Four Reasons Your Work Matters to God

4 Reasons Your Work Matters to God

(From a sermon delivered on Sunday August 31, 2025)

My name is Jason. You usually see me up here leading the music team as your associate pastor of worship. Pastor Chris has graciously invited me to preach today on the subject of faith and work, which is a fitting topic for this Labor Day weekend.

Since it is also college Sunday, I’ll mention that I am a graduate of Florida State University, where I studied History & Religion. My daughter Grace just started her first semester in college at IUS, studying Digital Art. It feels like I was in college just yesterday, and now my daughter is starting her college journey.

While you know me as your music leader, you may not know that I have a day job as well, just like the other pastors here. I recently celebrated 17 years at Humana, in the IT department. Yes, I am using my history degree to do computer work for an insurance company. This week I will work both from home and in our Louisville office. I will answer emails, host zoom meetings, revise spreadsheets, and advise leaders on technology goals. I am a husband, a father, a worship leader... And I am also a worker.

All of us here will spend on average between 90k and 100k hours of our lives working. 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year, for 50 years or more. This amounts to one half of your waking life. Whether your current calling is paid or unpaid work, or you are a student or you’re retired, your work is a core part of your life and your personal identity.

One of the biggest questions of faith I've ever faced is whether this half of my life even matters to God and his kingdom. Am I just working to pay bills, pay my tithe, maybe support a missionary and then someday retire? Is my Monday to Friday life less valuable than the few hours I spend serving at church or volunteering for a nonprofit? Or is there some way that my for-profit job can matter to God's kingdom? Does God’s word speak to this topic of faith and work?

Before I dive into how Scripture answers these questions, let me share some data points that might help you see how important this topic is to the mission of the church.

In 2018, the Barna research group conducted a qualitative survey of over 1,500 young adults, ages 18 to 29. They interviewed each person to discover their church background, beliefs, and life experiences. As many other research studies have found, about half of young people stop attending church after high school – about 22% give up belief in God altogether, and 30% might hold on to belief but stop attending church. The other half of young people either continue going to church out of habit (38%) or they become committed to their faith in an even deeper and lasting way (10%). This last group was termed “Resilient Disciples.” While many churches have panicked about why half of young people are leaving, Barna wanted to ask the opposite question: Why did half of these young people decide to stay in church?

What they found are 5 characteristics that mark a resilient young disciple who stays in church and deepens their faith. Four of these five traits are things you might guess: Personal relationship to Jesus, Doctrinal knowledge, Social connections, and a strong sense of Mission. But the fifth trait was a bit surprising, what Barna called “Vocational Discipleship.” Young people who stay in church overwhelmingly have a strong understanding of how their career path connects to the kingdom of God. They answered yes to questions like “I want to use my unique talents and gifts to honor God” and “God designs each person with a unique calling for their life.”

So, if connecting faith and work is a core trait of resilient young disciples, we must ask: Are we equipping our young people with an understanding of how their future jobs matter to God and his kingdom?

Let’s turn now to what Scripture says on this subject. I'd like to share 4 reasons your work matters to God, tracing this topic from the beginning to the end of the Bible. I like to give away the answers at the beginning, so here are my four points:

1. Your work is God’s design

2. Your work is broken by sin

3. Your work is transformed by Christ

4. Your work will echo into eternity

Reason #1. Your Work is God's design

A.W. Tozer famously wrote, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." I'd like to challenge you this morning to imagine the Living God you know and love, with everything you know about him from Scripture, and make sure you see him also as a worker. Consider how the Bible pictures God from the very beginning....

Genesis 1:1, 2:7 NIV

[1] In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth....[7] Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

From the first page of Scripture, we discover that God is a worker. Genesis 1 describes the vast variety of things God created through merely speaking them into existence out of nothing. Light, Sun, moon, stars, land, sea, birds, fish....Genesis 2 then zooms in to picture God forming man from the dirt, crafting us with his own hands. Why is God pictured as a creative worker with his hands in the dirt? I believe the answer is that God created because of the overflow of his generous self-giving character. He did not need to create anything, but the creation of life and beauty flows from him naturally and eternally. He is a worker by nature, and good work flows from him.

So it should be no surprise that God designed us to be workers as well. Consider how Scripture describes God creating man and woman, and then giving them a work assignment...

Genesis 1:27-28, 2:15 NIV

[27] So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. [28] God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it..."

[15] The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

If God is a worker, and we are made to reflect his image, then it makes sense that God made us to be workers as well. And therefore, work is essential to what it means to be human. Most every form of work can be part of God's command to be fruitful and have dominion over the earth. We are his stewards, caring for his good creation through our various workplaces. One powerful quote that conveys this idea is from the German reformer Martin Luther:

"Our works are God’s masks, behind which He remains hidden, although He does all things."

Every ordinary task we do can be done to reflect God's care for creation. Our work on Monday could be the mask of God, reflecting his purposes for the world. Consider one more section of Genesis, verses 1:31, 2:2:

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good…By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

God made us to rest and rely on Him. Just as God rested on the seventh day and enjoyed his work, he commands us to have a work/life balance that includes labor and rest each week. While we are made in God's likeness to be workers like him, it's important to remember how we are also not like God. We are limited, he is unlimited. We are finite, he is infinite. We can only be in one place at a time. He is everywhere all at once. You can't do everything you can imagine needs to be done. That limitation is not evil, it is by design. We were designed to be dependent on God, not working independently from him.

So the first reason our work matters is because God is a worker, He made us to be workers, and he designed us to work, to rest, and to rely on him.

Reason #2. Your work is broken by sin

Let's not forget that Genesis 3 throws a big curve ball into God's good design for work. After Adam and Eve betrayed God's command and God's trust, he describes the impact of bringing evil into our working lives....

Genesis 3:17-19 NIV

[17] To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. [18] It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. [19] By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

Work is good but it is also cursed, because Adam and Eve chose to rely on their own wisdom instead of relying on God and trusting his guidance. When they listened to the serpent's false promises, they took their eyes off their God given calling to reflect his generous love and steward his creation. By disobeying and distrusting God's direct command, they fell under a curse that impacted the workplace from then on. The ground now fights back at us, instead of being the

harmonious productive work life that was originally intended.

Your work is where you sin and suffer. This is the part of work that we see and feel so often. The part of work that makes us "live for the weekend" or say "Is it Friday yet?" Or maybe we sing along with Jimmy Buffett "It's 5 o'clock somewhere." We have to endure bad workplaces or bad bosses that make life miserable. We might be unemployed for a season, or have limited opportunities for many reasons outside our control. And even when we are fully employed, the Enemy uses our workplace life for a variety of evils: Injustice, fraud, abuse, greed, laziness, idolatry, depression, fear, anxiety, loneliness, gossip, slander, lack of recognition, and burnout. God sees this suffering and he cares about the pain of our work life. And thankfully he does not sit back and leave us alone in that suffering. 

Your work needs God’s wisdom. Throughout God's Word, He gives wisdom for our work, to counteract the effects of sin and evil....

One way the Old Testament gave wisdom for work was through the wide variety of true workplace stories. The Bible describes dozens of various occupations: Baker, craftsman, musician, builder, soldier, judge, governor, Farmer, fisherman, tentmaker and so on. Major heroes of the Bible used their workplace

position and influence to serve God and love their neighbors - think of Joseph the governor in Egypt, Deborah the judge, David the king, Daniel the royal advisor, Esther the queen...

Some of God’s wisdom for work is very practical, like the ethical and financial advice you might find throughout the book of Proverbs. But elsewhere, God’s wisdom simply acknowledges the pain and apparent meaninglessness of our daily work lives. Consider how the book of Ecclesiastes honestly admits this frustration we all experience:

Ecclesiastes 2:22-23

What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? 23All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.

That’s not very inspiring, but it is an honest description of what we experience in our work life in this broken world. Elsewhere, the law of Moses gives direct wisdom from God on how to work with excellence and fairness in different situations. One quick example....

Deuteronomy 24:14 NIV

[14] Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns.

Moses gave instructions for certain kinds of workers in specific situations, including how to treat the poor and vulnerable. He specifically tells us to avoid favoritism as well, regardless of what your employees look like or where they’re from. Working for God's glory means working excellently, but it must also include acting justly in our work.

Our work matters to God because sin has cursed our workplace, and he feels that pain as much as we do. And so, God gave wise guidance for our work in Scripture. But even this divine guidance was not enough to overcome the impact of evil in our hearts and in our workplace. God himself would have to step into human history to save us, not only from the moral guilt of sin, but to transform our work life as well.

Reason #3. Your work is transformed by Christ

Pastor Chris has often taught us about two big words: justification and sanctification. Justification describes the finished work of Christ on the cross, to take our sin and give us his righteousness. The second big word, Sanctification describes the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, making us more like Jesus in our daily life. These two realities are both part of the salvation we experience through the gospel. And of course, this sanctification transforms us not only on Sunday but on Monday through Friday as well. What does that look like in the Christian worklife? Consider these examples of workers who were changed by the gospel. First, remember the crowds who came to see John the Baptist....

Luke 3:12-14 NIV

[12] Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” [13] “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. [14] Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

Notice that John the Baptist did not tell the soldiers and tax collectors to quit their jobs. Rather, he told them that repentance and living for God's kingdom means doing your existing job in a new way.

Here's another example... Remember Zaccheus was a wee little man, he climbed up in a sycamore tree to see Jesus, and then Jesus invited himself over to his house for lunch. Look how Zaccheus responds...

Luke 19:8 NIV

[8] But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

What does it mean for a tax collector or a soldier to follow Jesus? Do they have to give up their jobs and become pastors or missionaries? While that sometimes happens, the majority will continue their work in a transformed way. They will start to see their jobs as the mission field. They will realize that Your work can be ministry. That might include evangelism at times, but it's much more than that. It is seeing the intrinsic opportunity in the actual work you do...Opportunities to love your neighbor, reflect the kindness and justice of God's character, and live out the Lord's prayer for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Illustration: William Wilberforce, tempted to resign his position in Parliament to become a pastor, but he stuck with it and lead the campaign to end the slave trade in 1807, after 20 years of patient campaigning.

Illustration: Church member making time to listen and care for all 200 employees. Another church member finding creative ways to use her hairdressing skills for people in need.

Next, consider how these familiar words from Jesus apply to your workplace:

Matthew 22:37-39

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

We are commanded to love God and to love our neighbor, and our jobs are the location where that happens day by day. Your work is where you love your neighbor. Start to think of how your daily tasks at work are a blessing to your customers and clients. God has designed your work and wants to redeem your work from the curse of sin. Through the power of Christ, and the Holy Spirit dwelling within you, you can see your work transformed into a ministry that displays the love of Jesus to the world.

Reason #4. Your work echoes into eternity

Finally, let’s consider how our work will impact eternity. Consider this passage in Colossians…

Colossians 3:23-24 NIV

[23] Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, [24] since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

"Whatever you do..." With very few exceptions, any job can be done for God's glory and for his pleasure. And he is the one watching and rewarding our work. Your work will be rewarded.

This passage is both challenging and liberating. This is challenging because it means I can't compartmentalize my job as separate from my Christian life. I can't act one way on Sunday and another way on Monday. But this is also liberating. It means the work I'm already doing has eternal value. I just need to change my perspective and optimize it for God's glory. My emails and zoom calls and spreadsheets, when done in love and with God's help, can actually bring God joy and glory.

In addition to our eternal rewards, this passage implies that your work can be worship. Paul says twice in this passage that we are really working for Jesus, and that he is pleased when our work is done for Him.

See this same idea at the end of the Parable of the Talents. Remember how Jesus describes a Master who entrusts his resources to three servants. The first two are good stewards and double the investment, while the third servant buries his talent and it never grows or impacts others. Consider how the master praises the first two workers...

Matthew 25:21 NIV

[21] “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

What gives God great joy in this passage? To see his children fully alive, investing their abilities in a way that multiplies blessing and love to others. Do you believe that a lifetime of serving others in your workplace will be answered with those precious words "Well done good and faithful servant... Enter into your Father's joy." Our work matters to God because he enjoys it, he receives our work as worship, and he will also reward that work one day.

But on top of that reward, I believe that you will have a job in heaven. This will be the most surprising point in my sermon, and some of you may actually disagree completely. God has a job for us to do in heaven. "But isn't heaven supposed to be our eternal rest? How can you say that we will have jobs in heaven? That is ridiculous." But I want to draw your attention to a description of heaven you may not have noticed. It is the description of the new heavens and new earth from the prophet Isaiah....

Isaiah 65:17, 21-23 NIV

[17] “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth...[21] They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit….my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. [23] They will not labor in vain.

Did you notice how Isaiah includes forms of work in his description of heaven? He says we will be building houses and planting vineyards. If work was God's original plan for us, and work predates the fall of Adam into sin, it should be no surprise that we have more work to do in the new heavens and new earth, where the curse is undone and all things are made new again. Isaiah 65 is a parallel story to Revelation 21 and 22 at the end of the Bible, where the new Jerusalem comes down and God's people are welcomed into his city for all eternity. Isaiah's version simply elaborates with vivid detail how we will forever enjoy the work of our hands - Work that we started here and work that will continue in the life to come.

What inventions and discoveries and research and explorations and projects and artistic creations are possible in an infinite world without sin or evil? Having a vision of heaven that includes some kind of work reminds us that our labors here also matter to God. When we do our work relying on him and for his glory, that work will echo into eternity. Work is not just a means to an end... It is what makes us fully human, fully transformed in Christ, reflecting God's generous nature as a worker, and will continue into all eternity.

In conclusion... once again, Scripture gives at least four reasons that our work matters to God:

1. Your work is God's design

2. Your work is broken by sin

3. Your work is transformed by Christ

4. Your work echoes into eternity

Having seen how our work matters to God, let me end with two practical homework assignments...

1. Bring God to work.

Pray at work. Invite God to work with you. This simple action will remind you that God cares about your tasks and your coworkers. Pray for ways to improve your work with excellence, innovation, and more fairness. Pray that your light would shine and others would notice. Talk with coworkers about what you're learning about God. Look for a chance to share your testimony. Bridge the gap between Sunday and Monday.

One way to apply this is a 30 day prayer challenge. Think about one problem you are facing at work right now. Do you believe that God can transform that problem? Commit the next 30 days to praying for the solution, and see how God might show up in unexpected ways.

2. Bring work to church.

Share your work life at church. Share with us what is going right and wrong at work. Find other church members with similar work. Find a mentor or be a mentor to those friends. Discipleship must include your work life. We will have a Wed night panel discussion in a couple weeks where you'll hear from fellow members how God is working in their weekday life.

Finally, we would like you to fill out a survey. No it's not printed on your receipt. It's not a customer satisfaction survey. This is a church survey called Scatter, developed by a national ministry called Made to Flourish. There is a QR code in the bulletin, and links are now posted on our website and Facebook group. Look for an email with the link as well. This survey takes 5 minutes and it will tell us about your work life and how the church can support your faith at work. We will share the data results with you on an upcoming Wed night in a couple weeks.

That's it. Bring God to work. Bring work to church. These are simple ways to see your work transformed and to use your work to impact God's kingdom. 

Do You Love Me?

John 21:15‭-‬17

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."  He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep."  He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep."

...............

We live in a unique time in Christian history when it comes to Bible translations. At the turn of the 21st century, there are about 900 English translations of Scripture, most of these having emerged in the last 200 years of scholarship and manuscript study. You can access dozens of these for free online or using some form of Bible software. And with all this effort to learn the original Hebrew and Greek languages, it can be tempting to think that only a language scholar can know what the Bible really says.

As someone who has spent some time learning Hebrew, I can tell you that there are indeed some powerful insights that can come through doing word studies and trying to grasp what these words meant in their ancient context. But I can also say with confidence that your English translation will give you 99% of the original meaning and that there are abundant footnotes and commentaries that can supplement the few concepts that are lost in translation.

John 21 is a great example of this dynamic. The conclusion to John's gospel has a clear focus, dramatic imagery, and compelling emotion in the characters and dialogue. Jesus makes another post-resurrection appearance, multiplying a catch of fish and welcoming his friends to a lakeside barbeque. Following the responses of Mary Magdalene and Thomas, we now see the emotional response of Peter, perhaps Jesus' closest and most trusted friend.

Peter is clearly excited to see Jesus again. He jumped out of the boat to get to him! But then Jesus asks him a question that we must all come to terms with:

Do you love me?

Peter answers quickly. Of course I love you, I'm thrilled to see you alive again! Jesus charges him to feed his sheep. But then Jesus asks again.

Do you love me?

Peter answers again, maybe a little hesitant this time. Why is he asking again? Yes, I love you. And Jesus charges him again to shepherd his sheep. But then Jesus asks a third time.

Do you love me?

At this point, John diverts from the pattern and tells us that Peter is grieved. Why is Peter grieved?

This is where some would say that knowing the Greek words for "love" provides a deeper understanding of this passage. Jesus uses "agapao" in his first two questions, and this word is often used for sacrificial love. In contrast, Peter replies with "phileo," which often signifies brotherly love. In the third question, Jesus matches Peter and uses "phileo." And that is when Peter is grieved. But why?

Several interpreters have tried to insist that Peter was grieved by Jesus' change in wording, as if Jesus is confronting Peter's lack of sacrifice. That seems to fit the recent context, where Peter had just denied Jesus rather than face punishment for knowing him. Maybe Jesus is just putting him in his place.

But there is another interpretation that better fits the character of Jesus, and it doesn't require knowing Greek. It just requires counting to three. It is more likely that Peter is grieved, not because the word choice, but because of the three times Jesus says it. He is grieved because this mirrors the three times that Peter denied him. All the shame is hiding just under the surface.

But Jesus' goal is not shame. It is restoration. For each question there is a charge. And that charge is for Peter to rise to a privileged place of leadership in the church that Jesus would soon establish. He needed a leader who could feed and nourish a weak fellowship into a strong Spirit-filled movement which would go on to turn the world upsidedown. And Peter was the man for the job.

So the question remains for us today. Are we ready to move past our grief and shame, even if we've betrayed Jesus time and again? Are we ready to receive the power of the Holy Spirit and proclaim the resurrected Jesus? Are we prepared to bear our cross today?

Do you love me?

A King and His Bride

Psalms 45:6-7

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;
you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions

...............

This chapter stands out in the Psalms for several reasons. The first and most obvious is that this song is not primarily directed to God. We have gotten used to these prayers and petitions addressing God directly, and then we are greeted with this romantic love song about a king and his bride. Why is it here and what does it mean for us?

Surely we can relate to a love song. Our culture today is filled with pop radio hits which linger on the emotional and physical details of lovers. We are built for relationship and every culture and people have given voice to their love through song. The Hebrews were no exception.

This Psalm first addresses Israel's king. The writer gushes with admiration for this mighty leader. What strikes me most is that the king is praised for both his meekness and his military strength, for both loving righteousness and hating wickedness. The takeaway: a good leader and a good government is marked by this twofold character. That every act of strength against an enemy must have a heart of love and righteousness behind it.

The second half of the psalm addresses the king's bride. She is encouraged to leave her family and commit herself completely to him. Her clothing and her companions are described in turn, rich adornments for her beauty. Like the king, the emphasis is on how blessed and how glad she must be. This is a celebration of the bride and their committed relationship.

As we've seen throughout the Psalms, while there is a clear meaning rooted in the writer's own time and place, there is also a secondary reference to our own Messiah and King: Jesus. I can say that with confidence because verses 6-7 are quoted directly by the author of the letter to the Hebrews hundreds of years later (Heb. 1:8-9). The New Testament writer used this Psalm along with several other passages to highlight Jesus' authority, power, and worth above all angels or earthly powers. His kingship is the government par excellence, taking the characteristics that the psalmist praised to the ultimate degree.

Likewise we can project the praises for the bride onto the ultimate bride of Christ, the Church. For what is the image that the book of Revelation uses to picture the final culmination of redemption history? A wedding! A great feast where our bridegroom finally reunites with the lover he purchased with his own blood. May we learn to revel in this cerebration and marvel at his grace and majesty.

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

"Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God."
(Revelation 19:6‭-‬9)

My Story

This is my story. My story is about how Jesus rescued me and how my heart and later my mind came to really believe that.

In November 1998, I was 16 years old and I was spiraling toward ruin. I remember my time in middle school and high school vividly. I remember being lonely. I remember craving relationship and not knowing how to fill that vacuum. I remember the crushes. I remember nights lying in bed crying and not even knowing why I was alive.

I was a good student. I was a class clown. I had friends. I was successful on the outside, but there was darkness within.

But one night, a friend invited me to church and everything changed.

I saw people singing about Jesus and I felt something powerful happen. I heard that Jesus died for me. I experienced the presence of God, an awareness that something supernatural did exist and could be present in my life. And my friend's mom prayed with me right there to accept Jesus as my Savior.

I remember driving home just filled with energy! I had met God and I knew things were different now. I was not alone.

And life was different. I made Christian friends. The church's youth pastor stuck a bass guitar in my hand and gave me a stack of songs to learn. I learned through new friends and through new music and through hearing God's Word. I was starting to grow.

But then I went to college at Florida State. I started taking classes from professors who criticised Christian faith and treated it as a mere myth among other myths. I began to wonder how I could claim Jesus was the only way. I saw that other religions have community and compassion and music and mystical experiences. Why did I think my experience of God was more true than theirs? My heart had felt God, but my mind was not convinced.

One night, my dorm roommate, who was not a Christian, directly confronted me with these questions. And I didn't have answers. I went to bed not knowing if I'd wake up still believing.

By God's grace, I did not give up. I looked for answers in the Bible. I continued talking with my Christian friends and older members of my church. I read. I studied. I pressed on.

I came to Louisville to attend seminary, still hungry for answers. I learned about the historical validity of the New testament and the verifiable facts supporting Jesus' resurrection. I met several mentors who introduced me not just to apologetic arguments for God's existence, but to the full spectrum of the Christian worldview. I learned why the biblical view of the world is in fact the most intellectually consistent view on every major topic: on the nature of reality, on man's identity and purpose, on how we know what we know, what is the basis for good and evil, why do we perceive beauty and crave a sense of wonder, how can we thrive in our families, our work life, and our community. I started getting answers. My head was catching up to my heart.

Today, I am a product of my past, a finite person who is still hungry for answers and hungry for relationship. I am still a sinner and I still break promises and I still fight the darkness within. But I am also a redeemed sinner. I stand on the fact of Jesus' resurrection. I stand on the fact that my faith and my feelings are now rooted not in myself or anything I can do, but rooted in what He had done for me. These words are my hope and I know nothing can undo it or take it away:

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Hearing, Seeing, Believing

John 20:11, 25

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb...

So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."

...............

John 20 is about the resurrection of Jesus. But it's also about how we respond and arrive at our own belief in the resurrection. Two characters in particular are highlighted here: Mary Magdalene and Thomas.

Mary's reaction to recent events truly captures the emotional gravity of what has transpired. Facing the empty tomb and thinking that someone had stolen Jesus' body, Mary stood weeping, certainly holding her face with both hands, grieving deeply for this shocking loss.

We can imagine what Mary was feeling as she stood by the tomb. We forget that Jesus' death was such a shock. Just days before, he was welcomed to Jerusalem with shouts of Hosanna. The King, the Messiah had arrived! He taught in the temple courts. He shared a meal with his dearest friends. Despite Jesus' own hints and predictions, the disciples had no idea what was coming.

Processing this shock and grief, Mary stood by the tomb, and the tears came fast and she let them escape freely. He's gone, she thought. He's really gone.

But she looked in the tomb one last time. What did she see? She was met by an unexpected sight indeed. First two angels addressed her. And then she was met by Jesus, though she doesn't recognize him, her grief and despair blinding her. And what do they each in turn say to her? They ask why she is weeping. They comfort her. And then Jesus opens her eyes by calling her by name. She hears this familiar voice she knows so well, calling her personally by name, and she believes.

In contrast to this intimate picture, John 20 next highlights the doubting response of Thomas. Following the encounter with Mary, Jesus appears miraculously in a locked room and presents himself to all the disciples - all except Thomas. Later, when told about this, Thomas is incredulous. He says he will only believe it if he can see and touch Jesus for himself.

Thomas's response is not unlike the objections we hear in our present day and age. When you share the good news of Christ's miraculous resurrection with 21st century Americans, you may find that our post-enlightenment culture refuses to accept any truth-claim that cannot be verified empirically.

There is actually some validity to this cultural intuition. While the Bible describes an open system where divine intervention is real and accepted, there is also an observable order to the natural world where rules of cause and effect are our default expectation. The scientific method was actually built on Christian assumptions, that natural laws implied the existence of a Law-Giver. Generally, we should base our beliefs on observable and verifiable fact, and various Scripture passages support this (cf. Deut. 18:20-22, 1 Cor 15:12-19, 1 Pet 3:15, 1 John 1:1).

But what do we make of John 20:29? Jesus presented his wounds to Thomas. We see the incredible humility of a holy God, who has already left heaven and suffered a criminal's death on our behalf, but is here condescending to the objections of a doubting friend. Jesus complies, proves his divine nature, and rightly receives worship from Thomas in response - he believes and proclaims that Jesus is in fact God the Creator in the flesh. And then, as he often does, Jesus concludes the episode with a word of explanation, and this one is especially pointed to all of us reading about it centuries later.

Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (20:29)

Have you believed? Though you cannot hear or see Jesus today, will you be blessed by believing the good news of the resurrection? There are facts and clues upon which to base your faith today. Have you searched the scriptures, passed down faithfully and accurately through the years? Have you trusted the testimonies of dear friends, or listened to the hymns and stories of old? Do you hear the ring of truth in a God who becomes man and suffers in your place? Will you receive this blessing and find life in his name? (20:31). He is calling - how will you respond?

According to Plan

John 19:30

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

...............

Jesus died according to plan.

We know this from the first chapter of John, where the writer alludes to his rejection and where John the Baptist calls Jesus the lamb of God. We know this death was planned from Jesus' description of himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. We saw in John 17 how Jesus prayed about this plan which was set in place from all eternity. And we know it was planned from how so many scripture passages were fulfilled in such detailed ways. John 19 gives four explicit fulfillments:

1. So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be." This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, "They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." So the soldiers did these things. (19:24)

2. After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), "I thirst." (19:28)

3. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken."  (19:36)

4. And again another Scripture says, "They will look on him whom they have pierced." (19:37)

Why does it matter that Jesus' death would fulfill these detailed predictions? For one, it is evidence that gives credibility to Jesus' claim to be the Son of God and long-expected Messiah. Jesus had claimed to be older than Abraham. He claimed to speak for God. He claimed to have shared glory with the Father from eternity past. In short, he claimed to be God, and these fulfillments of Scripture are mentioned by John to further prove who Jesus really was. He even says so in verse 35:

He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe.

John knew that many would find these claims outrageous and that many would accuse the early Christians of believing a lie. So, these Scripture fulfillments matter because they make it hard to claim a coincidence has occurred. The fulfilled prediction of events makes it appear that it was all planned -- and therefore it has real meaning for us.

I think that these fulfillments matter for another reason: they reinforce the feeling that something historic has just been accomplished. When a Scripture is fulfilled hundreds of years after it was written, you know something climactic has occured. This death was the culmination of a much longer story -- the story of man's broken relationship with their Creator. This sense of culmination is underscored by the phrase "it is finished."

What exactly did this death finish? It's honestly not clear from the context. Was Jesus just stating the obvious, that his life is now ended?

No, this means far more than that. The early believers would flesh out the atoning work of Christ in fascinating detail in the other books of the New Testament. In Romans 8, we learn how Christ's death fulfills the law for us. In 2 Corinthians 5, we learn how his death was an exchange that makes us righteous before a holy God. In Hebrews, we learn even more aspects of this finished work and how it atones for us in ways that the priests and sacrifices of old could never do.

In fact, we will spend an eternity pondering the riches of this finished work. There will always be more to understand and appreciate as this work is applied to us personally by faith. Consider the finality of this forgiveness and remember that nothing you do can undo it. It is final and it is complete and it is effective. Live in that freedom and rejoice!

And when before the throne
I stand in him complete
"Jesus died my soul to save"
my lips shall still repeat.

Jesus paid it all!
All to him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
he washed it white as snow.

Slaughtered yet Loved

Psalms 44:20‭-‬23

If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
would not God discover this?
For he knows the secrets of the heart.
Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!

...............

On first glance, this Psalm appears to be a simple cry for help. The psalmist is clearly in the depths of despair, feeling abandoned by God. There is a familiar pattern we see in many of the laments. The structure of the poem breaks down like this:

A recounting of God's past faithfulness (v. 1-8)
An accusation of God's present rejection (v. 9-22)
A plea for God's future deliverance (v. 23-26)

Granted, no painful crisis is simple, and pleading for God's intervention is not all that simple either. We are reminded again of the importance of remembering God's real intervening actions in times past. We are reminded that great men and women of faith had times of real doubting and even voiced honest accusations in prayer to God. God can handle our honesty, and that is often the path of reflection that reconnects us to our merciful Savior in the midst of deep pain. He empathizes with our weakness and temptations because he too bore them in Christ.

But compared to other Psalms, this does not appear to break new ground or reveal anything new about who God is or what he has accomplished. That is, until you recognize how this Psalm is quoted by Paul in Romans 8. Let's focus there for a moment:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

"For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35‭-‬39)

This passage in Romans is one of the richest promises in all of Scripture. The assurance and permanence of the love of Christ is described with absolute certainty, no matter the circumstance. And here we find that the more we grasp the depths of Psalm 44, the more rich and relieving this promise becomes.

That must have been Paul's intention. His Jewish audience should have been familiar with this painful Psalm and the emotions it would invoke. And despite the sense of rejection the persecuted Roman Christians felt, God had not fallen asleep or forgotten his precious children. Nothing, absolutely nothing in all creation, could separate them from the love of God now fully revealed in the finished work of Christ.

Lord, help me to bring my crisis to you in honest prayer. I am weak and short-sighted. Help me to see and believe that you remain faithful even in this hard time. And I know this is true because you have offered your Son who has conquered death and now lives in me. All I have and all I will ever need is found in you:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31‭-‬32)