echoes of redemption

The idea of God with man is revolutionary.

But I have trouble seeing it like that – because they words are so cliché. But in the Ancient Near East, divine structures were generally closed systems. Just like there is no way to crack into a first generation iPhone, there was no way to enter the divine – and vise-versa.

For Egypt and Mesopotamia, gods and men were not only separate, they were often at odds. (Even the gods were at odds with themselves.)

Often Ancient Near Eastern creation narratives involve the gods making a planet to support themselves.

Then the gods create men to cultivate the planet so they don’t have to. Man’s job is to support the gods.

But the gods were generally angry with men. So, the sacrifice of  human life would please the gods’ anger for men.

Then this group of Jews came along telling a story about their God.

He made the Earth as a place to support men.

He gave them food.

He would ultimately sacrifice his life for them. He would pour himself out for the good of men.

It’s subversive. It’s backwards. It is God for the good of man.

And that’s part of what makes the narrative of God

so

powerful.

The Messiah is coming.

Of course, he wouldn’t be the military leader everyone had made him to be in their heads. He would come of peace.

And he wouldn’t be the political leader they wanted him to be. In fact, he sat under one of the most unjust governments in the world’s history and told people to submit to it.

And he wouldn’t build an empire on this earth. Because he seemed obsessed with God’s Kingdom – a holistically redemptive, servant-oriented, way of living that would change everything.

So he spent his life engaged with people. Never missing an interruption. Always showing grace. Pouring himself out for all of man. You couldn’t pry him away from the poor. You couldn’t keep him from those who benefited from corrupt business. Or from befriending prostitutes. He brought hope to the darkness of life on this planet. Peace to a people who had been almost continually at war and under oppression. Life to anyone who would listen.

His name was Jesus. And he is the Messiah.

So during this season we join with centuries of people in anticipating him. Because we do it on this side of the cross, we get to celebrate his coming to the earth while we anticipate his return to complete the redemption of man.

To the models and mentors shaping me this year…

Mike Johnson –  For all you poured in to me for five years, and for challenging me to dig a little deeper and find what God put in me. For teaching me how to craft a narrative – because it’s an art that has changed the way I’m impacted by the story of God. And for your blessing as Emily and I set out for New York.

Jason – For being able to see the forest through the trees. For listening to me curse when things needed to be cursed about. And for modeling leadership, servanthood and humility through it all.

Eric Haney – For your selfless service to the country. For writing an incredible book that challenged me on so many levels, but mainly that taught me that we’re all capable of vastly more than we imagine. And for the phrase intestinal fortitude - because I need more of that.

Rob Bell – For being a man of peace. Because that’s what a follower of Jesus should look like – and your teachings challenge me to grow to be more like him. And for reminding me to walk, don’t run when it comes to starting a church because it’s going to be a fantastic journey

…thank you.