Something for Nothing: Lent Series – Week 6

For the last 6 weeks, we have been studying how God works miracles out of nothing. This week is Passion Week. We will finish our study as we remember what it meant for Jesus to take on our nothingness.

Reading for today: Matthew 28:1-10

Jesus felt the effects of our nothingness when his disciples deserted him. He experienced our nothingness when he stood silent before his accusers. He suffered from our nothingness, as he was condemned to die.

The culminating result of our nothingness occurred when Jesus cried out to the Father from the cross and heard… nothing. In that horrible moment, Jesus gave up his Spirit and died. He became nothing.

Yet three days later, as the Sunday morning sun broke through the darkness, look inside the tomb and you will see nothing.

But this sort of nothing is the good kind. It’s an empty slate. It’s our records wiped clean. It’s us having nothing to fear, because Jesus has risen. He has conquered sin and death and hell. And in place of our nothingness, he has filled us with himself.

In him, we have everything. Jesus made himself nothing so that he could give us everything.

Dear Jesus, You took on my nothingness; you created in me something new. Thank you for your never-ending mercy and love for me. Amen.

Happy Easter! Praise God for his Son, Jesus, who became nothing so that we could have everything.

Day 2 – Philippians 2:5-11; 2 Corinthians 8:9

Day 3 – Jeremiah 32:17, 27

Day 4 – Psalm 130

Day 5 – Romans 8:31-39

 

 

 

 

 

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Something for Nothing: Lent Series – Week 5

Reading for today: John 2:1-11

I used to teach adult ELL classes. One of my students (from India) told of a time his American professor had stopped by his home. My hospitable student offered his professor tea and coffee. His professor gladly accepted the offer, asking for coffee.

My student panicked because in his culture and in circumstances like this, people usually never accepted the offer for tea or coffee. Furthermore, he had no coffee!

As my student relayed the story to the rest of us, he laughed and said, “I had to send my wife out the back door to go buy some coffee.”

At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, Jesus is at a wedding where the beverage of choice – wine – has run out halfway through the festivities. “They have no wine,” Jesus’ mother says.

In Old Testament culture, wine was a symbol of joy, hope, and abundance. And like our own culture, running out of wine at a social event would have been devastating and offensive to guests.

Jesus uses this moment not only to save the face of his hosts, but also to perform his first sign. From simple water, poured into large, empty, purifying jars, Jesus creates over 120 gallons of the best wine.

Later, Jesus will refer to wine as “my blood of the covenant, which that is poured out for many the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26: 28). Jesus’ blood, like wine, has become for us joy, hope, and abundance.

Dear God, You worked a miracle with water and wine. And you worked a miracle with your blood and your Spirit in our lives. Thank you for loving us so deeply. Amen.

Easter is coming! In these last two weeks, let’s read more stories of how God uses our nothing to work something big, specifically through Jesus.

Day 2 – Luke 7:1-10 – Healing of the centurion’s servant

Day 3 – Luke 7:11-17 – Raising of the widow’s son

Day 4 – Matthew 9:18-26 – Raising of Jairus’ daughter and healing of a woman

Day 5 – Matthew 17:24-27 – Provision of tax, and John 21:1-14 – Catch of fish

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