Grace and Truth

Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ and from His fullness we have received grace upon grace (John 1:17b,16)

The more I become aware of the truth of who I am--my selfishness, pride, greed, hypocrisy, etc.  the more I embrace the grace that comes through Jesus.  In his grace he died my death--paid my penalty--suffered for my sins.  In his grace he gave me a gift that I did not deserve, that I did not earn, and that I can not repay.  The truth of who I am reminds me that I need grace upon grace upon grace--and the truth that came through Jesus assures me that the grace is eternal and efficient.

Today is good Friday and I believe Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross is more than a beautiful picture--it is more than a compelling story--it is more than an inspiring idea.  I believe Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross is an event that actually happened 2000 years ago--it is an event that proclaims the grace and truth of a holy God's relentless love for humanity.

Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ and from His fullness we have received grace upon grace.

The Story ()

The Story ()

Judas--Good or Bad?

I continue to be affected by the story of Judas as I read through the last days of Jesus' life. 

To summarize what we know of Judas--for years he follows Jesus.  One evening he witnesses a woman pour expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus (Mt26:6-13), and he goes to the chief priests to find out how much money he can make by turning Jesus in (Mt26:14-16).  Very soon thereafter Judas hands Jesus over to the authorities.  And not too long after that Judas is overcome with guilt--tries to give the money back--goes out and hangs himself (Mt27:3-10).  

I struggle with this question--was Judas a committed follower of Jesus who took his eyes off of Jesus for a period OR was Judas just following Jesus for his own personal gain, never truly committed to the cause of Christ? 

The majority of books and articles I read seem to think that Judas was a phony.  I suppose the story makes more sense with this view.  I suppose life is simpler in black and white--I like to be able to categorize people into either good or bad categories.  He must be a Christian because he said or did this, while she must not be a Christian because she said or did that.  While my life may be simpler by making such assumptions, my life may also lack depth and Christlike love by making such assumptions.

Currently I am leaning toward the idea that Judas was a committed follower of Jesus who screwed up, couldn't grasp the depth's of Christ's forgiveness, and drowned in his own guilt.  These days I would rather think the best of people, and I would hope people will return the favor.  

When the book of my life is written what will people assume of me? There will be stories of years of following Christ and there will be stories of selfishness and betrayal. . . . I hope people will see a flawed character trying to follow Christ, making mistakes, while struggling to understand and share His love and grace.