JUSTICE IS NOT DEAD

Have you seen the movie God Is Not Dead?

Yah, me either. 

I'm sure it's probably good.

But I'll tell you what I have seen-

once upon a time ago

a few of my friends where watching

  hilarious YouTube videos

and came across a Batman "remake"

put on by this random kid.

Of course I'm not cool enough

to find you that video.

But it is something of the effect

with this kid in a Batman mask

sneaking up on someone in the kitchen.

The person in the kitchen asks,

"What would you like for breakfast?"

The kid speaks in his most dark and heavy

Batman voice replying,

"Justice!"

and jumps on the individual.

I'm not sure why, but we all found that absolutely entertaining!

{If you need time to try & find that video go ahead I'll wait right here.}

Anyways, I couldn't help think of that

as I read the Word today-

Matthew 12: 15-21

{*scripture refers back to Old Testament Isaiah 42:1-4}

I have read this before,

so when I come across scripture I have read numerous times

I try to find something 

that I hadn't noticed any times previous.

What about you? What do you see?

{note I say "see" & not just "read"}

This was mine, end of vrs 20

..."till he leads justice to victory..."

Till He leads justice to victory.

I love that.

What an obscure &

interesting thing to say.

Till He leads justice to victory.

What does that mean?

Well, when I don't understand something

I pull apart at the words.

I define them.

What does justice mean?

As Americans we've certainly

used it a whole lot.

As Americans we've certainly

abused it a whole lot.

But it is not just Americans now

is it?

I didn't need a dictionary to look it up,

we know it

{or think we know it}

all too well.

Justice=making right what was wrong, correcting, making  a punishment/payment for the crime

Well, if that is the case

why wasn't justice winning?

The verse says that he will lead it to victory;

thus, it was losing before.

Is justice dead to you?

Why?

I believe justice is dead...

justice orchestrated by man that is.

Why? Because man is broken & flawed.

Genesis 1-3

During the time of which Jesus was alive

the Jews were being suppressed by the Romans.

The Jews eagerly,

desperately,

anticipated freedom.

They believed that Jesus would fulfill their expectations.

He didn't.

He did much more.

Have you ever heard "Wake Me Up" by Avicii?

Go listen...again, I'm not going anywhere.

"All this time I was finding myself & I didn't know I was lost."

-Avicii

I love that.

How true of today 

&

of history.

The Jews, the chosen ones of God,

called to be holy/set apart,

didn't know they were lost either.

John 1:1-14

How do you know when you are lost?

Truth is we are all lost,

wonder-ers in the dark,

afraid of the light.

That Light is Jesus.

The light reveals everything.

Everything about us is not all fine & dandy.

How can you refute that?

The Jews wanted an army,

they wanted a military leader.

What they needed,

what we need,

is a Savior.

{Yes, a looking within ourselves

at our own destruction & depravity

rather than sending war}

Note what happened in the beginning of our reading,

Jesus was healing people.

But then a strange thing happens,

he tells them...

no, he warns them,

to not tell anyone.

Why?

Because they're glorious moment

was yet to come.

The Cross.

Remember when I asked:

What does justice mean?

Now I ask:

What does justice look like?

Is it this?

  

{images taken from Bing} 

Or is it this?

Let me give you a hint.

The first picture is a lifeless, cold statue created by man.

The second a depiction of God in flesh being taken of his life by man.

The root of the problem with justice is not

the measurement given-

for all don't measure up-

the problem was the beholder. 

Man tried to make things right.

Every hear someone say:

"Two wrongs don't make a right?"

Well, how can something good come from that which does not know true good?

They didn't,

we don't,

know we are lost.

They wanted justice.

But that justice was directed towards others;

what they really wanted was vengeance.

God sacrificed his son to take upon himself our punishment.

Isaiah 53

But the story doesn't stop there.

When I was in 9th grade (I think it was), I went on this trip without my youth group called S.E.M.P. It stood for Students Equipped to Minister to their Peers. This was a week long seminar at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL. In the mornings we spent our time in Apologetic training and outreach techniques.

Then in the afternoons we would split up in different groups designated for a specific area in the city to evangelize. One day, my group of five or so choose to just ride the trans back & forth sparking up conversations when we could with strangers. At this one point I sat towards the end of the subway while the rest of my group sat huddled together a few seats ahead. Across from me sat this Muslim couple and their son. The father saw my badge that we were all wearing that identified us as from S.E.M.P. Lone behold, he started asking me what it was about & what we were doing! So surprised & shaking in my boot so to speak I told him. I wasn't even talking about Jesus yet & my heart was about the leap out of my chest! It was because I knew God orchestrated this without a doubt! Next thing I know the man asks...more like tells me to tell him about Jesus. Wow! Cool! With him, his wife, and their ance son listening to my every word I told them about Jesus their Savior & Lover. It was awesome! Beyond words really!...But you know what?

I left out the most important part.

I forgot to mention the resurrection!!!

JESUS DIED FOR YOU, PEOPLE! BUT HE ALSO ROSE AGAIN!!

God is not dead.

John 19:28-42, 20

I realized now what the Word meant about leading justice to victory.

If justice can not be carried out by man, then it needs be carried out by that which deigned man {for note that which designed man was not flawed, for our brokenness was chosen by our disobedience to that which was good=God}.

So thus, God carries out Justice. He is Justice.

And He is fair, for if He wasn't we would all be in Jesus's place.

I used to think I could have handled that punishment.

No way, not even for a second.

But although sorrow lasts in the evening, joy comes in the morning. 

Three days later Jesus broke the bondage of sin and death.

Jesus is alive.

Jesus is ALIVE!

Buddah, Muhammed, Shiva/Krishna/Kali (& thousands of other names I can't pronounce), Joseph Smith, Friedrich Nietzsche

are all dead.

Justice is dead.

We are dead.

Dead in sin.

"How can this be?..." John 3 reading {click & read}

God is not dead.

Justice, Jesus is not dead.

Happy Easter.