The Israelites keep wanting to go back to Egypt. This is true of the Exodus. Even after the monarchy was established, Solomon figuratively went back to Egypt. He made an alliance with Pharaoh and sealed that alliance by marrying an Egyptian princess. He purchased chariots and horses in direct violation of Moses’ teaching because he trusted in his own might rather than God’s.

David’s reconciliation with his son Absalom provides a powerful example of how God forgives his wayward children. God does not reject his sons and daughters, but instead provides a way for them to seek forgiveness and reconciliation. He does not sweep us away but provides a way to bring us back when we have been separated from him.

The transitional period between the kingdoms of Saul and David was chaotic. At times, parties on both sides entirely lost sight of what God was doing. In the midst of the conflict, Jonathan met David and encouraged him to “stay strong in his faith in God.” This is a good reminder to us all of who’s actually the hero in our story.

King Saul’s life is a cautionary tale for anyone who chooses selective obedience. Like Saul, we often try to defect the blame for our sin, justify our sin, and even minimize its seriousness. We fail to take responsibility for our actions. In reality, though, selective obedience is only disobedience made to look respectable. And God detests it.

Judges tells the story of Israel’s recurring disobedience, punishment, deliverance and resurgent faith. Israel had no king, so the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. Sin’s allure resulted in moral bankruptcy, breaking God’s law, and idol worship. Israel stumbled badly in passing on the spiritual heritage they received from Moses and Joshua.

With the conquest of Canaan certain and the Promised Land divided among Israel’s twelve tribes, Joshua addresses God’s people much like Moses did before his death. He lays out two paths: the path of blessing and the path of curses. Follow God and be blessed. Or follow the ways of the recently defeated Canaanites and be cursed. It’s their choice. It’s a choice we still making today.

John 20 is about seeing the resurrected Jesus. Seeing, and believing. When John saw Jesus’ empty burial clothes, he believed. When Mary Magdalene saw the “gardener” for who he was – Jesus – she believed. Thomas told the other ten disciples, “I won’t believe unless I see the nail marks in his hands,” Jesus obliged him. Thomas saw, and believed. Seeing is believing, but only if it is perceiving. Just glancing at Jesus doesn’t convince anybody. Only when one takes a serious look at the claims of Jesus of Nazareth can one believe that God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:9).

Jesus began his week in Bethany where his greatest miracle occurred, the raising of Lazarus from the dead. A banquet was held to honor him. It was more than a meal. An intense drama played out. A true believer anointed Jesus with fragrant oil. A two-faced thief criticized the expense as wasteful. People came to see the resurrected Lazarus, and religious leaders plotted to have him killed to nullify his witness to Jesus’ power. Some believed. Many did not. Some believed but were afraid to admit it. That much hasn’t changed in the centuries since.

For too many, church is a place where they feel judged rather than a place where they find Jesus. For too many, church means feeling condemnation rather than freedom through the cross. This is not irony; it is tragedy because while many churches repel people, Jesus always attracted them. Jesus demonstrated over and over that lost people matter to God. If we are His followers, they will matter to us, too.

In our self-serve world serving doesn’t come naturally; it requires intentionality. If you choose to be a disciple of Jesus, if you choose to think like and be like Jesus, you have to jettison your self-serve attitudes and become like Jesus. Jesus was a servant. He came “not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”