Providence Presbyterian Church • 551-c Pitts School Rd., NW Concord, NC 28027704.788.8899 • ppcnet.net

Behold the GospelDo you ever feel frustrated by the brokenness of life? Do you ever wonder why it’s not just appliances and toys that break, but relationships and families too? Have you ever thought that there is something so utterly wrong with the world that causes this deep brokenness? And if so, have you longed for healing? Our culture has sought to speak to our condition by offering a smorgasbord of alternatives: fi nd a hobby, seek therapy, consult the medicine cabinet, read a self-help book, get a pet. Do whatever it takes to numb the pain and fi nd your perfect nirvana. Sadly, though, if you’ve tried these routes, you may have already discovered that while these methods promise peace, they don’t deliver. Even religion doesn’t provide ultimate relief from the brokenness. This is because most of the world’s religions create a list of things for us to do in order to reach the divine: the Five Pillars of Islam, the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddha, the Karma and Dharma of Hinduism.Unlike all of these religions, true Christianity (and the resulting community created by God’s Spirit) is for broken people. It’s for the downtrodden. It’s for those who recognize that they could never perform well enough to reach God. Christianity teaches that God reached down to us. Jesus Christ is for those who realize that there is absolutely nothing that we can do to earn God’s acceptance—except to trust in His payment for our failures, imperfections and disobedience. The religions of the world say, “do.” Jesus Christ says, “done.”In the midst of a broken world, the quest for healing begins and ends with Jesus Christ. If you feel in your heart that you would love to know God and to know that He loves you too, then speak to him—for he is not only infi nite, he is the truly personal God. You may have a growing hope that Christ is your redeemer. If so, many people have found that these or similar words express their heart:“Dear God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed, but, through Christ, I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared to hope. I thank you, Jesus, for paying my debt, bearing my punishment and offering forgiveness. I turn from my sins and receive you as Savior. Amen.”

B EHO LDthe Lamb

MARCH 25-APRIL 1 ,

2018

A DEVOTIONAL

FOR INDIVIDUALS, COUPLES,

OR FAMILIES DURING THE

WEEK OF JESUS’ PASSION

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said,“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

– J O H N 1 : 2 9

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Behold the LambBEHOLD. It’s a word used 1,107 times in Scripture. Each of the 1,107 times the author asks the reader to perform a simple task: stop and see what I’m seeing. Each “behold” is an invitation to open our eyes and look into the intricate beauty of divine Scripture.Examples of this optical-inducing imperative are numerous. Here are some familiar ones:Behold, it was very good... (Gen. 1:31).Behold, the word of the Lord came to him... (Gen. 15:4).Behold, my covenant is with you... (Gen. 17:4).Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands... (Ps. 49:16). Behold, I bring you good news of great joy... (Luke 2:10).Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone... (1 Pet. 2:6).Behold, I stand at the door and knock... (Rev. 3:20).What would the Lord Jesus have us behold this Passion Week of 2018? By way of explanation, Passion Week is the seven day period from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. It refers to Jesus’ final week on earth before he was betrayed, crucified, entombed, and then risen from the grave. In the pages that follow, you will be invited to enter into Jesus’ passion; to behold familiar stories with fresh eyes. As for this devotional, it was composed by a group of pastors and teachers for the edification of the churches wherein they serve (several congregations will be going thorough this together). We have written this with all ages in mind. It can be used on your own, at the dinner table with others, or at the bedside in the evening. Our prayer is that of John the Baptizer—that you will “behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”Grace & Peace,Doug Agnew: Grace Church (Harrisburg, NC)Bruce Brown: Prosperity Presbyterian Church (Charlotte, NC)Jake Patton: Downtown Presbyterian Church (Greenville, SC)Jim Stephenson: Horizon Church (Greenville, SC)Will Gipe: Prospect Presbyterian (Mooresville, NC)Jimmy Dodd: Pastor Serve (Overland Park, KS)Ben Ressler: Providence Presbyterian Church (Concord, NC)Mark Weathers: Providence Presbyterian Church (Concord, NC)

PALM SUNDAY, MARCH 25B Y J I M S T E P H E N S O N

BEHOLD, ON THIS DAY...Jesus of Nazareth rode into Jerusalem on the back of a young donkey. This momentous event, commonly known as “The Triumphal Entry” was reported by all four gospel writers. A large crowd of people, swept up in a wave of messianic-nationalistic zeal, waved palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” READ: John 12:12-19BEHOLD: Have you ever been confused about an assignment, even after your instructor gave clear directions? When the magic words “get started” were uttered, did you sit frozen, uncertain of what to do next? Or did you fake it by picking up your pen, opening your book, pretending to be immersed in the work? Teachers will often admit that despite their best attempts at clarity, a few students will always fail to understand the directions. And some days, the entire class stares back blankly, as if the directives had been issued in ancient Sumerian.Similarly, even as Jesus’ clearly displayed who He was, there was still confusion in the minds of the people, especially when he made no attempt to mount a military revolt. Riding into the city on a donkey, He was intentionally provoking them to hail him as King by re-enacting a regal scene from Israel’s past. When Solomon was installed as king, he had been presented on the donkey of his father David (1 Kings 1:38–39). And by precisely fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, Jesus deliberately evoked the crowd’s fervent praise and adulation. According to the Talmud Tractate Tamid, on Sunday, the 10th of Nissan, the Levitical choir sang Psalm 24: “...Lift up your heads, you gates! Lift them up, everlasting doors, so that the glorious King can enter! Who is He, this glorious King?...” It was more than coincidence, for truly, the glorious king was coming through the gates of the city.And it was much more than coincidence that of all days, this particular day, the tenth of Nissan, was “lamb selection day.” As Jewish families were selecting a lamb for the Passover meal (Exodus 12:3), the Heavenly Father was presenting His Son as the once-and-for-all Passover Lamb. While identifying Himself as the rightful King, within a few days, Jesus would perfectly fulfill the symbolism in the Passover meal as “...the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) Jesus is both the legal heir of David’s throne and the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. His disciples were quick to hail him as king, but slow to recognize Him as our Passover Lamb. In an ironic twist, the opposite seems true today. We’re thrilled to embrace Jesus as our perfect sacrifice, but often resist Him as our king. He is both (Revelation 5:13). Beholding the Lamb, how can we claim Him as our Pascal sacrifice, and yet not yield to Him as King? PRAY: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son, the precious Lamb of Glory to this sin-wrecked world. He was wounded for my transgressions and bruised for my iniquities. You made Him who knew no sin to become sin for me that I might become the righteousness of God in Him. Forgive me for being so obtuse, so insolent, so foolish, for owning Him as my atoning sacrifice, but resisting Him as the Sovereign over my life. Thank you that Satan and all the powers of Hell didn’t even realize that by killing Jesus they were actually sealing their own demise, for the Lamb whom they slew was stronger than death itself.

MONDAY, MARCH 26B Y J A K E PAT T O N

READ: Mark 11:12-25 and Isaiah 56:7-8BEHOLD: (18 years ago, and by complete accident, I picked up a new hobby….growing citrus trees. My first tree was a Ruby Red Grapefruit. It grew from a mindlessly discarded seed of a freshly eaten grapefruit in a pot on my back porch that was already housing another plant. Once it began to sprout, I had to see if this new little seedling could produce fruit of my own. But little did I know, some experts predict that citrus trees, grown from seed, could take 15 to 25 years to mature, flower and make fruit of its own. So if you want to be fruitful in the fruit business, you HAVE to be in it for the long-game.In this strangely organized and narrated text, a hungry Jesus and his disciples expectantly approaches a fig tree. And finding no fruit…not even the edible nodules that should be present during the off-season, Jesus outwardly disparages the tree for lying. After all, fruit trees are designed to impart life to things outside of itself…and this fig tree wasn’t doing its job. It didn’t offer bad fruit nor even a small amount of good fruit…it was entirely empty! This prelude will help us understand Jesus’ behavior in the Temple.Jesus then enters Jerusalem and expectantly approaches the Temple…God’s house…heaven on earth…only to find it fruitless, too. Where there should have been buds of praise, he found pigeons and religious blight. Instead of flowering prayers, doctored scales. Instead of international harmony, he found withered faith. Like the fig tree, the Temple had the trunk, branches and leaves of faith, but no fruit…no worship…no room for the Gentiles and outsiders. After Jesus takes the Temple folk to the proverbial “woodshed,” Mark’s narrative takes us back to the same fig tree in the opening…leaving Jerusalem, it catches Peter’s eye and surprise…its now withered…dead. What are readers to make of this story? Like the fig tree and the Temple worship, its not easy bearing fruit. Do we love our neighbors like we ought? Do our private lives mirror our public lives? Is our faith zealous, or have we turned it into a check-list of do’s and don’ts? Jesus tells the disciples and us there CAN be fruitfulness! Prayer (v.24) can move mountains! Like a good Father, if we ask and believe (v.23), he will grant generously! If God can forgive us, we too can turn hate upside down and forgive others (v.25)! Prayer can make any barren tree blossom! The plight of the fig tree is what one insightful writer identifies as Jesus’ only “miracle of destruction.” Every other miracle in Jesus’ ministry improves, benefits, or gives LIFE to the recipient in some way…but not so for this fig tree. Why? To point us to the Good News! Jesus grafts us into himself through his willingness to be cursed on a tree, the Cross…even though he was the Fruitful One (unlike the fig tree, Temple and us)! What then drives us to our knees in prayer and creates fruitful obedience was His willingness to wither under our judgement and suffer the decay of the tomb. He alone can cover and clothe our fruitlessness! Even death is powerless because we are rooted in him forever through the fruit Jesus! All praise be to Him! Amen.PRAY: Father, thank you for hearing our prayers and for giving us beyond what we could ask or imagine! Jesus, we praise you for being cursed so we could be blessed brothers and sisters. Spirit, by Your limitless power, would you move mountains! Give us clean hearts, renew us, cause us to blossom and bear good fruit…to obey from the heart, to love our neighbors, forgive our enemies, and to believe in this good and excellent Gospel!

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TUESDAY, MARCH 27B Y B R U C E B R O W N

BEHOLD, ON THIS DAY...The religious leaders wanted to know from where Jesus got his authority, but Jesus evaded their trick questions. Jesus taught in the temple courts, telling several parables and warning people against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. . READ: Mark 11:27-33BEHOLD: Jesus’ AuthorityIt is now the Tuesday before Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. Mark 11:27-28 tells us, “And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave this authority to do them?” The preachers and teachers of Jesus’ day asked Jesus a simple question: Who made you the boss? Jesus’ enemies wanted to know of Jesus, “Who gave you the right to receive praise from others? (Mark 11:9), Who gave you the power to heal? (Mark 10:52), Who gave you control to run off all the buyers and sellers in the temple?” (Mark 11:15). They were essentially asking, “Jesus, who made you the boss?” It was a simple question. But it was also the wrong question. When you’re the Son of God – performing miracles, righting wrongs, and bringing grace – you don’t have to answer the “who made you boss” question. Behold what happens next. Jesus turns the tables with a question of His own. He asked the church leaders, “Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” Jesus doesn’t just ask a question, he demands an answer. But behold, the religious leaders are stuck. If they respond, “from heaven,” Jesus would ask them: “Then why don’t you believe in the person John’s whole ministry was about (namely, Jesus)? If they reply, “from man,” they would be despised by the people, since everyone believed John had been God’s spokesman. Jesus’ question is a simple one, but the religious leaders are afraid to answer. They don’t want Jesus in charge of their lives. And so, they avoid grace by claiming ignorance, “We do not know…” they answer in verse 33. Who can forget John’s introduction of Jesus to the world, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29). Mark 11:27-28 shows us that people are often too busy trying to be in charge that they don’t “behold the Lamb.” How about you? The Tuesday before His death Jesus left us all with a question: “Will you believe in me and have me in charge of your life?” The preachers and teachers of Jesus’ day didn’t want to deal with that question. But Jesus pressed His Lordship just the same. Beholding the Lamb is beholding the King! PRAY: Gracious Father, help me to behold Jesus alone as my High King and help me to hold to Jesus alone as my High King. Through your Word teach me all that my King would have me say and do. If I have put Anything else first in my life, please show me what I’ve replaced you with, and help me change. Thank you for a truthful Savior. Thank you for a gracious Lord. Amen!

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28B Y M A R K W E AT H E R S

BEHOLD, ON THIS DAY...The gospel writers do not tell us explicitly what Jesus did on this day, but we can assume the religious leaders continued making plans to kill Jesus. As for Jesus, he most likely returned to the temple to teach about the Kingdom of God and answer questions. Can you picture him standing in the outer courts of the temple with people all around him listening to his voice?READ: John 12:27-33BEHOLD: Imagine you’re beholding one of the most beautiful sunsets you’ve ever seen. The sun has just slipped below the horizon, leaving the sky radiating with colors of brilliant reds and oranges. It’s so beautiful that you exclaim, “Wow! What a gorgeous view!” Now, how would you feel if someone said, “Do you know why the sky is red? Within the visible color spectrum, red light waves are the longest, which means they last longer than the short waves of blue or green. When the sun’s light reaches us, all the short waves can’t be seen anymore because they’re too far away. All we can see are the red ones”? What a way to ruin a beautiful moment, right?! In today’s story from John, Jesus was thinking about his coming death, and he prayed, “Father, glorify your name.” Immediately his Father spoke from heaven and said, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” Now behold how the people reacted.Some said, “It just thundered.” Isn’t that sad? Instead of listening to what God said, they wrote it off with a scientific explanation. They reasoned, “Oh, that wasn’t God’s voice. It was just ordinary thunder.” They ruined the moment.Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” This too is sad. These people, while not writing it off scientifically, heard the words of God, but then they didn’t accept them. Instead, they defamed them. They reasoned, “That wasn’t God’s voice; it was an angel’s voice. And the words were spoken to help Jesus; not to me.” They also ruined the moment.But Jesus spoke again and corrected their foolishness. He said, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine.” Jesus essentially said, “What you heard was the voice of my Father. It was not thunder, and it was not an angel. It wasn’t spoken for me; it was spoken for you. Listen to your Father from heaven.” Jesus went on to explain that the ruler of this world (Satan) would be driven out. And when he, Jesus, is lifted up from the earth on a cross, he would draw all people to himself. He is the Lamb of God who was sent to take away all the sin, wickedness, and unrighteousness from the world. Jesus didn’t ruin the moment. He beautified it!The words of the Father are still being spoken today: “I have glorified my Name, and I will glorify it again.” Today as you go about your business of work, school, study, or leisure, look for the glory of God in everything you behold. God’s fingerprints are everywhere! His name is being glorified.PRAY: Dear Father, forgive me for thinking all the beautiful things in life are simply the result of science. Or, forgive me for dismissing them as something meant for someone else and not for me. Thank you for your beauty in the things and people all around me. Thank you, too, for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, as the Lamb of God, who not only drove Satan out of this earth, but who also took away the sin of the world. Please invade my heart again in all your fullness. Help me to hear you speaking to me though your holy Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 29B Y W I L L G I P E

BEHOLD, ON THIS DAY...Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples that evening where he instituted the Last Supper, giving the Passover meal a whole new meaning. During the meal Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and prayed for his current and future disciples. Later that evening Jesus prayed at Gethsemane and was later arrested and put on trial.READ: Matthew 26:36-46BEHOLD: Jesus was a man of prayer. In the garden, He shows us two of the indispensable elements of true prayer. The first element is honesty. We long for a deeper relationship with God. Honesty in prayer is a cornerstone of that deep relationship. In verse 39, Jesus prayed “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me”. The cup represents the crucifixion (John 18:11). The plan of salvation required Jesus to drink the cup. As He faces the indescribable pain and suffering of the crucifixion, Jesus honestly expresses to the Father His desire for salvation to be accomplished another way. If, the night before the Crucifixion, Jesus is free to ask this of God, then we too can be totally honest with God. Only when we are honest with God can we move beyond a superficial relationship. We must be honest with God about our sin. We must be honest about our need for a Savior. We must be honest with God about our fears and failures. We must be honest about all the pride and control that hinders us from submitting to our Lord. We must be honest with God about our hopes and our desires. But our prayers are always to be controlled, as Jesus’s prayer in Gethsemane was, by the words “nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will”. That submission to the will of God is the second important element of prayer. Jesus honestly asks the Father if there is another way. There is no other way. So Jesus submits His to the will of the Father. Jesus left Gethsemane knowing that going to the cross would be the accomplishment of His Father’s will (Philippians 2:8). He was joyful in that submission (Hebrews 12:1-2). In our prayer life, let us tell God our heart’s desires. But our prayers must be controlled by submission to His will. Jesus’s submission to the Father’s will won salvation for His people. When we submit in the same way, we will have the depth of relationship and the joy of pleasing Him that we seek.PRAY: Father, for Christ’s submission to You and His love of His people that drove Him to the Cross, I give you thanks. Cause me to open my heart and my life to You honestly and openly. Cause me to trust your will and submit to it. Cause me to know that to trust and submit will be joy for me as it was for my Savior. It is in Christ’s name that I pray, Amen.

FRIDAY, MARCH 30B Y B E N R E S S L E R

BEHOLD, ON THIS DAY...Just before the sun had risen, Jesus stood trial before both Pontius Pilate and King Herod Antipas. After being sentenced, Jesus was made fun of, whipped, and clothed with a crown of thorns. Jesus walked the Via Dolorosa out of Jerusalem to Golgotha (the Hill of the Skull). At 9:00 am Jesus was nailed to the cross, and at 3:00 pm he died. To avoid breaking the Sabbath law, Jesus was placed in the tomb before sundown.READ: Luke 23:1-49BEHOLD: Behold, Jesus the King of all earth (Psalm 47:7), the King of glory (Ps 21), the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Rev 19:16) now standing in front of two men: Pilate and Herod. Jesus should have been wearing a golden crown with everyone bowing at his feet. Instead, though, he humbly stood before lesser kings to answer for his actions. Pontius Pilot was the royal prefect of the Roman providence of Judea. Pilot asked Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” With a humble admission, Jesus replied, “You have said so.” Soon thereafter Jesus was openly mocked for his answer by being forced to wear a crown made of sharp thorns, a purple robe, and he was given a reed to carry like a toy scepter. Those mocking, knelt before him and said, “Hail King of Jews!” while spitting in his face and striking him with the reed (it is crazy to think they were doing these things to the very God who had created not only them, but the whole earth!). Behold the blood trickling down Jesus’ cheeks from the thorns pressed deep into his brow.After being led to the place of his crucifixion and nailed to the cross, Pilate placed a sign above Jesus that read, “This is the King of Jews” for all to see. The crowd who came to behold the execution continued to mock and make fun of Jesus. Now behold this: one of the criminals who hung next to Jesus miraculously beheld Jesus for who he truly was – the Lamb of God sent to take away the sin of the world. This criminal, who had probably done some very wicked things, now felt sorry for his own sins and the evil deeds he had done. He made a simple plea to Jesus: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus looked at him and said, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” This criminal died as a man at peace.Who is this Jesus, who laid aside his kingly crown and royal position to become a spotless lamb, a lamb who would lovingly sacrifice his life for yours? This lamb is the King of kings and Lord or lords (Rev 17:14). He is worthy of our worship. Submit to his authority and rule in your life and be counted in the number of those whom are called and chosen and faithful.PRAY: Thank you, Father, for sending King Jesus as a lamb to be slaughtered for me. He stood in my place and paid for my sin. Because of his sacrifice I am a citizen of the kingdom of God. Teach me kingdom values, so that my heart can reflect the heart of my king.

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SATURDAY, MARCH 31B Y D O U G A G N E W

BEHOLD, ON THIS DAY...Jesus was in the tomb, and the disciples had locked themselves in the upper room for fear of the Jews. They were most likely reflecting on all that Jesus had done and taught, and they were trying to make sense of all that had happened. The disciples still hadn’t grasped that Jesus had come as a suffering lamb.On this day, let’s go back to the beginning. Let’s go back to the Jordan River where John the Baptist first gave us a hint about who Jesus was and why he had come.READ: John 1:14-34BEHOLD: John 1:29 says, “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Who was this brash, bold, Spirit-filled man, who dressed like a hunter, who preached like an angel, who made people tremble over their sin against a Holy God? Although we read about him in the New Testament, he is an Old Testament prophet. Jesus described him this way in Matthew 11:9-11, “What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, Behold I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you. Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” This man was the cousin of the Lord Jesus. He was the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy of the Elijah to come. He was the voice crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord. His preaching was powerfully convicting. People from all walks of life heard him preach and were driven to their knees in repentance. Priests, soldiers, businessmen, merchants, and even kings could not help but listen and tremble. He preached powerful messages. He baptized with a baptism of repentance, but the most important thing he ever did was to point his finger at Jesus and make the proclamation, “Behold, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.” Jesus is our Passover lamb. Jesus is our substitutionary atonement. Jesus is our propitiation. Jesus is Lord! Will you bow before Him, submit to Him & worship Him? In John 10:41 we have the legacy of John the Baptist - “John did no miracle, but everything John said about Jesus was true, and many believed on Him there.” It was by the Jordan River that he said it best: “Behold, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.”PRAY: Father, help me to behold this next week all that you want me to see. Show me new truths from your Word. Show me where I need to repent. Show me where I need to trust you more. Show me and enable me to live in joy of your forgiveness.

SUNDAY, APRIL 1BY JIMMY DODD

BEHOLD, ON THIS DAY...Jesus’ tomb was found empty! Later that morning Jesus appeared to the women visiting the tomb and then later to his disciples in the upper room. Towards the end of the day Jesus appeared to two travelers on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus.READ: I Peter 1:3-5BEHOLD: “I hope everything works out. I hope it’s not cancer. I hope their relationship is restored. I hope the kids won’t hold onto their anger forever.”Everyone is searching for a life characterized by hope. Where are you looking for hope? Are you seeking hope in people, wealth, beauty, power, sex, art, creativity, perfection or control? For some, our darkest fears and insecurities all too often define us. Peter wrote a letter to believers scattered throughout the Roman Empire addressing many of the same struggles we face today—marriage, work, internal struggles, suffering, how to live holy lives. It is significant that he begins his letter with a profound statement of Living Hope!So many people orient their lives around things that are in a constant state of change. And yet, the truth is that your looks will change, your finances can change, and your job can change. The key to hope is to orient your life around the eternal things of life that will not change. The Good News is that Easter is evidence that God cares for you. The Father’s Son, Jesus Christ, was crucified to give you life through the forgiveness of sin and was resurrected on Easter Sunday to seal your life. Behold, the resurrection is the apex of God’s love!Jesus didn’t rise from the dead to bring us to a place of passivity. He didn’t conquer death to maintain the status quo. The Lord Jesus rose to inaugurate a work of re-creation—a re-creation of new hearts, new marriages, new songs, new churches, new families, new neighborhoods and new cities. The very thing for which we hope is the very thing that Jesus promises. He is advancing His kingdom, and that means renewal, change—HOPE!! And that hope is secure. We are promised that this hope will never rot, decay or be stolen!For many people in our country, the month of April is synonymous with The Masters, the crown jewel of golf’s Grand Slam held annually in Augusta, Georgia. I was privileged to be present at the 2005 Masters. That year, the tournament was won by Tiger Woods, highlighted by his incredible slow-rolling chip shot on 16, which will forever be remembered as one of the greatest golf shots of all time. But I will forever remember the 2005 Masters as the time I finally grasped the lengths that Jesus went to in order that I might be free. On Thursday, April 7, 2005, I was sitting in the bleachers of the 16th hole, a 170-yard par 3 protected by a beautiful pond. As the afternoon grew long, we watched as 73-year-old Billy Casper slowly approached the tee. He hit his first shot—into the water. The crowd groaned; Casper was the only player that day to hit a shot into the water. But he was far, far from finished. Shoulders slumped, he retreated to the drop zone and proceeded to hit his third shot (first shot plus a penalty stroke), once again, into the pond. Casper’s fifth shot—water. The seventh shot—water. The ninth shot—water! I couldn’t believe I

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was personally watching this meltdown. On his eleventh shot (5 strokes plus 5 penalty strokes), he finally put the ball onto the green and three-putted for an embarrassing 14, the single-worst hole in Masters history! For the day, the 1970 Masters champion amassed a round of 106, 34 over par, the worst round in the history of the Masters by a whopping 11 shots. But look up Masters history and search for Casper’s dubious records and you will find… nothing. There is no documentation. No hint of anyone ever shooting over 100, let alone 106. How is this possible? The answer is quite simple. There is no official record of the worst round in Masters history because at the conclusion of the day, the 73-year-old was officially disqualified for failing to sign his scorecard. When Casper refused to sign his scorecard, it was as if the dreadful round of golf never happened. It was like he wasn’t even there. Wouldn’t it be great if life were like that? Having a really bad day at work? At the end of the day, just don’t sign your scorecard and it’s like it never transpired. A great day with the kids? Sign that scorecard; today was a keeper! Moderate a great leadership team meeting? Sign that one! A $200 speeding ticket on the way home? No problem! It’s as if it never happened!The resurrection reminds us that Jesus Christ, my Living Hope signs my scorecard with His blood every day! All my sins and all my self-righteousness were paid for by Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. His blood redeems my life each and every day! He does not hold my sins against me. Instead, He graciously grants me a fresh start and a living hope every day (2 Corinthians 5:17). He encourages me to not dwell on past sins (Isaiah 43:18) but to look forward to His fresh grace (Ezekiel 36:26). Any record of my sins is cast into the deepest sea as God chooses to remember them no more (Psalm 32:1; Jeremiah 31:34). I am daily reminded that God loves me, God cares for me, and God has promised that He will never leave me (Lamentations 3:22–23). The resurrection of Jesus gives us hope! PRAY: Thank you, Jesus, that the resurrection changes all of our stories, not just as individuals at my church, but with all of humanity throughout time. I marvel that today the message of God’s Amazing Grace is being spoken in churches around the world: house churches, prison camps, stone cathedrals, storefront church, slave quarters, thatched roof churches, underground churches, and at my church. I thank you that the resurrection is the point where religion ends and Christianity begins. Thank you Jesus for signing my scorecard of life each and every day with your blood. Enable me to live my life in the power of your redeeming love. Amen.

Providence Presbyterian Church • 551-c Pitts School Rd., NW Concord, NC 28027704.788.8899 • ppcnet.net

Behold the GospelDo you ever feel frustrated by the brokenness of life? Do you ever wonder why it’s not just appliances and toys that break, but relationships and families too? Have you ever thought that there is something so utterly wrong with the world that causes this deep brokenness? And if so, have you longed for healing? Our culture has sought to speak to our condition by offering a smorgasbord of alternatives: fi nd a hobby, seek therapy, consult the medicine cabinet, read a self-help book, get a pet. Do whatever it takes to numb the pain and fi nd your perfect nirvana. Sadly, though, if you’ve tried these routes, you may have already discovered that while these methods promise peace, they don’t deliver. Even religion doesn’t provide ultimate relief from the brokenness. This is because most of the world’s religions create a list of things for us to do in order to reach the divine: the Five Pillars of Islam, the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddha, the Karma and Dharma of Hinduism.Unlike all of these religions, true Christianity (and the resulting community created by God’s Spirit) is for broken people. It’s for the downtrodden. It’s for those who recognize that they could never perform well enough to reach God. Christianity teaches that God reached down to us. Jesus Christ is for those who realize that there is absolutely nothing that we can do to earn God’s acceptance—except to trust in His payment for our failures, imperfections and disobedience. The religions of the world say, “do.” Jesus Christ says, “done.”In the midst of a broken world, the quest for healing begins and ends with Jesus Christ. If you feel in your heart that you would love to know God and to know that He loves you too, then speak to him—for he is not only infi nite, he is the truly personal God. You may have a growing hope that Christ is your redeemer. If so, many people have found that these or similar words express their heart:“Dear God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed, but, through Christ, I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared to hope. I thank you, Jesus, for paying my debt, bearing my punishment and offering forgiveness. I turn from my sins and receive you as Savior. Amen.”

B EHO LDthe Lamb

MARCH 25-APRIL 1 ,

2018

A DEVOTIONAL

FOR INDIVIDUALS, COUPLES,

OR FAMILIES DURING THE

WEEK OF JESUS’ PASSION

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said,“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

– J O H N 1 : 2 9