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shawntallen

Laid.

This morning I read the few words penned by each of the gospel writers as they shared what happened between Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.

One word kept rising up from each page: “laid” (Greek word: τίθημι ~ English word: tithēmi).

I read how Joseph and Nicodemus “laid” (tithēmi) Jesus’ body in the tomb.

It is sad to think of people like John the Baptist and Lazarus being laid (tithēmi) in a tomb. But it is astonishing and humbling to imagine the body of the Son of God being picked up passively and laid (tithēmi) in a tomb.

Those kinds of heart-thoughts must have been fluttering through the women who came with him from Galilee when they saw where and how his body had been laid (tithēmi).

It hadn’t been long since people had “laid” (tithēmi) the sick in the marketplace so they could touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. Maybe Nicodemus was one of the Pharisees watching when people wanted to lay (tithēmi) the paralyzed man in front of Jesus so he could heal him.

We are comfortable with Jesus actively doing the laying. Like when he laid (tithēmi) his hands on children to bless them. Or even when Jesus laid (tithēmi) down in the garden to pray about the fatal choice laying before him.

Maybe we’ve heard the Jesus story so many times we don’t even blink when Jesus says (clearly about himself) that a good shepherd lays (tithēmi) down his life for the sheep.

But reading through the almost 100 times the New Testament writers used “laid” (tithēmi), it was impossible to miss 6 writers using the word in the exact same way. And their words are a powerful word for us on Holy Saturday. I hope we lay up these words in our heart, just as the people laid (tithēmi) up Zechariah’s unmuted God-praises when his son John (the Baptist) was born!

What bursted out of the 6 men who God inspired to tell us the story of Jesus? The words of another shepherd, David:

The Lord says to my lord (Hebrew: Yahweh says to Adonai):
“Sit at my right hand until I make (tithēmi) your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell us that Jesus quoted that Psalm to tell the Pharisees and the people that He was Lord (Hebrew: Adonai / Greek: Kurios / English: Lord)!

Peter, in the first Christian sermon, quotes the same words from the same Psalm to claim that God had promised to make (tithēmi) all of His Son’s enemies a footstool – that God had made Jesus – the one they crucified – Lord!

Twice the author of Hebrews quotes that same passage, saying in chapter 10 that the Son is now sitting at the right of God waiting for his enemies to be made (tithēmi) that footstool.

It is Paul who helps us all get ready for Easter tomorrow by celebrating that Christ’s resurrection is a precursor for our resurrection – that Jesus is now reigning until God puts (tithēmi) all his enemies under his feet.

On this Holy Saturday, while my heart is gripped by the body of Jesus being laid in its tomb, I know we don’t have to echo the grieving women who asked: “Where have you laid (tithēmi) him? We know where he was laid.

I’m so glad John captured Jesus telling us the rest of the story before he lived it:

“I have authority to lay (tithēmi) it down and authority to take it up again . . .
Greater love has no one than this: to lay (tithēmi) down one’s life for one’s friends.”

If you’re wondering how you [as someone Jesus laid down his life for] should live, John has a final word for you on this Holy Saturday:

By this we know love, that he laid (tithēmi) down his life for us, 
and we ought to lay (tithēmi) down our lives for the brothers.

shawntallen

Good Friday for a future (this) generation

This morning’s Lectio365 (a devotional resource I highly recommend) slowed me down to hear Psalm 22 . . . and to hear Jesus – some call him the Singing Savior – whose mouth formed some of those ancient words during his physical and spiritual agony on the cross.

The devotional ended with the closing words of Psalm 22.
I had forgotten how Psalm 22 ended, and the words were so emotional for me.

Our children will also serve him.
Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.
His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born.    
They will hear about everything he has done. (Psalm 22:30-31)

I heard those words and longed for Jesus’ sacrifice to breathe his full power over my children.
Then my heart realized I am one of those people from a future generation who has heard the wonders.
I ended up feeling pulled toward the many who have been born in this generation whose ears need to hear about everything He did that on that Good Friday.

Let’s tell them together.

shawntallen

Missional Unity at the Playground.

The kid on the left was being driven by his grandfather to a school playground one morning. But on the way his grandfather took a different route to the playground and saw a playground they had never been to before – so they stopped there instead.

The kid on the right was being driven by his mom to that same school playground – but it was closed, so she found a playground on her phone they had never been to before.  

While it is true that the two kids were guided to this new playground by their grandfather or mother, God was actually guiding the grandfather and mother toward missional unity. How do I know that?  As the kids were becoming friends, the grandfather and the mom began chatting. The conversation started out about the kids, then journeyed into adoption, then foster care, then the mom’s openness to fostering, then to the grandfather sharing his personal experiences with adoption and his friend’s experiences with foster care, then to the grandfather’s work of helping congregations and non-profits partner together on mission, then to the mom sharing that her father was a pastor who might be open to partnering with other congregations, to exchanging contact information. 

Since then, the grandfather connected the mom with 4kids (the organization that can help her on her journey towards fostering), and he connected with the mom’s father, inviting him to an important meeting with Love Has No Limits (an organization who is mobilizing congregations and non-profits to partner together). Her father attended that meeting a few hours later. 

That’s Missional Unity at the Playground.

The hands in the picture would have never met without the hands of the grandfather and mom guiding them to the same playground.

But the grandfather and the mom would have never met without the hands of their Heavenly Father guiding them to the same playground at the same time. 

Now let’s see what God does… maybe a child will be fostered… maybe the mom’s father’s church will partner with other churches… maybe God will do things we can’t even imagine – all because God was on mission when He led two strangers to join His mission at a playground.