on the word of God and His promises, that it is God’s desire to deliver you over to the blessings side.

In Christ, we are redeemed from the curse (Galatians 3:13) and we do not have to just accept circumstances such as poverty, sickness, and broken families. God will cause all that we do to succeed when we commit to coming more and more into alignment with His ways. He lays before us a choice between life and death, blessing and cursing. He invites us, and even commands us to choose life in everything! (Deut. 30:19)

“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings

forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and

whatever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:3, NKJV)

Question: How has your prayer life been lately?

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24

As I listened to his story, I could relate to it. From the time he was a little child, he knew that political office was his calling. Somehow he sensed that it was his destiny to be the governor of his state.

He was elected to the state legislature and after a successful career there, he was elected to the United States Congress where he served four terms. And then, he knew it was time and he declared himself as a candidate for governor. He knew he would win. It was his destiny.

He ran a strong and winnable campaign, but it wasn’t enough and in the end, he lost the election. He was devastated. It wasn’t supposed to be that way. Now he had lost his for sure election to be governor and also had given up his seat in the Congress. After a long political career he was suddenly a man without an office.

Searching for answers, he started attending a new church. He had been “churched” for years, but had never really made a commitment. Suddenly, in his time of defeat, God touched his heart. He surrendered his heart to the Lord, got baptized and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus was his savior.

He went on to say that he then realized that he had to lose his dream to be saved for the Lord and that knowing Jesus in a personal way was far more important than any earthly office or position one could ever hold.

Sometimes God puts obstacles or defeats in our way in order to get our attention and to bring us to him. It is not easy and sometimes it is not for us but for someone around us. God has strange ways of getting our attention, but the important thing is that he gets our attention and we get His message, for what He has to offer in the live hereafter is far more important than anything we could possess or on enjoy on this earth.

As Paul so well stated: “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Truly it is the task He has given to us all.

Question: What would you be willing to give up for God? What would you find most difficult to give up?

As a young man, Josh McDowell considered himself an agnostic. However, Josh has since accepted Christ and written or co-authored over 120 books and led many people to put their trust in the life-saving faith of Jesus Christ.

In this series of videos, Josh investigates the critically important question: Why did Jesus have to die?

“Why Did Jesus Have to Die?” series video list:

1. Introduction
2. How Can a Loving God Send Someone to Hell?
3. Who is God?
4. We Know God Through His Attributes
5. Understanding Romans 3:21-26
6. Understanding Romans 3:21-26 continued
7. How Can God Justify the Ungodly?
8. What does Propitiation Mean?
9. An Illustration of Redemption
10. An Illustration of Propitiation

Read the first verse of Matthew’s gospel. Jesus knew David’s ways. He witnessed the adultery, winced at the murders, and grieved at the dishonesty. But David’s failures didn’t change Jesus’ relation to David. The initial verse of the first chapter of the first gospel calls Christ “the son of David” (Matthew 1:1, KJV). The title contains no disclaimers, explanations, or asterisks. I’d have added a footnote: “This connection in no way offers tacit approval to David’s behavior.” No such words appear. David blew it. Jesus knew it. But he claimed David anyway.

He did for David what my father did for my brother and me.

Back in our elementary school days, my brother received a BB gun for Christmas. We immediately set up a firing range in the backyard and spent the afternoon shooting at an archery target. Growing bored with the ease of hitting the circle, my brother sent me to fetch a hand mirror. He placed the gun backward on his shoulder, spotted the archery bull’s-eye in the mirror, and did his best Buffalo Bill imitation. But he missed the target. He also missed the storehouse behind the target and the fence behind the storehouse. We had no idea where the BB pellet flew. Our neighbor across the alley knew, however. He soon appeared at the back fence, asking who had shot the BB gun and who was going to pay for his sliding-glass door.

At this point I disowned my brother. I changed my last name and claimed to be a holiday visitor from Canada. My father was more noble than I. Hearing the noise, he appeared in the backyard, freshly rousted from his Christmas Day nap, and talked with the neighbor.

Among his words were these:
“Yes, they are my children.”
“Yes, I’ll pay for their mistakes.”

Christ says the same about you. He knows you miss the target. He knows you can’t pay for your mistakes. But he can. “God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins” (Romans 3:25, NLT).

Since he was sinless, he could.

Since he loves you, he did. “This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:10, NLT).

He became one of us to redeem all of us. “Jesus, who makes people holy, and those who are made holy are from the same family. So he is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters” (Hebrews 2:11, NCV).

He wasn’t ashamed of David. He isn’t ashamed of you. He calls you brother; he calls you sister. The question is, do you call him Savior?

From Facing Your Giants
© (W Publishing Group, 2006) Max Lucado
Used by permission

Question: Are we sometimes “ashamed of Christ” when we are talking with non-Christians? (See Mark 8:38)

New to this series? Click here to watch the first video!

In this series of videos, Josh investigates the critically important question: Why did Jesus have to die? He begins this segment by saying:

“The work of Christ, His death on the cross towards man is called redemption. Paying a price to buy us out of the slave market of sin, where that price is so great, we never ever have to be sold into sin again. I was reading a newspaper once and read about this story of something that happened that probably clarified for me redemption more than anything. Let me share it with you.”

Watch part 10 (final) of this series: An Illustration of Propitiation