Restoring Our Relationship

On Resurrection Sunday, otherwise known as Easter, we celebrate our God and Savior Jesus Christ conquering the grave and rising from the dead. There are many meanings for the resurrection. It is proof of Jesus being God. The Lord conquering death is a promise to Christians that we will conquer death one day as well. The resurrection is God's offer to restore His life, the Holy Spirit, to all who accept Jesus Christ as their savior. However, one of the reasons for the resurrection that goes unnoticed is that it provides God with the opportunity to have a relationship with us. Christians like to use the phrase, "Christianity isn't a religion, it's a relationship." But, from my experience, the relationship often looks just like a religion. For example, do you know anybody who has said something like the following? "Jesus followers are to still be obedient to what is commanded in the New Testament." The statement alone is one of religion and not a relationship. Obedience to commands is the definition of religion. You do not need to know Jesus Christ to respond to commands. To live this way will do one thing for you. You will succeed in becoming just like the Jews. They deceived themselves into believing they were obedient to God and when the Lord showed up, they rejected Him. Are there any examples of God having a relationship with His people apart from obeying commands? 

Naming the Animals

After the Creation and before the Fall, we see an example of God and Adam engaged in a personal, interactive encounter with each other. In Genesis 2:19-20, we read, "Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky, and all the wild animals." Here we see a father and son naming the animals. God is allowing Adam to participate in the creation. Adam couldn't create the animals, but God allowed him to name them. Is that any different than a father and son going to the pet store and the father allowing his son to pick out and name the family pet? The child can't drive to the store and can't pay for the pet, but he can name it. God is no different in His interactions with us. God didn't know what Adam would name the animals just like a father may not know what name his son will give the family pet. This is an intimate and unforgettable moment in a relationship. 

Sharing His Plans

There is little else that displays a relationship between two people than for one to share their plans with the other. Later in Genesis, we see the Lord interacting with Abraham on His way to Sodom. "When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him (Genesis 18:16-18)." Who do you tell your plans to? It is usually someone close to you. Someone you can trust. A person you love. Here we see God entrusting Abraham with His plans to investigate the sins of Sodom. God did not have to tell Abraham, but He chose to let Him in on what He and the angels were going to do. If you keep reading, this leads to Abraham pleading for God to spare Sodom and God listened. How many times have you and a friend talked about your plans and hashed it out? We see that God is not all that different. 

Think Before You Act

There is always that time in our life when we do things in haste in response to our emotions. It could be as minor as an impulse purchase in the store checkout line all the way to acting out violently against someone who has hurt us. In the book of Exodus, we see what can only be described as Moses getting God to think twice about destroying the nation of Israel. Exodus 32:10-14 says, "Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened." In short, Moses was successful at getting God to change His mind and not destroy the nation of Israel for making the golden calf. This is an example of how the respect and love one has for another leads to you taking their advice and thinking things through before you act. 

Fish Fry

Who doesn't like to share a meal with their friends? How much of our interactions with friends and family revolve around sharing a meal? If there is a major event to celebrate, there will be a feast involved. Holidays, sporting events, life events, and so on, include food as part of the celebration. In John 21, Jesus had just finished helping the disciples catch some fish. The Lord, intending to reinstate Peter after his denial, prepared a meal for the disciples. "Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish (John 21:10-13)." I wonder what it must have been like to have God cook you breakfast after helping you haul in a bunch of fish? Does it get any more personal than this in a relationship? Having someone prepare a hot meal for you after a long night's work is the epitome of a loving relationship. 

In all of these examples, the underlying theme is love. God is not blessing them for obedience to some command they obeyed. He didn't curse the disciples for not catching any fish. He made them breakfast. The Lord, effectively, said to Moses, "Yes, on second thought, you are correct. I won't destroy My people." He listened to wise counsel. God sat down for a meal with Abraham and then shared His plans with Him. He didn't have to do that but did so because He loved Abraham. It is love that leads to a father and son sharing a moment to name the pets, in this case, the animals of the world. This is what God wants with all of us through faith in Jesus Christ. He forgave our sins and blessed us with Himself, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, so we can have an eternal relationship with Him. When we don't understand this truth, we are left to believe our relationship is based on our church attendance, giving record, battling with sin, our ministry success, and whatever else we feel God commands. That is not living. If that is what God wanted He could have just left us under the Old Covenant and we could proverbially set up camp at the foot of Mount Sanai. But, God has gone from the mountaintop to the cross, through the empty tomb, and into our hearts. Believe this and get to know your God.