February 25/26, 2023
From the Pastor’s Desk: Alex Poon
Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,
Jesus surprises us, doesn’t he? He does meet our expectations. He intentionally does things that leaves us sometimes in confusion.
In John 11, the account of Lazarus, we see Martha wondering aloud to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21)
He remained in remained for two days longer in the place where he was in (John 11:6).
All to set up a scene where Lazarus would be raised up from the dead, and he would declare “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”, and declaring all this so he would ask the question of utmost importance, “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26)
We ask, where was he when he was most needed?
The Gospel of John 12 and Luke 19 together gives us another surprising story. Jesus sends two of his disciples to fetch for him a young donkey who has never been ridden (Luke 19:30).
And upon his arrival into Jerusalem, the crowds gather to welcome him in. “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” (John 12:13)
The crowds praise his name… but were they expecting another kind of king? Perhaps a mighty warrior who would ride into their city to wage war against their Roman oppressors. A mighty King who would rescue them from their immediate problems…
Instead… this king wouldn’t take the lives of his enemies, but rather, he would give his own life for the ransom of many.
He would lay down his own life to rescue us from the bigger problem – the problem of eternal damnation, to give to us eternal life.
Whatever may be going on in your life, however you feel these days, I pray that you would be revealed to the surprising king in a way that anchors your worship.
Our Lord does not fit into our boxed definitions of who he is. May we see a clear picture of his heart.
His plans may surprise us; we cannot contain his knowledge of what we need best. We cannot contain his purposes for us, nor his purposes for the world.
Worship still.
Worship in way that trusts him.
Worship in a way that adds to your faith.
Worship, with an anchored hope that Christ does knows all, that he sees all things going on, and he’s in control of it all. He remains Lord of it all.
Worship, declaring his praises because you know truthfully, that Christ has not abandoned anything.
Worship, even when you’re surprised, all because you can rest in the hope of our Coming King.
You’re invited to worship, even when it’s hard. And in our worship, we’ll be reminded of Christ who is very much alive, still, in the most surprising kind of way.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Alex Poon