CrossLife Church

Why was Jesus Crucified?

One of the most famous arguments for believing in Jesus was first explained by C.S. Lewis. In Mere Christianity, Lewis argues that no one can look at the things Jesus said and did and simply call Him a "good teacher." Jesus was either a lunatic, claiming to be God and living out His fantasy, or He was a liar who deceived the masses to believe and follow Him. But, if Jesus was not a liar nor a lunatic, then He must have really been the Lord, and therefore, worthy of our worship and surrender.

The trilemma argument has helped many people in their quest to know and understand Jesus. Unfortunately, in recent decades, a fourth option has emerged as another possibility: Jesus as legend.

In an attempt to counter the trilemma, Bart Ehrman says, “Jesus probably never called himself God…. This means that he doesn’t have to be either a liar, lunatic or the Lord. He could be a first-century Palestinian Jew who had a message to proclaim other than his own divinity” (Pitre, The Case for Jesus, 6).

At the center of Bart Ehrman’s argument is a contempt for the authority and reliability of the 4 Gospel eyewitness accounts. Ehrman, along with many other critical scholars today, believes that the Jesus of the Bible is a "Jesus of myth and legend." They believe that stories were passed down from generation to generation, which slowly added to the historical Jesus, a layer of exaggerated and embellished stories that were finally documented and published as we have them in the Bible today.

This raises many questions and issues that we will not tackle at this moment. Yet, one question worth considering as we approach Easter and the Passion week of Christ.

If Jesus was merely a legend, why was he brutally executed on a Roman cross?

Prophet, Priest, and King

Most people are struggling trying to determine what they believe to be right or wrong. Where do you look for answers to questions about what is right and wrong?

Many people are searching for purpose and meaning in their lives. Where do you go for counsel and direction in your life?

Most people find it difficult to place themselves under the authority of others or make wise decisions. Who are you willing to listen to as a wise authority in your life?

The three questions above address three specific needs people have: a need for TRUTH, a need for MEANING, and a need for WISDOM. History has proven that humanity struggles with accepting the truth. We struggle with finding contentment and fulfillment. We also struggle with making wise choices as we govern our lives, families, and whatever else we are responsible for.

Man’s search for truth, meaning, and wisdom can be traced all the way back to Adam and Eve’s first attempt to find them outside of God. Ever since the Fall, man has continued to pursue every possible avenue to find fulfillment apart from God.

“He who does not believe in God will believe in anything (attributed to G.K. Chesterton).

In Deuteronomy 17-18, God establishes three positions of leadership, to address those three specific human needs. God gives Israel a King to wisely rule over them, the Prophet to reveal God’s Truth to His people, and the Priest to restore them relationally to God.

Unfortunately, none of the prophets, priests, or kings were ever able to fully restore man’s broken relationship with God or his fellow man. Earthly prophets, priests, and kings would never be enough to fix our broken world.

This Sunday, we will look at God's instructions for His people regarding Priests and Prophets. Most importantly, God promised that one day He would send a special Prophet and the words he would speak would be the most important they would ever hear.

WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT OF OUR LEADERS?

There have always been leaders. Ancient Israel was led by prophets, priests, and kings. Other cultures were led by witchdoctors and tribal chiefs; the Romans looked to the Emperor and Senate. Since the Enlightenment, the West has transitioned from following kings, governors, and priests to politicians and intellectuals. So, who are the leaders, and who defines the ideas they use to lead us?

The greatest shift over the last 200 years is the steady transition from viewing the world with concepts of truth and justice defined by God to a world with concepts of truth and justice defined by secular academics and elites. The news briefs and statements of the political, academic, and thought leaders of today are riddled with references to experts, studies, and science.

“The belief seems to be spreading that intellectuals are no wiser as mentors, or worthier as exemplars, than the witch doctors or priests of old. I share that skepticism. A dozen people picked at random on the street are at least as likely to offer sensible views on moral and political matters as a cross-section of the intelligentsia” (Paul Johnson, Intellectuals, 342).

So what do intellectuals have in common with leaders? Paul Johnson explains the ideas of the secular intellectuals like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Karl Marx, and Charles Darwin have been the inspiration and guiding principles behind the totalitarian regimes of Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Hitler, Castro, Mussolini, and Pol Pot. Atheism, Marxism, and Communism have resulted in the slaughter of millions of people with counts ranging from 100 million to 149 million.

So how should we evaluate the leaders among us? It is simply foolish to not examine the lives and ideology of those who we listen to--or elect--to lead us. The founding fathers of the United States leaned heavily upon the Bible to help shape and inform the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights that outline our system of government. The ideas found in the Bible that address God’s expectations on those responsible for leading the nation are not binding for our nation, but they are critically important for any society desiring the best for their people.

Deuteronomy 17-18 provides God’s standard for those who would lead His people. In these verses, God gives instructions for how future kings, prophets, and priests should live and lead. There is an enduring truth that the higher the position, the greater the responsibility. Leadership is stewardship and every steward will one day give an account.

SHOULD JUSTICE BE BLIND?

The topic of justice is front and center today. Almost daily, we are confronted with issues relating to the Social Justice Movement, Wokeness, Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality, and the cry, "no justice, no peace." How should thoughtful Christians respond to these issues?

The statue of Lady Justice—with a scale in one hand, a sword in the other hand, and a blindfold covering her eyes—has been a symbol of Western ideals all the way back to the Greeks and Romans. Lady Justice is presented with a scale to accurately weigh the truth and a sword illustrating her authority to execute her rulings.

The importance of the blindfold was to shield those seeking justice, or accused of injustice, from a judgment corrupted by bias or partiality. Lady Justice has served as an effective symbol for the foundational ideals behind "one nation, ...with liberty and justice for all," since our nation’s founding.

Today, it seems that the concept of blind justice is itself an injustice. There is a growing trend of dueling standards in society in which two primary classes are regularly identified; one is known as the privileged class and the other is the marginalized class.

The actions, morals, and responsibilities of each class are defined not by a blind, unbiased, and impartial standard of justice but by an awakened and informed justice, that weighs circumstances and situations over personal responsibility.

The newly awakened lady justice insists that equity can only be achieved by removing the blindfold and tipping the scales. However, a lady justice who is no longer blind and weighs her judgments with tipped scales will unquestionably be unjust.

How should Christians view and respond to issues of justice and injustice? As we see in Deuteronomy 16:18-22, God is not silent on the topic of justice.

“Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” - Deut. 16:20

This Sunday, we will look at the origin, meaning, and implications of justice or believers and for a nation. To be clear, you cannot separate the Biblical concept of justice from the American founder's understanding of justice. It was the Biblical concept of justice, righteousness, and compassion that informed the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

The Theology of Celebration

How important is "celebrating" in your life? If you are an optimistic person you may be celebrating the idea of celebration. If you are a pessimist you may be thinking, “what is there to celebrate?” There is actually a science behind celebration that has revealed a number of benefits.

Celebrations are good for you. When people celebrate they experience a reduction in stress. This can result in increased cognitive function and better overall health. Celebrating is known to trigger and increase one’s levels of dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin. When we celebrate with others it builds community, unity, and relational bonds. Celebrations can reinforce the values of a family or group. They can also provide an opportunity to honor those who we have reason to recognize or just want to appreciate and encourage.

Most importantly, celebrations are actually Biblical. Before anyone considered the scientific benefits of celebrating, God commanded His people to mark their calendars with a number of annual celebrations. These celebrations remembered God's past work in delivering them from slavery, giving them His Word, and caring for them while in the wilderness.

The celebrations He commanded them to perform, also anticipated how God would show His power and faithfulness in the future.

This Sunday, we will look at the Feasts God commanded His people to celebrate. What is their relevance for us today? What can we learn about God and ourselves through these Festivals?

One thing we should learn is how to celebrate!

Hindrances and Helps to Worship

“There is Samaritan worship. Samaritan worship is heretical worship in the correct meaning of the term. A heretic is not a man who denies all of the truth, he's just a very persnickety man who picks out what he likes and rejects the rest. Heresy means I take what I like and I reject what I don't like.” -A.W. Tozer, The Chief End of Man.

In John 4, Jesus has an incredible encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. In their conversation, she states, "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship" (4:20).

This is the heart of Samaritan worship. You define and practice worship like this and we define and practice worship like that. You can hear the impetus of the modern phrase, "to each their own." In response, Jesus gives one of the most clarifying statements about worship found in the New Testament.

"Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:21–24 - ESV.)

Exercise: Take a moment and write down and maybe even discuss with your family or some friends what you consider as the definition or description of worship.

Does your understanding of worship resemble a Samaritan mindset of preference or priorities? Or do you find the focus of your conversation to be seeking God on His own terms and prescribed ways?

Last Sunday, we looked at some of the hindrances of worship:

Unholy or Unhealthy Interests (Deut. 12:29-31)

False Prophets & Teachers (Deut. 12:32-13:5)

Harmful Relationships (Deut. 13:6-11)

Following the Crowds or Culture (Deut. 13:12-18)

Living Impure or Unclean (Deut. 14:1-21)

This Sunday, we will continue through Deuteronomy 14-15, as we consider some "helps" to experiencing and cultivating a life of true Worship. In Deuteronomy 15-16, we find some helpful patterns and descriptions to help us cultivate a life of true worship.

Hindrances and Helps to Worship

“Sin has clouded our view of and interaction with God, ourselves, and the world. In this situation worship is impaired, confused and often lost.” -Kelly Kapic

Knowing that sin has affected our ability to accurately see and understand God and ourselves. We understand that sin has poisoned every aspect of creation, resulting in the realities of evil, suffering, and death. Sin distorts our relationship with ourselves, others, and with God.

In Deuteronomy 12-13, Moses begins to review and explain important instructions and laws that must be obeyed, for His people to have blessed lives in the promised land. At first glance, they may seem unrelated to our modern world but they reveal the foundational and unchanging truth about how people can rightly worship God.

This Sunday we will look at Deuteronomy 14-15, as we consider some critical warnings regarding "hindrances" to true Worship. We will also find some "helps" to experiencing and cultivating a life of true Worship.

True Worship

“The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love.” -Henry Scougal

Worship is something everyone does whether they realize it or not. The question is never do we worship, the question is what do we worship. Nothing defines a person more than their affections, that is to say, what they love.

Worship also involves knowledge. We can only worship what we know and the accuracy of our knowledge will affect how we view everything.

"Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts; the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But while joined by many bonds, which one precedes and brings forth the other is not easy to discern." -Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion

Unfortunately, sin has affected our ability to accurately see and understand God and ourselves. Sin has poisoned every aspect of creation, resulting in the realities of evil, suffering, and death. Sin distorts our relationship with ourselves, others, and with God. "Sin has clouded our view of and interaction with God, ourselves and the world. In this situation worship is impaired, confused and often lost" (Kelly Kapic).

In Deuteronomy 12-13, Moses begins to review and explain important instructions and laws that must be obeyed, for His people to have blessed lives in the promised land. At first glance, they may seem unrelated to our modern world but they reveal the foundational and unchanging truth about how people can rightly worship God.

Discernment, Deception, & Descendants

“We are going through a great crowd derangement. In public and in private, both online and off, people are behaving in ways that are increasingly irrational, feverish, herd like and simply unpleasant. The daily news cycle is filled with the consequences. Yet while we see the symptoms everywhere, we do not see the causes.”

(Douglas Murray, The Madness of Crowds, p. 1)

Indeed, "madness" is a good word to describe the world right now. The only thing that is certain is uncertainty. People are fearful and angry resulting in a climate that is increasingly unpleasant.


Doesn't this seem like a perfect time to raise a family!


As parents, we want to protect our kids from dangerous people, circumstances, situations, and ideas. Yet, the Bible never retracts the mandate to be fruitful and multiply. Even in times of war, famine, and exile, God encourages His people to faithfully bloom where they are planted. In Jeremiah 29 the prophet tells the people, exiled in Babylon, it is not time to give up. Jerusalem has been destroyed and the nation was defeated and devastated.

"Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare" (Jer. 29:5-7).

In Deuteronomy 11:13-32, Moses is finishing the introduction to his second speech in which he is going to review God's instructions and commands for them. The words he gave are timeless and shockingly relevant for us today.

He warns them that in the days ahead they must continually use discernment as they will be confronted with many deceptive forces. Most importantly he reminds them this must shape their approach to parenting and passing their faith on to their descendants.

What does God Expect of Me?

You may be familiar with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but did you know the significance of January 2? According to UPS, January 2 has been dubbed “National Return Day,” with 1.9 million packages returned through UPS on that day alone. In 2021, this turned out to be a 29% increase over the previous year.

People return packages for a number of reasons including the item is broken, the description didn't match, bad price or they did not like the product. Regardless of the reason, returns cost companies $351 Billion in sales in 2017 alone. When you examine all the reasons someone would return an item, most of them fall under the category of “unmet expectations.”

Expectations are a big deal in life and especially in relationships. We all have many expectations. Have you ever consider what is the greatest expectation? The most important expectation a person should consider is...

“What is God's expectation with me?

In Deuteronomy 10:12, we find this question presented to the nation of Israel by Moses, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you?" This question is presented right before Moses reviews and explains God’s laws to God’s people.

Have you ever considered what God expects or requires of you? No one wants to experience the return policy.