David Bahn – Reflections

Light from the Word and through the lens

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In 1968 Jerry Snell opened a door in the hallway outside our first hour chemistry class. He invited me into what I discovered was a darkroom. Soon I was on the school newspaper and annual staff as a photographer. Later I learned that Jerry was a Lutheran who was planning to become a pastor. A few years later I was not only a Lutheran, but I was heading off to seminary to become a Lutheran pastor, too. Jerry followed a year later and served as a pastor in Missouri until his untimely heart attack and death. I thank God for Jerry and enjoy photography still today – not to mention rejoicing in having served as a Lutheran pastor in congregations in Utah, Colorado, Arkansas and Texas. I’ve retired now and serve part time as a Congregational Support Specialist for the Texas District of the LCMS. I also provide coaching and leadership training through various PLI cohorts and with individual congregations and organizations. David Bahn is a follower of Jesus Christ, husband to Diane, father and grandfather. He is an avid amateur photographer. His photo website is “Flowers by God Photos by David” He also publishes a devotional blog DavidBahn-Reflections.com. He and Diane live in Cypress Texas and enjoy visiting their grandchildren who live in the United States and Germany. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in 1979, and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1991. Diane, his wife, is now retired from PLI (PLIleadership.org). They have offered presentations on Marriage and Ministry Partnership, Leadership, Changing Your Congregation’s Culture, and Missional Living. They look are working with PLI International training pastors and wives of the ELVD Diocese of the Lutheran Church of Tanzania. David’s personal mission statement is “Leading people to realize Jesus’ calling and plans for their lives.”

Why Jesus Came

Jesus came to this earth to seek and save those who were lost. It was necessary for him to suffer, die, be buried, and raised from the dead. These are all clearly attested to in the Gospel accounts. He had to do this to show fully the rule and reign of God in his life, his complete faith in his Heavenly Father. He also had to do this because of his full and complete love for us.

Jesus begins his public ministry – immediately after his baptism and temptation in the wilderness – with this call:

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” – Mark 1:14-15 [ESV]

John’s arrest and imprisonment does not negate the rule and reign of God. This is key to enduring disappointment, the apparent triumph of evil over good, and every set-back against the good and gracious will of God. Jesus saw John’s imprisonment as part of a grander story of God’s redemption, his reward for righteousness, and the victory of faith (cf. 1 John 5:4). Jesus knew that God would ultimately triumph over every evil – even that which was being visited upon his friend and fore-runner, John the Baptist.

Jesus’ announcement of God’s rule and reign at this particular moment is also testimony to Jesus’ embodiment of that rule and reign in Jesus’ own life. He was perfectly obedient to God the Father. He was completely submissive to God’s will in all things. He never wavered – even when he called out on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (cf. Psalm 22 and Matthew 27).

In those times of anxiety, worry, and uncertainty, the rule and reign of God is especially comforting. When I hold to the belief that God rules over all, and that his rule is gracious and good, I am most fully at peace. This is not a matter of saying uncle as though God has my arm up behind my back. It is a matter of recognizing that God’s goodness, love, and kindness will ultimately prevail. Satan will not have his way. The thief will not steal our joy, kill our souls and destroy our hopes.

That’s why Jesus came: to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

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Guatemala Produce Delivery Truck | August 2018

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge. – Psalm 57:1

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven on account of his name. – 1 John 2:12

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One response to “Why Jesus Came”

  1. Quilting Crosses with Threads of Hope Avatar
    Quilting Crosses with Threads of Hope

    I felt both comforted and excited by some things about this post. Please forgive its length. 🙂

    Thanks for these straight-to-the-point words of comfort. “…God’s goodness, love, and kindness will ultimately prevail. Satan will not have his way. The thief will not steal our joy, kill our souls and destroy our hopes.” I hear this clearly: God WILL … Satan will NOT! -a comfort to cling to for sure 🙂

    Next – a comment on the words, “rule and reign.” Sometime back; maybe a year or so ago you shared how this phrase can be substituted for and perhaps offer a better understanding for the word, “Kingdom,” such as in God’s kingdom, the kingdom of God, kingdom come and phrases like this. I realized after a bit, just how good an exercise this substitution was in exposing truth and for me a better understanding of scriptures about God’s Kingdom, since how often do we really think about what a kingdom is or does in a definitive way? It’s been a really valuable tool. The funny thing now is that when I see “rule and reign” I now try inserting “kingdom” and when I see “kingdom” I tend to insert “rule and reign.” This may seem like a little thing, but I’m thinking that whatever opens God’s Word up to new understanding is a wonderful thing, and this has! This is a longtime overdue, THANKS!

    Last, is a comment on this: “Jesus knew that God would ultimately triumph over every evil – even that which was being visited upon his friend and fore-runner, John the Baptist.” I word you used here in this statement which suddenly caused your words to take on a new meaning is, “visited.”

    My eye was caught by it (this time – I’ve seen it many and not given it this thought) and so my mind drifted straight to the derivatives and definitions thereof; visit, visitors, visited and such. Since, I know very well what visit, visitor, visited mean it really seems like this is wasted time, but what I SUDDENLY had a new grasp on was the definition and the clarity of purpose with which you must have chosen the word … Here is what struck me … A “visit” isn’t a move-in; no permanent residence is taken, Visitors don’t stay forever, and to be “visited” means they came for a time and then left! Evil is a visitor, NOT a permanent resident! It’s “rule and reign” is finite; measurable by God who measures all things. It is here, but only for a time. And it WILL come to pass! God will have it ALL his way. Jesus has won the victory. I was glad to re-visit 🙂 this precious thought of evil being temporary!

    God Bless!

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