The AMI QT Devotionals April 10-16 are written by David Son, who serves as the college pastor at Symphony Church in Boston. David, a graduate of UC Berkeley (B.S.) and Gordon-Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), is married to Grace who teaches at a public school.
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT FOR THE PASSION WEEK
“The Lamb of God”
John 1:35-36
The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
Not only is the Bald Eagle the national animal for the United States, the majestic bird is also a cultural symbol representing freedom and strength. Where people from other nations/cultures might see a mere bird, Americans understand the special and profound effect that the bald eagle has in stirring up patriotic emotions.
In a similar way, lambs had a certain special and profound effect on the Jewish people in the first century. To us today, a lamb is just a lamb. But every Jew would have understood that lambs represented sacrifice and atonement. Since the days of Moses, and for generations upon generations, the blood of lambs was the means of forgiveness for the Jewish people for their sins against God. And while wool and meat were some of the secondary provisions from lambs, the primary symbolism of lambs during those times was to remember the grace of God and the forgiveness of sin.
So it must have been strange for his disciples to hear John the Baptist proclaim, regarding Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” Interesting choice of animal to describe a fellow rabbi! John could have said, “Lion of God” or “Eagle of God,” but he said, “Lamb of God.” John understood something that few people understood at the time, and we only understand in hindsight: Jesus came to offer atonement for us. He is indeed the Lamb of God.
Many years ago, Jesus submitted Himself to death on a cross. Spend some time this morning coming to Jesus and thanking Him for being our perfect Lamb.
Prayer: Jesus, we thank You for Your sacrifice. Thank You for being the Lamb of God. As we go through this day, we remind ourselves that we are where we are because of what You have done for us. In Your name I pray. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 5; Mark 15
LUNCH BREAK STUDY
Read Philippians 2:5-8: Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Questions to Consider
- What is Paul’s primary command in this passage?
- According to the passage, what actions did Jesus take (although he was God)?
- How can we have the mindset of Jesus?
Notes
- Paul’s primary command for his readers is found in the first clause: “Have this mind among yourselves….” In other words, he is about to tell us the type of attitude we should have.
- When we observe the verbs in this passage, we see that although Jesus was God,
- He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped
- He emptied Himself
- He took the form of a servant
- He humbled Himself
- He became obedient
- Paul’s intention is not for us to literally hang ourselves on a cross. But he exhorts us to have the mindset of Christ, which is to consider others’ needs more than our own, to empty ourselves, take on the form of a servant, humble ourselves, and become obedient to the Lord. This is something we can all do, in both big and small ways!
EVENING REFLECTION
A popular praise song goes like this: “I remind myself of all that you’ve done, and the live I have because of your Son.” This evening, spend some time reminding yourself of what Jesus did for you on the cross, and the life you have because of His sacrifice.
To be completely honest, when I first started serving on staff at my church, I had a hard time submitting to my lead pastor. Of course, I never did let it show on the outside; I did every task I was asked to do. But as the months went on, a grumbling spirit was taking hold of my heart; and as I continued to serve, it gradually grew into a root of bitterness. Perhaps you have experienced a similar rebellion of the flesh against submission to authority, whether at church or in the workplace. I felt trapped in this position, feeling obligated to serve, while at the same time unable to articulate the growing vexation within. But then something happened.
Historians say the most expensive gift ever given in the history of mankind is the Taj Mahal. The Taj, located in India, was commissioned by Shah Jahan to be built in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It took 22 years, 20,000 laborers, and 32 million rupees (that’s around 1 billion US dollars if you convert and factor in inflation) to construct this monumental project. As beautiful and inspiring as the Taj Majal is, most of us would agree that the gesture was extremely wasteful. Think about how much you could do with 20,000 laborers in 22 years, with 1 billion dollars. And the Shah used all that to express his love for his deceased wife by constructing a building that has very little functional value. What a waste!
In 1996 Steve Jobs returned to Apple to serve as the interim CEO of the company. People were familiar with Jobs because he was the co-founder back in ‘76, but no one could have predicted what he did when he came back. At the time of his re-entry, Apple was a slowly dying company. But to be fair, they were working on roughly 350 different projects, with the hopes of making a comeback. But Steve Jobs came in and overthrew all of them! He cut every single project and forced the company to focus on just 10 projects. Some might have called him crazy, but everyone agrees that he was a radical. Nevertheless, out of this revolutionary overthrow was born the iMac, iTunes, the iPod and the iPhone! Since then, Apple has become the most successful tech company in the world.
About a month ago, I was walking in downtown Boston, and I found myself walking behind a father and daughter, holding hands as they walked along the sidewalks of downtown. The man was probably in his 40’s, fully suited from head to toe. It was obvious that he worked in the corporate world in downtown. Next to him, holding his hand was his daughter who couldn’t have been more than 5 years old. As I was walking behind them, the daughter started skipping. In my heart, I thought, “Aww, what a cute pair…” But I didn’t expect what happened next to happen. Before I could finish my thought, the dad started skipping too! With his suit jacket flapping in the wind, and dress shoes clunking and skidding on the pavement, his gait was anything but graceful. In fact, he looked ridiculous! But as I watched them skip and prance ahead of me, I thought, “That man might be an important businessman somewhere, but he is certainly a great father.” And in that moment I understood a little more of God’s heart for us; although He is an Almighty God, He would willingly humiliate himself, endure ridicule, and go through suffering, all for the sake of being with us.
09Last Sunday, a sister—showing a lot of enthusiasm—asked me, “Are you excited about our prayer-walk around the community this afternoon?” And with a genuine excitement, I replied, “Yeah, I’m really excited!”
Have you ever thought about what factors have shaped your attitude towards finances? If you are an eager saver, where did you pick up those habits? If you are a generous giver, do you think it’s just your personality? If you are a carefree spender, have you ever paused to consider why you spend as much as you do?
I think almost everyone would agree that the role of a spiritual leader (e.g., pastor, small group leader, or ministry leader) is critical to God’s family. With this understanding, the topic of leadership has been studied in seminaries, churches, conferences, etc. We hold the view that the heathier the leader, the healthier the church or the small group. It is most likely with this assumption that the book Emotionally Healthy Leader has been read by hundreds and thousands of spiritual leaders.
As you’ve been serving the Lord over the years, most definitely you’ve experienced joy, passion, growth, and a sense of satisfaction. As a pastor, I love hearing from our church members that “so-and-so” just accepted Christ. The news brings so many people so much joy. At the same time, it’s very likely you’ve also had a fair share of fatigue, disappointment, failure, perhaps even betrayal. I’m sure you are battling against the cynical spirit that wants to devour you. That cynicism wants you to buffer yourself from taking risks once again, actively serving the Lord’s purposes.
The AMI QT Devotionals from April 3-9 are provided by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego. Peter is a graduate of U.C. Riverside and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). He and his wife Jessica have three very active children: Nathan, Abigail, and Jason. 
As you get a little bit older, you’re a little bit wiser (or at least you should be). It’s one of the benefits of getting older as God’s children. But, you also begin to notice that your body isn’t what it used to be. I remember when I was younger, if I ever twisted my ankle playing a game of basketball, I was right back in the gym after 2-3 days of rest. Today, I find that I’m out for 2-3 weeks before my ankles feel strong enough to run again. As we get older, our bodies begin to remind us just how frail and weak we are, until one day it ceases to work altogether.