Recently I have been reading a book called, “Primal” by Mark Batterson.  I received it after attending a one-day conference that he lead at Anderson University.  Mark is the senior pastor at National Community Church just outside of Washington, D.C.

The book has been insightful and enjoyable so far, a definite page-turner.  As I read books such as “Primal,” I often keep a notebook nearby so that I can jot down thoughts that come to me while reading, new concepts I want to research further, and action steps I’m feeling convicted to take as a result of my reading.  This morning’s sermon at The Mount reminded me of some notes I made recently on “Counterfactual History.”  That was a totally new concept to me when I read about it a couple weeks ago, and it intrigued me.  Basically, counterfactual theory is asking the question, “What if ” in contrast to something we already know has occurred.  For example, we could invoke counterfactual history by asking what our lives might be like if Henry Ford never invented the automobile?  How would the world change in the absence of that piece of history?  What if the Wright Brothers had not discovered the means to fly?  Would we still be relegated to crossing the ocean on a ship?  By the way, what if God hadn’t shown Noah how to build a boat? Wasn’t that the very first ocean liner?  The purpose of employing counterfactual theory is to gain a deeper appreciation for what really did happen and how history actually unfolded.

This morning, Allan posed the question, “What if God hadn’t intervened in Saul’s life and initiated his conversion?” (Acts 9:1-19Acts 9:1-19
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
Saul Becomes a Follower of the Lord ^{9 1} Saul kept on threatening to kill the Lord's followers. He even went to the high priest ² and asked for letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus. He did this because he wanted to arrest and take to Jerusalem any man or woman who had accepted the Lord's Way. d accepted the Lord's Way: In the book of Acts, this means to become a follower of the Lord Jesus. ³ When Saul had almost reached Damascus, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice that said, “Saul! Saul! Why are you so cruel to me?” ⁵ “Who are you?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus,” the Lord answered. “I am the one you are so cruel to. ⁶ Now get up and go into the city, where you will be told what to do.” ⁷ The men with Saul stood there speechless. They had heard the voice, but they had not seen anyone. ⁸ Saul got up from the ground, and when he opened his eyes, he could not see a thing. Someone then led him by the hand to Damascus, ⁹ and for three days he was blind and did not eat or drink. ¹⁰ A follower named Ananias lived in Damascus, and the Lord spoke to him in a vision. Ananias answered, “Lord, here I am.” ¹¹ The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. When you get there, you will find a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. Saul is praying, ¹² and he has seen a vision. He saw a man named Ananias coming to him and putting his hands on him, so that he could see again.” ¹³ Ananias replied, “Lord, a lot of people have told me about the terrible things this man has done to your followers in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ Now the chief priests have given him the power to come here and arrest anyone who worships in your name.” ¹⁵ The Lord said to Ananias, “Go! I have chosen him to tell foreigners, kings, and the people of Israel about me. ¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for worshiping in my name.” ¹⁷ Ananias left and went into the house where Saul was staying. Ananias placed his hands on him and said, “Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me. He is the same one who appeared to you along the road. He wants you to be able to see and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ Suddenly something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see. He got up and was baptized. ¹⁹ Then he ate and felt much better. Saul Preaches in Damascus For several days Saul stayed with the Lord's followers in Damascus.

WP-Bible plugin) How many more Christians would have been persecuted?  How many more would have been killed?  How would our lives be different if Saul had never become Paul?  (For one thing, we’d be missing about 13 books in the New Testament and a plethora of rich Scripture passages!!)  And what if Ananias hadn’t obeyed when God called him to seek out Saul of Tarsus at the house of Judas in Damascus on Straight Street so Saul’s sight could be restored? (vs. 13-17)  Saul was known for arresting and persecuting anyone who called upon God’s name.  What if Ananias’ fear outweighed his faith?  Can we even fathom how different our lives would be today if God hadn’t intervened, if Ananias hadn’t been obedient?

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of such stories throughout the Bible of how one person’s willingness to intervene and obey had a world changing impact!  Think of Noah’s righteousness and how he found favor with God.  He was the only man found worthy when God wiped out the rest of the human race in the flood.  What if Noah hadn’t lived righteously?  What if there was no one who survived the great deluge?  Quite possibly, I wouldn’t be typing this, and you wouldn’t be reading it!

The example that Mark Batterson uses in “Primal” to illustrate his point about Counterfactual History is the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis.  As you know, Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers after they got ticked off at the way their father, Jacob, showed favoritism to Joseph.  In fact, they led Jacob to believe Joseph had been killed by wild animals when they dipped his precious robe of many colors in goat’s blood.  A domino effect was in motion that I’d like to recount for you using counterfactual theory:

1. What if Joseph had not been sold by his Israelite brothers into slavery in Egypt?
2. What if Joseph had never been thrown into prison while in Egypt?
3. What if, while in prison, Joseph hadn’t noticed the upset countenance of his fellow inmate, the cupbearer?
4. What if he hadn’t interpreted the cupbearer’s dream?  (The cupbearer would not have known Joseph could do that!)
5. And without that relational link, Joseph would have never been brought to Pharaoh to interpret his dream after the cupbearer was restored to his position upon release from prison. Joseph may have died in that dungeon had events unfolded differently.
6. What if Joseph had not been promoted to second highest in command in Egypt prior to the great famine?  He would not have been in a position to store up enough grain to sustain Egypt as well as surrounding areas that came to Egypt for food during the famine.
7. One of those surrounding areas from which people came was Canaan, where Joseph’s family was from, otherwise known as the nation of Israel.  What if Joseph’s family had not survived the famine?
8. One of Joseph’s brothers was Judah.  What if he had died during those seven lean years of famine?  He never would have gone on to father the lineage out of which a Child would be born in a little town called Bethlehem.  And then, the big “What if” question…
9. What if Jesus had never been born? Then, perhaps, the greatest act of compassion and intervention the world has ever known might never have occurred.

We can see and learn by this that one act of compassion, one act of intervention, one act of obedience really does make a difference on the world.  And we all have opportunities to show kindness, to intervene, and to obey God everyday, so that we may continue to impact and change the world for His glory.  What opportunity lies before you today that has the potential to ripple into eternity if you just yield and obey?  Whatever it is, I encourage us all to seize the moment, because I would never want someone to spend their eternity separated from God asking, “What if someone I knew had only shared Jesus with me?”

We have spoken the words with our mouths and we have believed in our hearts, that Jesus Christ is Lord.  We have entered into a relationship…with Jesus.  We have followed His example and we have been baptized, signifying our death to the old ways,  the burying our sins, and our resurrection into a new life.  Now what?

We want to know Him, to know more about Him. We begin to read, to learn from, to take root in His Word. We realize what His instructions are, and we make an effort to obey His commandments. One of those commandments is to remember Him in the partaking of the Lord’s Supper. In Luke 22:19Luke 22:19
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
19 Jesus took some bread in his hands and gave thanks for it. He broke the bread and handed it to his apostles. Then he said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Eat this as a way of remembering me!”

WP-Bible plugin,  Jesus took break and gave thanks for it. He passed it to the disciples, saying “Take, eat, for this is my body, broken for you. This do in remembrance of me.”

Just as we wash our hands before we sit down to eat a meal, we need to examine our lives and be sure that we ask forgiveness for anything that stands between Jesus and ourselves. We need to know that we are cleansed of any known or unknown sin before we partake in the body and blood of Christ at the Communion table. No longer is it necessary for us make atonement for our sin by slaying a lamb as a sacrifice.  Jesus, the Spotless Lamb of God, did it all for us at the Cross.   We have been reborn into a new covenant with God!  I believe that when we join together in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, we are gathering around a family table.  We have been made blood relatives, in the true sense of the word, by the blood Jesus shed at Calvary. . It is solemn time of unity each  of us who believe. It is a time of reflecting, remembering, the sacrificial act of our Brother and Lord. It is an intimate time that believers share together in Christ.

The scriptures say that he who eats the bread or drinks the cup in an  unworthy manner is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. (1Cor 11:27)   We believers, also, must be sure that we are partaking with the correct examination of our selves, for the Word tells us that ” he eats and drinks judgment unto himself if he has not judged his body rightly.”  1 Cor 11: 281 Cor 11: 28
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
28 That's why you must examine the way you eat and drink.

WP-Bible plugin. When we come to the table of the Lord’s Supper, let us come, with no sin, no grudges against another, no unfinished business with the Lord. We are united by His blood, by His Spirit…one with God. Let us live the oneness that we have together as family members.

Today, thank God for the shed blood of Jesus, that ushered in a new relationship between God and sinners:

And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which seals the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out to forgive the sins of many.”

Matthew 26:27-28Matthew 26:27-28
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
27 Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He then gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and drink it. ²⁸ a ; b This is my blood, and with it God makes his agreement with you. It will be poured out, so that many people will have their sins forgiven.

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And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And he said to them, “This is my blood, poured out for many, sealing the covenant between God and his people.”

Mark 14:23-24Mark 14:23-24
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
23 Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He gave it to his disciples, and they all drank some. ²⁴ a ; b Then he said, “This is my blood, which is poured out for many people, and with it God makes his agreement.

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After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This wine is the token of God’s new covenant to save you – an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you.”

Luke 22:20Luke 22:20
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
20 After the meal he took another cup of wine in his hands. Then he said, “This is my blood. It is poured out for you, and with it God makes his new agreement.

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Many were amazed when they saw him – beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a person.* In a world sanitized of violence and blood – hating to be reminded of all it signifies – the cup that carried the wine reminds us of the punishment our savior endured. God in the flesh, the true image of God, man as God intended him to be, was marred beyond recognition. Do you see the poetry, the irony in it? That Satan could not stand to see God reflected in the man Jesus? That his every intention to destroy that image resulted in God’s complete victory over sin?

I recently read a book on Communion where the author declared her belief that we focus too much on the blood, too much on the sacrifice, too much on the payment for sin in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Quite to the contrary, I left that work more aware of how important it is to take Jesus’ words to heart. He recognized the importance of his blood! It was costly. He received more than just an unjust beating; he was deprived of justice and experienced the humiliation of a criminal’s death at the hands of a violent and unyielding people: He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people realized  that he was dying for their sins – that he was suffering their punishment?*

Jesus offers the cup to remind us – his followers – that he willingly died to ratify the new relationship between us and God. He bore the penalty for us, so that we could stand in the presence of a holy God. And not just stand; we can bow, worship, praise – all without fear of rejection or condemnation. We are his inheritance, his reward. But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have a multitude of children, many heirs. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.*

Rejoice! Jesus has redeemed us! Now let us walk in the righteousness we have been given. Let us honor the sacrifice and the price Jesus’ paid by giving our lives in return. This is his call to discipleship; it is not a lighthearted and effortless faith, rather a total physical and spiritual response to the great gift of God.

* Isaiah 52:14; 53:7-8, 10-12Isaiah 52:14; 53:7-8, 10-12
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
14 Many were horrified at what happened to him. b him: One ancient translation; Hebrew “you.” But everyone who saw him was even more horrified because he suffered until he no longer looked human. c human: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse ¹⁴. ⁷ . . He was painfully abused, but he did not complain. He was silent like a lamb being led to the butcher, as quiet as a sheep having its wool cut off. ⁸ He was condemned to death without a fair trial. Who could have imagined what would happen to him? His life was taken away because of the sinful things my people f my people: Or “his people.” had done. ¹⁰ The Lord decided his servant would suffer as a sacrifice to take away the sin and guilt of others. Now the servant will live to see his own descendants. h The Lord... descendants: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. He did everything the Lord had planned. ¹¹ By suffering, the servant will learn the true meaning of obeying the Lord. Although he is innocent, he will take the punishment for the sins of others, so that many of them will no longer be guilty. ¹² The Lord will reward him with honor and power for sacrificing his life. Others thought he was a sinner, but he suffered for our sins and asked God to forgive us.

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While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

Matthew 26:26Matthew 26:26
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
The Lord's Supper ²⁶ During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and eat it. This is my body.”

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Every time I hold the bread in my hand when I’m taking communion, I reflect upon the suffering that Jesus physically endured for me in His human body.  That piece of bread lying in the palm of my hand reminds me of the nails that pierced His skin, the thorns that ripped through His brow, and the spear that pierced His side.  I’m reminded of the open wounds on His back from the lashes He received from the soldier’s whips and the torturer’s “cat of nine-tails.”

This piece of bread is a symbol.  It is an edible reminder of the punishment that Jesus bore for me.  My sins, my disobedience, my short falls of God’s standard, my pride, my jealousy, my depravity, my selfishness…all the things that should have sentenced me to the cross, were absorbed by the body of my Savior instead.  He was rejected, He was mocked and beaten and bruised.  He was killed in my place.  This piece of bread symbolizes that.

The bread also reminds me of my Redeemer’s great love for me, because the body that this bread represents was willingly laid down for me.  Jesus gave Himself as a voluntary substitute for me.  His body wasn’t abused and taken against His will…He lovingly offered it of His own free will. I am humbled beyond words every time I stare into my hand and reflect upon the kind of love that piece of bread represents. Who can understand and comprehend such love? Thank You, Jesus, for the sacrifice You made for me.  I owe my life to you.

Jesus instructed us that we are to continue remembering the sacrifice He made through the observance of communion until He returns and we celebrate with Him in heaven.  The scars that still remain in Jesus’ hands, feet, and side are a reminder of His love for us and the redemption that He purchased for us, as is the bread that we receive when we partake of communion.  May we never take for granted the price that Jesus paid for us, and may we humbly thank Him each time we “do this in remembrance” of Him.

Every year on Maundy Thursday (the day before Good Friday) I like to watch The Passion of the Christ. My favorite scene is the opening scene of Christ praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. The actor did a superb job of portraying the emotional turmoil Christ experienced in the garden just a few hours before facing death.

The Bible tells us that as Christ prayed his sweat became as great drops of blood falling to the ground. He pleaded time and again with his disciples to stay awake and pray. He said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” He pleaded with His Father. “If it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Later He prayed again. “If it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done.”

The events of this night were no surprise to Christ. He had repeatedly told His disciples that He was sent into the world for this very purpose.

Just a few days earlier He had entered Jerusalem, the city where He was a wanted man by the religious leaders, to purposely begin the trip that would lead directly to the cross. On the Thursday night after entering Jerusalem on Sunday, Christ shared His last Passover meal with His disciples while here on earth. This meal would become the basis for our observance of the Lord’s Supper, or Communion.

It is no accident that Christ’s death would come during the Passover celebration. The first Passover observed by the Israelites the night they would flee from Egypt was explained to them by Moses who had heard directly from God. It involved the sacrifice of a pure lamb whose blood was sprinkled on the sides and tops of the door frames. It gives me chills every time I think of this blood staining the wood of the doorposts in the same locations that it would stain the wood of the cross centuries later. Just as the lamb had to be killed in order for the blood to be taken as protection from the death angel passing through the streets of Egypt, Christ would have to die for His blood to protect us from an eternity in hell.

Christ knew from the beginning of time that His life would someday be given as a ransom for ours.

So here Christ stands in the garden ready for the final agony that would bring us salvation.

We know from scripture that in the final hours of crucifixion God turned away from looking at His beloved Son who had taken on the sins of the entire world; past, present, and future. God is holy and perfect and will not stand before sin. But many scholars believe that as Christ prayed in the garden, God was already distancing Himself from His Son. Christ’s agony was not only from the dread of physical torment, but in the full knowledge that the sins of the world would soon separate Him from His Father. This would have been an unprecedented event. Yet Christ was willing to experience this agonizing separation so that we would not have to experience an eternal separation from God.

Never believe that Christ was a political victim or simply an innocent man framed by religious leaders. He completed what He originally set out to do as a baby in Bethlehem. He was born to die and given a million opportunities to back out, He wouldn’t.

Our human minds fail to understand a love that deep and total. How I look forward to the day I stand before Him face to face and finally fully comprehend a love so great!