The Third Day

In my Bible reading today, I read John chapter 2, a chapter that I have probably read at least 10 times in my life. But this time I noticed something new.

The transition between chapters 1 and 2 of John is extremely awkward. Chapter 1 ends with Jesus speaking to Nathanael, a newly met disciple. Chapter 2 begins, "And the third day a wedding took place in Cana..."

The third day of what!?!

John gives no clue what the third day means. The third day of the week? The third day of the month? The third day of his brand new job? He doesn't say. I don't think he cares, because for him the third day had a deeper significance.

Of course, Jesus was resurrected on the third day after his death. In the context of John chapter 2, the third day also signifies resurrection! The next several verses talk about Jesus changing the water into wine, a sign (verse 11) for changing death into life, which is resurrection.

John's gospel is a gospel all about life, and from the first verse of chapter 2, he sets forth this principle of resurrection.

God's Masterpiece

For the past two weeks, I have been back in my hometown of Spokane, Washington visiting my family. One of the great things about the Northwest (especially in comparison to Texas) is the natural scenery. This past week, I had the opportunity to spend a few days backpacking in the scenic Cascade Mountains.

During the trip, my appreciation for God's creation reached a whole new level. I really enjoyed the breathtaking views of snowy peaks and peaceful meadows, but that is only one aspect of the creation. The creation truly does testify of God, as explained by Romans 1:20 - "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen..."

But...

The creation is not God's masterpiece! Can you believe it? The mountains, the rivers, the oceans, the trees, the animals, the water cycle, the carbon cycle, the perfect balance of life, even all the planets and stars and galaxies...none of it is God's masterpiece.

What is God's masterpiece? Let's go to Ephesians 2:10 - "For we are His masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works..." The word masterpiece is sometimes translated as workmanship. The word in Greek is poiema, a great work of art expressing the maker's wisdom. We, the believers built up as the church, are God's poiema, God's workmanship, God's masterpiece! He has taken fallen sinners, redeemed them, regenerated them, making them his sons and his body as his corporate expression on the earth. What a masterpiece!

The Excellent Ones

Well, I probably do not have enough time to summarize the entire road trip from last week on the blog like I promised before. We passed through seven states, stopped in five cities, visited three university campuses and one gigantic cave, and accumulated over 2,000 miles in the car. You can read more about the trip itself on a post in Chris' blog. I just want to emphasize one aspect of the trip: visiting saints in other localities. This was undoubtedly the highlight of the trip for all five of us. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 16:3 - "As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight." In the Bible, saint means sanctified one. All the believers who have ever lived on the earth are saints! We had the privilege of visiting some of these sanctified ones in Cincinnati, Fairborn (Ohio), Ann Arbor (Michigan), and Chicago. These saints poured out their love and care upon us by providing us food and lodging, taking us on tours, and feeding us the Word of God. I can truly say after the trip that they love us and we love them. The saints in the Midwest, just like the saints everywhere, truly are the excellent ones.

Road Trip Rundown

I haven't posted much in the last five days because I have been traveling without an Internet connection. On Tuesday evening, four other brothers and I left Austin. So far we have traveled through Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky on our way to Ohio. We made stops in Dallas, Memphis, and Mammoth Cave National Park before arriving at our destination, Cincinnati. We spent one day there unpacking a U-Haul (more on that later) and touring the campus and city. Right now we are in Fairborn, Ohio (more on that too), with destinations still remaining in Michigan and Illinois. Sorry I don't have time to say more now, but I will post more details later, hopefully with pictures.