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Just before Palm Sunday, I started a vegetable garden, something I have not done for over 15 years. My dad loved to garden and put one in every year so we could enjoy its bounty. I have gardened in the past, but the last time I had a good garden started a plague of grasshoppers wiped it out overnight. I have not tried since. However, this year our schedule has me at home enough to have time to tend the garden and enjoy its produce.

Last year I built some raised beds, so I planted green beans, sweet peppers, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes and three kinds of squash. (I know it is a little late for peas in this part of the country, but I thought I’d give it a try.) I added a timer that automatically waters everything. Then we left town for 10 days. When we returned, everything had sprouted. I was excited to see the new growth and hope for a harvest.

Then I walked around our property and found that all four pecan trees we have planted have new growth on them. Two peach trees out of three survived two harsh Februarys and look great. I also have pine and oaks that are taking off with the warmer temperatures. Wisteria that we thought were goners have new green leaves. Irises are about to bloom, cacti are going strong, crepe myrtles have come back to life. The flowers Cheryl planted in the beds across the front of our house are bursting with color. And of course, the lawn and fields are green and need to be mowed.

As I was taking inventory, I could not keep from thinking of our good and gracious God who makes all things new.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:18–19)

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:5)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The same God who made all things, who ordered the seasons to allow for planting and harvest, is the one who made me new, too. Jesus replaced my sinfulness with His righteousness. He loves me, forgives me, and wants me to be with Him forever. He did what it takes to make that happen.

I have long appreciated that we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord in the Spring of the year, when we have signs of new life all around us. It reminds me of the new life I have because of Jesus.

For some reason, lots of folks have been posting videos of a transaction that is supposed to be a great bargain for both parties. Person A says, “Let’s both put $20 on the table,” which they do. Then person A says, “I’m going to buy that for $30. So you made $10 and I made $10.”  Everyone is amazed at this ridiculous transaction. Person B should be happy, because her or she did indeed end up with $10 more. But person A actually lost money. Think of it this way. There is a total of $70. Person A starts with $50, person B starts with $20. After they both put $20 on the table, Person A puts another $30 on the table. Person B takes $30, person A ends up with $40. They did not “both make $10.” It is not equitable.

I think this is a reflection of the convoluted way this world thinks. So much of what the world values is a losing proposition. A worthwhile transaction is beneficial to both parties involved. Hopefully you will have a win-win situation.

Let me remind you of the best transaction in history.

“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:16–21)

We get an unthinkable blessing from what God did: reconciliation and righteousness before God, something we could never merit on our own. And God gets what He wants: A restored relationship with the children He loves so dearly. God took your sin and put it on Jesus. He took the perfection of Jesus and puts it on you. It cost you nothing. It cost Jesus His life. Paul encourages everyone to take advantage of this one of a kind deal when he says, “Be reconciled to God.” All you have to do is receive this tremendous gift.

But wait…there’s more. After you have received this gift, you can give it to others without detracting anything from what you have received. His payment for sin covered every sin.

“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)

The death of Jesus was the payment for sin. His resurrection ensures your resurrection from death. He did it all. You get the benefit. That is truly a bargain you cannot live without.

“Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30)

Last week we attended Good Friday worship with our daughter and her family in Colorado. It was an awesome service. During the sermon, the Pastor told us that he once attended a passion play where they had Jesus bow His head and then say in almost a whimper, “It is finished.” He said they got it wrong. The passage above said He bowed His head after He spoke the words. It was not a desperate cry of defeat, but rather the announcement of triumph, the accomplishment of our salvation. He said that Jesus would have said it in a strong and loud voice. To illustrate, he shouted loudly and clearly: “IT IS FINISHED!” The congregation was completely silent. Then my two-year-old granddaughter let out a very loud “Yay!”  The pastor didn’t miss a beat and said, “Yay indeed! That is why we call it GOOD Friday!”  The congregation laughed a bit, but I don’t think it took anything away from the wonderful message. In fact, I was reminded of the day Jesus entered Jerusalem, then cleansed the Temple, and the children were saying “Hosanna to the Son of David.” Jesus quoted Psalm 8 to those who objected:

““Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?”” (Matthew 21:16)

Jesus accepted the praise of the children earlier in the week when they said “Lord, Save us!” That was why He came. And hanging on the cross, He knew He had done what He came to do. It was not easy. It was a tremendous achievement. So He was no doubt relieved, even happy to say, “It is finished.” The Greek word is tetelestai. It occurs only in John 19. In verse 28 it is rendered as “knowing that all was now completed…” and then, in verse 30, when Jesus spoke it, it is translated as “It is finished.”

Outside the New Testament, this word was used in business transactions. It would be written on documents and receipts to show that a bill was paid in full. Those reading John’s Gospel would have made the connection between what Jesus said and business receipts. He was saying He did everything necessary to complete the transaction. He atoned for the sins of the world. It was truly finished.

Yay Indeed!

“Did you hear Uncle Bill passed away?” “No, I didn’t know!”

“Frank is in the hospital with cancer.” “I didn’t know he was ill!”

“Why didn’t you clean up your room before the company came over?” “I didn’t know I was supposed to!”

“I didn’t know” is used in many situations, but most often that phrase is an admission of ignorance. You are saying that you did not have the information. “I didn’t know.”

The old saying “Ignorance is Bliss” leads many to believe that ignorance is preferred. However, just because you think everything is fine does not mean that it is! Ignorance is not truly bliss. You may be ignorant of the fact that you have a water leak under you slab, and be happy thinking that everything is fine. But eventually you will discover that things are not as blissful as you believed! (This is the voice of experience speaking.)

Someone once told me: “Being ignorant is not a sin. Staying ignorant is.” It is one thing to not know something because you have not had proper information shared with you. It is an entirely different matter to be confronted with true information and chose to ignore it.

I read that a dense fog covering seven city blocks at a depth of 100 feet is composed of less than one glass of water. Something as insignificant as one glass of water can keep people from seeing things as they really are. Fog is like ignorance. You can’t see things around you when you are in a fog. And fog is also like the things most people worry about. You worry and fear about the unknown, letting those fears block your view. If those things were reduced down to their true size, you would see that they don’t amount to much, but it can be difficult to have that perspective when you are engulfed in a fog.

I remember a fishing trip several years ago on Lake Texoma around this time of year. As we arrived at the lake, it was totally socked in with a dense fog. Visibility was less than ten yards. I thought the fishing trip would be scrubbed. But my fishing buddy had other ideas. He knew the lake and assured me everything would be fine. We launched the boat and slowly headed out of the marina. I had no idea where we were or where we were going. He puttered along until he had us right up next to one of the islands. On my fifth or sixth cast a huge fish exploded out of the water toward my lure but missed it. That was an awful feeling. But two casts later, the fish came back, and this time he didn’t miss. About thirty minutes later we netted a 27-inch striper. Had I let my fear and uncertainty keep me from going out on the boat that day, I would not have caught that fish! Thankfully, I had enough faith that my fishing buddy knew what he was doing to get into the boat. Some might argue that was foolish, especially if you knew the guy. But it certainly paid off. Being in a fog can cause you to proceed with caution, and that is good. But to let that caution turn into fear that overwhelms you is not good. Worries and fears drain us of energy and serve no real purpose. Worry is just a form of fear.

On that first Easter evening, the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors because of their fear of the Jews. Jesus had been crucified, and they were afraid the Jewish leaders might come after them next! The women said something about Him being alive, but their anxiety and worry kept them from believing. They were all doubters at this point. They were not seeing things clearly. Their fear was blocking their view. They were all in the fog. They didn’t believe Jesus was alive. Those two Emmaus disciples came and told them that they had seen Jesus alive, but still they refused to believe. Fear was controlling them. It was like a fog blocking their view of what had happened that morning. It was into their fog-like fear that Jesus comes, showing Himself to be alive.

After they saw Jesus for themselves, they believed. Thomas would come along the next week and be convinced by seeing Jesus, too. And Jesus tells him “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)  Jesus is saying, “You let that fog of your fears keep you from seeing with the eyes of faith. Those who believe with eyes of faith that see through the fog will be blessed.”

That knowledge, that certainty, that faith—it changes you. God wants your life to be transformed by His love. He has made it possible for everyone to be forgiven for Jesus’ sake. It is our task to make sure others don’t remain ignorant of who Jesus is and what He has done for everyone. We want them to come out of the fog and join us as those who are blessed by believing that because He lives, we live also.