by Eron Henry | Mar 15, 2025 | Lent 2025
At the heart of Christian soteriology lies an inescapable truth: the redemption of humanity entails a cross. This is not merely a historical contingency but a theological necessity that reveals the very nature of divine love and the depth of human brokenness.
The cross stands as the ultimate expression of what redemption requires—a willing embrace of suffering love that absorbs the consequences of sin without perpetuating its cycle of violence and retribution. In Christ’s crucifixion, we witness not just an arbitrary divine decision but the logical culmination of God’s redemptive commitment to a fallen world.
Why must redemption entail a cross? First, because the depth of human alienation from God could not be addressed through superficial solutions. Our condition required more than moral guidance or inspirational teaching. The cross reveals that sin has created a chasm that could only be bridged through divine self-giving. As Bonhoeffer noted, “Only the suffering God can help.” The cross is where God in Christ enters fully into human suffering, identifying with our condition to transform it from within.
Second, the cross demonstrates that true redemption cannot come through coercive power. God could have imposed obedience through overwhelming force, but such “redemption” would contradict the divine commitment to human freedom. Instead, the cross reveals a love that invites rather than compels, that suffers rather than inflicts suffering. On Calvary, God overturns our notions of redemptive violence, showing that healing comes not through domination but through vulnerable, self-giving love.
Third, the cross exposes the full consequence of sin while simultaneously providing its remedy. In Christ’s crucifixion, we see both the horrific endpoint of human rebellion—that we would kill the author of life—and God’s refusal to let this rebellion have the final word. The cross becomes the place where judgment and mercy meet, where divine justice and love are perfectly expressed.
The necessity of the cross challenges sanitized versions of Christianity that would remove suffering from the redemptive equation. It reminds us that there are no shortcuts to healing, no easy paths to reconciliation. The way forward passes inevitably through Calvary.
This truth extends beyond Christ’s historical sacrifice to shape the ongoing pattern of redemptive living. As Paul writes, we are “always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies” (2 Corinthians 4:10). The cross becomes not just the means of our salvation but the template for our participation in God’s redemptive work.
In a world seeking painless solutions and quick fixes, the cross stands as a sobering reminder that genuine redemption—whether personal, relational, or societal—inevitably entails sacrifice, suffering, and death to self. Yet in this cruciform pattern, we discover not just the cost of redemption but its transformative power.
Prayer
Holy God, who ordained that our salvation should come through a cross, open our hearts to embrace this necessary truth.
In a world seeking easy answers and painless solutions, remind us that genuine redemption required Your Son’s sacrifice, that healing comes through wounds, that reconciliation demands a costly love.
We thank our Lord Christ for willingly bearing our cross, for entering the depths of human suffering, for absorbing the consequences of our sin without perpetuating its cycle of violence.
When we are tempted to seek power over vulnerability, draw our eyes back to Calvary, where You revealed that true strength comes through self-giving, and victory through apparent defeat.
Give us courage to carry in our bodies the death of Jesus, to embrace our own crosses not with resentment but with hope, knowing that Your redemptive pattern transforms even our deepest suffering into channels of Your grace.
In our relationships that need healing, in our communities divided by hatred, in our hearts still captive to sin, may we follow the cruciform path of Your redemptive love.
Teach us, Patient God, that there are no shortcuts to wholeness, no easy paths to reconciliation, no resurrection that bypasses Good Friday.
Yet in this necessary cross, may we discover not just the cost of our redemption but its transformative power— where suffering love becomes the seed of new creation.
Through Christ, our crucified and risen Lord.
Amen.
by Eron Henry | Mar 14, 2025 | Lent 2025
Christian discipleship requires a fundamental alignment: we cannot separate how we follow Jesus from what Jesus taught. The content of our faith and the methods we use to express it must work together.
Jesus consistently demonstrated this principle. When tempted in the wilderness to achieve good ends through questionable means, He refused. When His disciples wanted to call down fire on unreceptive people or use violence to protect Him, Jesus rebuked them. He understood that how we pursue our goals matters as much as the goals themselves.
The apostle Paul captured this idea when he wrote that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal” (2 Corinthians 10:4). He recognized that using worldly methods—coercion, manipulation, force—to advance spiritual purposes ultimately undermines those very purposes.
Throughout history, significant spiritual renewals have occurred when believers recovered not just Jesus’ teaching but His approach. Francis of Assisi transformed medieval Christianity through humble service. The Anabaptists formed communities embodying Jesus’ ethic of love rather than pursuing political power.
Today, Christians face particular temptation to divorce ends from means. We may adopt aggressive political tactics while pursuing “Christian” objectives, use manipulative evangelistic methods, or apply corporate marketing strategies to church growth. In each case, legitimate aims become compromised by un-Christlike methods.
The Jesus way embraces several distinctive qualities:
- Vulnerability rather than self-protection
- Inclusion of the marginalized rather than alignment with the powerful
- Truth-telling over expedient deception
- Persuasion through witness rather than coercion
- Self-giving love even when costly
This inseparability stems from Christianity’s incarnational nature. In Christ, the message and messenger became one. Authentic discipleship demands not just correct beliefs or admirable goals but methods that reflect Christ’s character.
If we truly want to live the Jesus life, we must do it the Jesus way. Any attempt to achieve Christian ends through un-Christlike means will inevitably distort those very ends, producing something that uses Christian language but lacks Christian essence.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, who embodied perfect unity between message and method, ends and means, forgive us for attempting to separate What You have joined together.
We confess our pragmatic compromises, our eagerness to achieve worthy goals through unworthy methods, our willingness to employ the world’s weapons while fighting for Your kingdom.
When we are tempted in the wilderness of expediency to turn stones to bread, to grasp at power, to choose spectacle over faithful presence, remind us of Your steadfast refusal to divorce Your mission from Your character.
Transform our understanding of discipleship, that we might recognize the inseparability of the Jesus life from the Jesus way. May we embrace Your methodology: vulnerability instead of self-protection, inclusion rather than alignment with the powerful, truth-telling over expedient deception, persuasion through witness rather than coercion, self-giving love even when the cost is great.
Purify our political engagement, our evangelistic efforts, our community formation, our business practices, our family relationships, our digital presence, that in every sphere, we might reflect not just what You taught but how You lived.
Keep us from the temptation of Peter’s sword, from the disciples’ call for consuming fire, from methods that betray the very gospel we proclaim. Help us recognize that when we adopt manipulation, dehumanization, or force, we undermine the kingdom we seek to advance.
May Your Church recover the power of incarnational witness, where medium and message achieve perfect integration, where our lives become living testaments to the inseparable truth that the Jesus life can only authentically exist when lived in the Jesus way.
Through Christ, our perfect example and enabler.
Amen.
by Eron Henry | Mar 13, 2025 | Lent 2025
At the heart of the Christian narrative lies a profound pattern—Jesus consistently paired predictions of His death with promises of His resurrection. This deliberate coupling reveals a theological truth that transforms our understanding of suffering, hope, and divine purpose.
Throughout the Gospels, we encounter Jesus speaking with remarkable clarity about His impending death. In Mark 8:31, “He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.” Similar pronouncements appear in Matthew 16:21, Luke 9:22, and various other passages. What stands out in each instance is Christ’s unwavering commitment to linking these two realities—death would come, but resurrection would follow.
This pairing wasn’t merely informational but theological. Jesus was establishing a pattern that would become the central rhythm of Christian faith—death is never the final word. By consistently joining these predictions, Christ wove together suffering and hope into a single divine purpose. The cross, though necessary, was never the conclusion of God’s redemptive story.
For early disciples hearing these predictions, the message was bewildering. They could grasp the concept of death but struggled to comprehend resurrection. Peter’s rebuke of Jesus after His first prediction (Mark 8:32) reflects this limited understanding. Yet Jesus insisted on holding these realities together, refusing to separate what God had joined—divine suffering and divine victory.
This pattern extends beyond Christ’s personal journey to become the fundamental shape of Christian discipleship. As Paul would later write, we are “always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies” (2 Corinthians 4:10). The Christian life embraces both crucifixion and resurrection, suffering and renewal, ending and beginning.
In a culture that often seeks to avoid suffering or finds itself trapped in hopelessness, Jesus’ consistent pairing offers timely wisdom. We need not deny death’s reality, but neither should we view it as ultimate. Every ending in Christ contains within it the promise of new beginning. Every Good Friday anticipates Resurrection Sunday.
The inseparability of these truths reminds us that Christian hope is not naive optimism but conviction rooted in the character and promises of God. As we face our own deaths—whether literal or the countless “little deaths” of disappointment, failure, and loss—we can do so with the assurance that resurrection follows for those united with Christ.
In Jesus’ predictions, we discover not just information about historical events but an invitation into a new way of understanding reality itself—where endings become beginnings, and death becomes the doorway to more abundant life.
Prayer
Living God, whose Son joined death and resurrection in perfect harmony,
Open our hearts to embrace Your divine pattern.
When we stand at crossroads of suffering,
Remind us that the cross never stands without the empty tomb.
When we dwell too long in Good Friday shadows,
Whisper the promise of Resurrection morning
Lord Jesus, who spoke plainly of Your death
Yet always pointed toward Your rising,
Teach us to hold these truths together
In our own journeys of faith.
In our moments of ending and loss,
Plant within us seeds of new beginning.
In our experiences of grief and pain,
Nurture the tender shoots of hope.
Grant us courage to face our own dying—
The surrender of cherished plans,
The releasing of controlling grip,
The crossing of thresholds into unknown lands
And in these passages, help us trust
That resurrection always follows for those united with You.
That Your promises of new life remain unbroken,
That Your pattern of renewal cannot be thwarted.
Transform our understanding, Risen One,
That we might see in every ending
The sacred potential for beginning,
In every death the promise of resurrection.
May we walk in this faith with steadfast hearts,
Neither denying suffering nor surrendering to despair,
But trusting in Your unfailing rhythm of redemption,
Where death gives way to life abundant.
Through Christ, who died and rose again,
Amen.
by Eron Henry | Mar 12, 2025 | Lent 2025
At the heart of Christianity lies a profound paradox—salvation through suffering. The cross of Christ stands not merely as a historical event but as the central paradigm for authentic Christian living. What makes this paradigm so challenging is that there are no emergency escape clauses from the way of the cross.
When Jesus declared, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23), he was not offering a suggestion but establishing the fundamental pattern of discipleship. This path demands complete surrender, even when that surrender leads through suffering, rejection, and loss.
Our modern sensibilities often rebel against this notion. We seek comfort, convenience, and immediate resolutions to our struggles. The marketplace of contemporary spirituality offers countless alternatives that promise transformation without sacrifice, enlightenment without suffering. These are the emergency escape clauses we desperately wish existed—spiritual bypasses around the uncomfortable terrain of self-denial.
Yet the testimony of Scripture and the witness of saints throughout history affirm that there is no authentic Christianity that circumvents the cross. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer so powerfully articulated, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” This death—to self, to worldly security, to the illusion of control—is not optional for those who would follow Christ.
The way of the cross demands that we embrace, rather than evade, the suffering inherent in love. It calls us to stand in solidarity with the wounded and marginalized, to speak truth when silence would be safer, to forgive when resentment seems justified. In a world that worships efficiency and effectiveness, the cross represents a different economy—one where apparent defeat becomes the seedbed of ultimate victory.
There are no emergency escape clauses from this way because it is, paradoxically, the only true path to freedom. In embracing the cross, we discover what it means to be fully human as Christ was fully human—vulnerable, courageous, and ultimately transformed through love’s sacrificial power.
Prayer
Beloved Lord, who walked the path of suffering before us,
Give us courage to embrace the way of the cross.
When we seek escape routes from difficult truths,
Remind us that it is in surrender that we find Your strength.
When the weight of self-denial feels too heavy,
Grant us the grace to take one more faithful step.
In a world that promises comfort without cost,
Open our hearts to the paradox of Your kingdom—
That in losing our lives, we find them;
That in dying to self, we are born to eternal purpose.
Lord Christ, who surrendered everything for love,
Help us to stand in solidarity with the wounded,
To speak truth when silence would be safer,
To forgive when resentment seems justified.
Transform our fear of suffering into trust,
Our desire for control into holy surrender,
Our search for escape clauses into faithful presence.
May we discover, in the shadow of Your cross
The freedom that comes only through love’s sacrifice,
The joy that emerges from willing surrender,
The life that springs forth from apparent defeat.
We pray this in the name of the One who embraced the cross,
Not as defeat but as the very pathway to resurrection.
Amen.
by Eron Henry | Mar 11, 2025 | Lent 2025
During Jesus’ time, people had diverse expectations of the Messiah. Some anticipated a political leader who would overthrow Roman rule, while others awaited a prophet like Moses or a royal descendant of David. Even those in positions of religious authority struggled to understand who Jesus was.
Jesus performed miracles and taught with authority, yet He often instructed people not to disclose His identity to avoid being misunderstood as a political leader. Even His family thought He was out of His mind, and many could not reconcile the idea of a suffering Messiah with their expectations of a powerful leader.
Jesus’ own followers sometimes struggled with His teachings. The disciples did not always understand the parables He told, and there was confusion and uncertainty even among those who followed Him closely. Some Jewish leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy and sought to execute Him, viewing His teachings as a threat to their authority and traditions. Public debate raged about whether Jesus was a prophet, and His claim to be the Messiah challenged the established religious order.
Jesus faced rejection in His own hometown, where some people even wanted to throw Him off a cliff. The public nature of His crucifixion served as a warning against challenging Roman authority. Many saw Jesus as a false prophet, and the perception of him during His life was far from unanimous.
We are reminded of the importance of recognizing Jesus for who He truly is. Are we open to understanding His mission of love, sacrifice, and redemption, even when it challenges our preconceived notions?
Let us pray for the grace to see Jesus with clear eyes and open hearts, embracing the true nature of His mission and the profound love He offers to each of us.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, whose wisdom surpasses our understanding, we come before You with hearts seeking clarity and eyes yearning to truly see.
We reflect on Your time on earth when expectations and preconceptions clouded the vision of so many. They looked for a king, a warrior, a political savior, and struggled to recognize the humble servant, the suffering Messiah, the embodiment of love.
We acknowledge our own tendencies to shape You in our image, to fit You into our preconceived notions of power and glory. Forgive us when we cling to our own understanding, when we resist the truth that challenges our comfort and disrupts our expectations.
Just as the disciples struggled to grasp the depth of Your parables and the purpose of Your sacrifice, we too find ourselves lost in confusion and doubt. Grant us, O Lord, the grace to see beyond the surface, to penetrate the veil of our own biases and fears.
Open our hearts to receive the message of Your love, a love that transcends earthly power and embraces the broken and the lost. Help us to understand that true strength lies in humility, and that true victory is found in sacrifice.
We pray for the courage to follow You, even when it means facing rejection and misunderstanding. Grant us the discernment to distinguish between the fleeting promises of the world and the eternal truth of Your kingdom.
May we not repeat the mistakes of those who saw You as a threat, but rather embrace You as the ultimate expression of love and redemption. Let us recognize You not as a political figure, but as the Savior who offers us forgiveness, healing, and eternal life.
Lord, help us to see You with clear eyes and open hearts, to understand Your mission of love, sacrifice, and redemption. May we embrace the true nature of Your mission and the profound love You offer to each of us.
It is in Your name, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, we pray.
Amen.
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