David Bahn – Reflections

Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus away. ¹⁷ Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). ¹⁸ There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. ¹⁹ And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth,the King of the Jews.” ²⁰ The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.

²¹ Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’”

²² Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.”

²³ When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.²⁴ So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dicefor it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.”So that is what they did.

²⁵ Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene.²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” ²⁷ And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.”And from then on this disciple took her into his home.

²⁸ Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. ³⁰ When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. – John 19:16-30

I’m a get-to-the-destination kind of guy, rather than an smell-the-roses-and-enjoy-the-journey fellow. I get things done. It’s a strength. It can also be a weakness. I can miss the beauty all around me, fail to enjoy the blessings of the journey, and pass by the joys of relationships as I pursue my goals.

There is a time, however, when you simply must finish the trip. You simply must get on with it and arrive. Jesus displayed the perfect balance of enjoying the journey of life and accomplishing his mission. After three years with his disciples he has now come to the end of his work on earth. He will go to the cross. He will be crucified. He will die. But as he dies – and even as he responds to others along the way to the cross, and to those around him as he dies (not enjoying the journey as it were, but certainly embracing the full significance of each moment) he proclaims: It is finished.

The Greek here is quite interesting. Τετέλεσται is a perfect indicative passive tense. It is completely accomplished. His work stands finished (as the German would express it). There has been some interesting debate about the use of this word to indicate: PAID IN FULL. The word would be stamped on bills to show that they were paid in full. Some even suggest that upon completion of a criminal’s prison term τετέλεσται would be stamped on his prison papers. See discussion below for further insights about this.

Jesus work is finished, and that his work has paid the penalty for our sins. We owed a debt we could not possibly pay. Jesus paid the price that only he could afford. And he announces – as he dies – that the debt is paid. His mission is accomplished. His work is done. He could entrust himself into the Father’s hands. He could rest from his labors.

This is no cry of defeat. It is the declaration of one who has already said, “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. ¹⁸ No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again (John 10:17-18).

Jesus’ work of redemption is completely complete. His work in our hearts and lives has just begun.

PS: Here is a post on a discussion board regarding the word, τετέλεσται.

[Prisoners’] crimes [were] listed on a note that was posted at the prison where they were kept, and it correlated the crimes to the amount of punishment they were to serve. Then, at the end of their sentence, the jail keeper would stamp the paper with “Τετέλεσται“, meaning “PAID IN FULL.”

Tετέλεσται was stamped on paid bills and debt certificates in the first century. Not all the time was the root τελέω in this same third-person perfect passive form, but from the earliest records, including works of Plato (e.g. Alcibiades), Aristophanes and Xenophon, this verb has been used to refer to the payment of debt or (usually) taxes. In papyri fragments dating from the first century (as well as other centuries) the same verb is used with reference to debt complaints, receipts of payment and tax documents (see “THE OXYRHYNCHUS PAPYRI”).

But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.

He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.

We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all. – Isaiah 53:5-6

A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. (Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.) And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it.

Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece. It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. – Mark 15:21-25

Some friends of ours were in a good place when we were in a difficult spot. I was studying in the seminary and Diane was working as a temp during our final year of school. We had no money. But good friends came through for us. They donated a monthly sum of money to us to help make ends meet. They did it anonymously, so I don’t really know who it was. But I do know they helped carry us through that difficult time.

Jesus did this in the ultimate manner when he took up our deficiency before God and took the beating we deserved. He stood in our place. He bore our sins.

The Bible is clear: “The soul who sins will die” (Ezekiel 18:20). “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). And not one of us is exempt: “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). So Jesus took our sins upon himself and died in our place. Yet he was spotless and pure, without sin. It was not his fault or guilt that caused him to suffer. Our sins killed Jesus.

In a rather ironic turn Jesus was not able to carry his own cross to Golgotha. The soldiers leading Jesus to the place of crucifixion pressed Simon from Cyrene into service. He was able to carry Jesus’ cross. But Jesus never gave up our sins for another to carry.

Jesus never blamed others for this stroke of justice from God. He never tried to justify himself. He had only our sins to take to the cross. Stripped of everything else, he did what he could. And when he was physically incapable of carrying his cross, and gave up the cross to be carried by Simon, he did not give up our sins as well.

Some will tell you of the horrific pain and suffering that is death by crucifixion. They will tell about how you end up suffocating in your own body fluids – no longer able to breath and gain physical equilibrium. This is true. Crucifixion is a horrifically cruel form of torture and execution.

But Jesus’ death was not merely a result of physical trauma. It was the wage of sin being paid in our behalf. In the end, however, Jesus cries – triumphantly: “It is finished!” He is saying that our debt has been paid. More about that tomorrow.

At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”

Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. – Matthew 27:45-50

I did a bad thing today. It was unloving and not compassionate. Diane shared a personal disappointment she had experienced and I – problem-solving-cut-to-the-chase-get-it-fixed-or-don’t-complain-about-it-guy that I am – told her what she should do about her disappointment. I didn’t want to get sucked in to her despair. I didn’t want to see her suffer needlessly – especially if she was able to do something about it. So I told her what she should do.

I decidedly did not reflect the character and love of Jesus. He had compassion on the multitudes who were hassled and harried, like sheep without a shepherd (cf. Matthew 9:36). He was moved with compassion – literally, his guts churned – when he was confronted with the man with leprosy (Mark 1:41). When he stood at the tomb of Lazarus, he wept (John 11:35). Jesus’ heart went out to the widow of Nain. He was moved with pitty at the plight of the 10 lepers.

Jesus took our suffering and pain to heart – all of it. He never turned back from one in need. He never steeled himself against the pain of others. Isaiah has it this way:

“He bore our sorrows and carried our griefs” (Isaiah 53:4).

I don’t think I’m alone in having a compassion governor. There’s just so much pain and suffering I can embrace. There are just too many starving children, hurricane, earthquake, tsunami, and wildfire victims for me to embrace all their pain. Why, I can’t even handle my wife’s disappointment!

Perhaps you’re better than I am. Maybe you keep embracing the world’s hurts. You listen patiently as your husband complains about his job. You nod kindly and say, “Go on,” as your friend pours our her heart to you. You are willing to embrace the hurt of others as they share their burdens. But I suspect there’s a limit with you as well. I imagine there comes a time when you just can’t embrace the pain of others. You can sing with Carly Simon and me, “I haven’t got time for the pain.”

Not Jesus. He carried our sorrows

and griefs. He held no part of his heart from others. He embraced the pain and sorrow, the disappointment and discouragement of the world.

I believe this is what killed Jesus. There is decidedly more to Jesus’ death than this, but let’s start here. Jesus’ compassion never shut down, and he embraced the heartache, the despondency, disillusionment, shame, and sorrow of the world. He took it all into his heart, and it killed him.

Jesus is our Savior from sin. We’ll talk about that tomorrow. But for now, cast your burdens on him. Allow him to hold your sorrows and griefs. He cares for you. He bore your heartaches because he loves you. It killed him, but it did not defeat him. He did not exhaust his compassion. Rest in him and has compassionate loving kindness.

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. – Colossians 3:17

“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. – John 14:13-14

“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. – John 15:16

These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. – John 20:31

“In that day you will not question Me about anything Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full. – John 16:23-24

I’m not certain where the one-word retort, “whatever” came from, but I don’t like it. It’s a throw-away. It’s giving up. It’s surrendering. It’s dismissal. When you say – in response to something you don’t like, “Whatever,” you are sacrificing relational capital. You are dismissing the person to whom you are speaking is irrational, unreasonable, or you are admitting that you have been found out. It’s a no-win retort.

When used properly, however, the word is delightful. It is embracing all of life. It is allowing the truth you hold to permeate every corner of your world. You are admitting that the issue you face has implications in a multitude of places.

When you add God to the equation then you really have something extraordinary! Some people think of God as a slice of the pie that is their life. They have family, work, recreation, friends, social engagements, and God. Some people might even reverse that order – putting God first. But even so this is not the proper place of God.

Whatever you do in word or in deed… is an invitation to allow God into every corner of your heart. Every situation of your life: Every business deal, job decision, interpersonal relationship, emotional concern, political maneuver, career move, vacation decision, or purchase consideration is to be done in the name of the Lord.

If we are to take these words seriously we must not relegate God to a slice of the “me pie” we divvy out here and there, now and then.

The Lord Jesus – if he is to be Lord, is Lord of all of life. And while this may sound discouraging (You mean I have to surrender my less-than-noble-fun to Jesus’ will? Yes you do.) There is a greater truth and comfort to calling Jesus “Lord.” For Jesus’ Lordship has been purchased at a great price. And he rules not with an iron fist or a short leach. He rules with truth, grace, mercy, love, and faithfulness.

To do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus means that we take seriously his redemption – the price he paid for us and for our salvation – and let the light of that act shine on our hearts and minds, and illumine our ways.

We’ll never do this perfectly. But we can follow Jesus with confidence that even the darkest reaches of our hearts – which may seem too ugly to show – are embraced by his love. He has redeemed, forgiven, and saved every part of our being. We now give ourselves fully to his lordship in the confidence of his goodness and love.

Whatever guilt or shame has been redeemed and forgiven. Whatever sin and corruption has been overshadowed with Jesus’ love. Whatever lack we may have has been filled with his goodness. Whatever is an open door to God’s grace.

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. – Colossians 3:17

“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. – John 14:13-14

“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. – John 15:16

These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. – John 20:31

“In that day you will not question Me about anything Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full. – John 16:23-24

You’re applying for a job. The owner of the company has promised you a position. When you go in to visit the HR department they seem rather cool toward you until you mention the name of the owner. His name changes the mood of the HR folks, the apparent trajectory of your interview, and your chances of getting a good position with the company.

You are talking with someone about sports. She seems to know quite a bit, but so do you. As you talk, she mentions that she had trained with Simone Biles. Your appreciation for her goes up. She has greater influence with you because of Simon’s name.

If we are to take the fullest advantage of God’s name we must use it properly. Try mispronouncing Simone’s name and you’ll quickly be found out. Mess up the boss’s name and you’ll be a short-timer for sure. Why would we think lightly of using God’s name carelessly, or even incorrectly!

God’s name is holy. And he has revealed it to the world. First through Moses: “I AM”. Then through Jesus: “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” We need not wonder about how to address him: Jesus teaches us to pray, “Our Father…” We need not be unclear about invoking Jesus’ name in our prayers: The promises above testify to that clearly. We can even rejoice in the Holy Spirit’s involvement in our prayers (cf. Romans 8:26).

While there are many names by which God is known throughout the Bible – Lord, Savior, Christ, Messiah, YAHWEH, God to name a few – Jesus’ name is most precious. We pray in Jesus’ name. We worship in Jesus’ name. When we gather for prayerful worship in his name, he has promised to be present.

Recently I was invited to pray at the CyFair ISD School Board meeting. I wondered for about 10 seconds about how I would invoke Jesus’ name in that prayer time. It wasn’t a question of if, but how. But I didn’t want to speak for people who were not believers. So I spoke my prayer for these people in Jesus’ name, saying, “I ask these things, dear Father, by the power of your Holy Spirit, and in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”

Never shall I presume to say “we” in a public setting. But never shall I neglect to take the name of Jesus on my lips, as I call on the Father in prayer by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Two corrections to today’s post: one funny. The other more serious.

Funny: my autocorrect made “anything” into Anthony! The more serious: I incorrectly said that forgiveness comes from the pastor rather than through the pastor (and any believer, for that matter who offers forgiveness to another).

Check it out at Life in His Name – Edited

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. – Colossians 3:17

“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. – John 14:13-14

“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. – John 15:16

These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. – John 20:31

“In that day you will not question Me about anything Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full. – John 16:23-24

One Christmas we had the not-so-great idea of giving our youngest son a scooter. It was a bad idea not because of the gift, but because of the manner in which we gave it.

With four young boys and a very limited budget our Christmas gifts were more of the nature of coats, sweaters, small toys, and Monopoly® games. A scooter was far out of our budget.

So we enlisted our parents – and maybe even our sisters – to help cover the cost. So when Stephen came down, we had the scooter set up before the Christmas tree and we told him, “This is from Grandma and Grandpa Dolan, and Grammy Bahn, and Aunt…, and us.” The result: instead of getting four gifts he got only one. There is a different message here about that gift. We gave the gift “in the name” of his grandparents and aunts. We gave it, but it was much more from them than from us.

This is the same as what happens when the pastor announces the forgiveness of sins, “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” He is giving a gift that comes from God. He is giving the gift. It comes through him. But he did not purchase it. It was given to him to give to others. He does so in the name of God.

When we speak in God’s name, it is vital that we realize that we speak in God’s name. It’s important to speak the name: Father. Son. Holy Spirit.

We believe God is one. Scripture testifies to his clearly: “Hear O Israel, the LORD, our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). But God has revealed himself as three persons in the one essence of the LORD. A mystery. But not so much of a mystery that we cannot name him. So we do.

To that end we dare not say anything God would not wish to say. We must not urge anyone toward anything God would not desire. We must not put ideas into people’s minds that God would wish not to be thought. If we do, we need not living our our identity as God’s children. We are not aligning ourselves with God’s purposes, will, plans, and purposes.

When someone is baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, God is at work. He is putting his name on us – like Andy put his name on the bottom of Buzz’ shoe in the Toy Story movie. We belong to God. We are his. Whatever we do we are to do it in the name of Jesus Christ. That’s life in his name, our calling and God’s blessing.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. – Genesis 1:1-5

Like many young people I struggled with the idea of creation when I was in college. I hadn’t really been exposed to a strong argument in favor of evolution, but I knew it was out there. Then in college the atmosphere was saturated with evolutionary belief and atheistic tenates. It was the air we all breathed. I read Urlichman’s Population Bomb and believed every part of it – including thoughtlessly – the idea that abortion was a legitimate form of birth control. Lord, have mercy! Thoughtless and foolish I was.

I have since recovered from those follies and having even taken a tour into some debaucherous behaviors, sought the forgiveness of God. I am so thankful for the forgiveness of sins, the grace of God, and the patience of God who is not slow concerning his promises, but is patient waiting for us to repent. I repent! Daily, and now once again over those youthful and foolish indiscretions.

I learned of the forgiveness of sins from my pastor at the Lutheran Chapel of Hope at Southeast Missouri State University in my hometown of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. My pastor, Robert Lange was a faithful and grace-filled servant of Jesus. He showed me Bible passages when I would inquire of certain Lutheran teachings. He made it clear that God’s forgiveness is precious and plenteous.

Pastor Lange also taught me something about creation. “It’s a matter of faith,” he said when I asked him about it. I wondered about the whole creation/evolution, six days/six epochs theories and ideas. I struggled with the idea that creation didn’t fit into the scientific framework in which we lived. Somehow those words gave me permission to let go, to live in a I-don’t-have-it-all-figured-out,-but-I-believe frame of mind and faith.

I believe God created the world and everything in it. Just as I would never assume that a watch “just happened,” so I reasoned that the world did not “just happen.” In seminary I learned other things about creation and scientific evidence for a young earth and the need on the part of the scientific theories for such long periods of time, and a very old universe in order that the happy accidents of evolution would have time to occur. Moon dust, the decay of magnetic poles to name a few were interesting.

But I don’t go there. I don’t try to prove the creation of the world in six natural days, six days of morning and evening, or six 24 hour days. I believe it. It is a matter of faith. And that faith is not only in the God of creation, but the God whose Spirit hovered over the face of the deep and now dwells in the hearts of believers. I believe in the God who spoke the world into existence, saying simply, “Let there be…” and there was. I believer that Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. I believe he is the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14-18).

I believe God made me. I believe he redeemed me and all people. I believe he has set me apart by faith in his Son: the gift and work of the Holy Spirit. It’s a matter of faith and  through faith by grace I have been saved. It is a matter of faith.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. – Genesis 1:1-5

Tohu wa-bohu (תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ) is one of the few Hebrew phrases I can easily call to mind. It means “formless and empty.” Prior to the creation of light the earth was formless and void. Gene Peterson in the Message version has, “a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness.” The rest of the chapter details – following the creation of light – the acts of God to give form to that which was a soup of nothingness, and fills that which was a bottomless emptiness. There is beautiful prose in these verses in the first book of the Bible.

Those words reflect the glory and beauty of God’s creation. Take a look at the sunrise. Consider a flock of Geese making their way south for the winter. Enjoy the grand splendor of the starry host in the middle of a cold winter night. Watch the unfolding of a butterfly’s wings emerging from its chrysalis. These simple and elegant displays of creation’s splendor – if we will consider them – inspire songs of praise and adoration of our God.

If we lose this sense of awe we walk dangerously close to the precipice of faithlessness and a formless and empty life. We may hide such emptiness with glitz and glamor. We may numb ourselves with gin and distract ourselves with virtual reality. But there is an emptiness in a life without awe before God. Our lives conform to any and every whim of the world. We careen from one pursuit to another enticement.

This truth – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth – provides a foundation for all that will come afterward. If this is not true there is no reason for us to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. He is nowhere to be found. And justice and mercy will be constantly redefined by the latest impulse of political correctness.

But there is this foundation. God has created the world. He has left a record of his work for us to consider, and spoken through prophets and apostles. But the One who spoke the world into existence has also spoken the final word of grace and truth. Whatever else comes of my acknowledgement that God has made me and all that exists will flow from through the truths that spring from this fount.