Chris Gnanakan

Everybody likes ‘new beginnings’, fresh starts! Having said that, I also believe in continuity and faith-fulness to the task at hand or, in the way I sign off my letters – ‘Pressing On’. There is much value in ‘positive, forward thinking’. I understand the Greek god Janus, from whom we get the name for the month January, has two faces. One looks backward with a frown, and the other ahead with a confident smile. Paul, the early Church’s missionary and gospel preacher was once Saul of Tarsus, its menace and persecutor. But, an encounter with the resurrected Jesus, transformed his life. He made a startling statement in Phil. 3:13-14 that can help us have a fresh start and as Christians ‘press on’ in our faith, work and witness, no matter what (more…)

Here we are, its 2010, already! There have been times in my life when, like Job (7:6), I’ve felt ‘my days are spent so fast and full of hopelessness’. Other times, emerging from a daunting situation, I’ve earnestly prayed with Moses: ‘Lord, teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom’ (Psa. 90:12). Someone has calculated, if an average life is put into one day (24 hrs) starting at 7 am, then at 11:30am I’d be 20 years, at 6:30 pm – 50 years, at 8:45 pm – 60 years and soon… it would be time to go to bed!

When I turned 40, it was startling to realize I had lived 14, 600 days! I asked myself: ‘Chris, what have you been doing with all these days?’ I wondered if these days had made me more holy, helpful to others and could be counted as happy days in my life, which can be lived only ‘one day at a time’! God’s Word, recommends a 7-fold ‘daily’ plan for our lives that gives it meaning, purpose and importantly brings Him pleasure day-by-day. Let me list these Bible verses that instruct us to make every day a day for (more…)

Who do you think put in the most preparations and efforts toward Christmas? Matthew in stressing Jesus’ kingship, records (Ch.2) how some Magi – scholarly astrologers and kingmakers from the Orient – came ‘bearing gifts and traveling afar’. At all costs, these wise men sought a Savior ‘in whom are hide’ all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2: 3,9). They offered the baby Jesus the most significant gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh that depicted His kingly messiahship, priestly service and redemptive mission. There are essential insights we can learn as we journey with these men in search of truth (more…)

As a pastoral theologian, I‘ve been most curious as to why the grandest news of Christ’s coming was first announced to lowly shepherds watching their flock by night? Why not proclaim the arrival of the ‘Prince of Peace’ to King Herod and his powerful authorities in the royal palace? Or, share the Advent of Messiah to the high priest and theologically learned leaders in the temple? Why not to all the family relatives of Mary and Joseph? Why would an angelic host bring the glorious message of Christmas: glad tiding of great joy for all people, to lonely low-class common labourers in the fields outside the city? (more…)

One of the earliest poems I recollect memorizing as a child was: Mary had a little lamb; its fleece was white as snow… I was christened in the Catholic Church (my grandmother named me after St. Christopher!) where the image of the holy “Mother and Child” was engraved on my mind. However, only as a teenager I realized that in a real sense the whole Bible and its offer of salvation was about Mary’s Lamb– God’s Son, the world’s Savior. Christmas celebrates Mary’s boy child Jesus Christ whose birthday was anticipated  in the Old Testament, announced  by angels, attended  by poor shepherds and wealthy magi and adorned  by the Star of Bethlehem.

This Lamb was prophesied  at the first mention of the gospel (proto evangelion; Gen.3:15), remarkably typified  at every Jewish Passover feast (Ex.12f), personified  in God’s promise of the Messiah (Isa.9; 53), identified  by John the Baptist on earth, magnified  by thousands in heaven’s choirs (Rev.2:12) and glorified  by Almighty God for all time and eternity (Rev.22:11). I shudder to think that all this once depended on the yieldedness of a peasant teenager (a bit older to Alethea, our 13 year-old). Mary was “expecting Jesus” but little did she expect to find God in her womb and soon see God in a cradle, God among sinners and God on a cross! The Bible has more to say about Jesus the Lamb who in the fullness of time God sent forth and Mary brought forth.

The Expectation of the Lamb: Where is the lamb? (Gen.22:7)
Someone has aptly pointed out regarding the Bible in two testaments that the New is in the Old concealed; and the Old in the New revealed. For me, the Old Testament may be summed up in one question Isaac asked Abraham when taken to be sacrificed on Mount Moriah: “Where is the lamb?” Abraham’s answers became Israel’s consolation and the hope of all the earth: “God will provide himself a Lamb”. God’s people sacrificed countless lambs that at best covered sins, but they eagerly awaited God’s spotless Lamb

The Exposition of the Lamb: Watch the lamb take sins away! (Jn.1:29)
God had prepared John the Baptist as a forerunner to identify to Israel and declare that Jesus born of Mary by the Holy Spirit was indeed God’s Lamb, who once-and-for-all  would take away the sins of the whole world. Jesus’ incarnation was a necessity and precisely how our Creator could be among his creatures and the Infinite One became an infant. God the Son as a sacrificial lamb laid aside his majesty to share in our misery, exchanged his riches for ridicule, left his throne to die on a tree. Behold the lamb!

The Exaltation of the Lamb: Worthy is the lamb once slain! (Rev.5:12)
We can only celebrate Christmas because we already know about Good Friday and Easter. Unlike other lambs, Jesus the Lord of life, willing laid down his life therefore God raise him and has highly exalted him that at his name every knee will one day bow and every tongue confess: Jesus Christ is Lord. All heaven will declare this enthroned Lamb as worthy to take all power, wealth, wisdom, honor, glory and blessing! The miracle  of Christmas is that God’s Lamb offers himself not as God-Above-Us but as God-Among-Us. The mystery  of Christmas is that the exalted lamb is God-With-Us and, by his Spirit, God-Within-Us! Come, let us worship the Lamb of glory!

Mary had a Little lamb, He came on Christmas Night
She laid him in a manger bed this king of light and life
He ate with poor and sinful folk; he claimed he was God’s Son
This made the leaders plot the death of this holy sinless One

He came to give us Joy and Peace, to take away our sin
He heals the sick and clams the storm and ushers justice in
What makes the lamb love Mary so and all the world beside?
By grace alone he chose his own, for them he lived and died.

We too must love the lamb you know, his blood will wash us clean
Our words must show that we are his for our lives by all are seen
One day this lamb will come again more lion than a lamb
Defeat his foes, reward his own, Oh praise the day he came!

More recently I came across another poem on Mary’s Lamb by the Rosenthals with references that make a good Bible study:

Mary had the little Lamb, who lived before His birth;
Self-existent Son of God, from Heaven He came to Earth. (Micah 5:2)
Mary had the little Lamb; see Him in yonder stall –
Virgin-born Son of God, to save man from the fall. (Isaiah 7:14)

Mary had the little Lamb, obedient Son of God;
Everywhere the Father led, His feet were sure to trod. (John 6:38)
Mary had the little Lamb, crucified on the tree.
The rejected Son of God, He died to set men free. (1 Peter 1:18)

Mary had the little Lamb — men placed Him in the grave.
Thinking they were done with Him; to death He was no slave! (Matt. 28:6)
Mary had the little Lamb, ascended now is He;
All work on Earth is ended, our Advocate to be. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Mary had the little Lame — mystery to behold!
From the Lamb of Calvary, a Lion will unfold. (Revelation 5: 5, 6)
When the Day Star comes again, of this be very sure:
It won’t be Lamb-like silence, but with the Lion’s roar. (Ps 2:12, Rev 19:9-16)

The cleansing of the 10 lepers, a miracle story unique to Luke (17:11-19) is significant for 2 reasons: First, in this section (Chs 16-19) chiefly of teachings on God’s Kingdom, this healing event is inserted. Second, Jesus’ journey toward Jerusalem to suffer ‘rejection’ sets the stage for these lepers plight. But, rather than the healing itself, Luke’s stress is on the response of praiseful thanks from one ‘Samaritan’ leper. He was one of a kind! His worshipful act reveals what lies at the heart of the gospel and demonstrates an essential aspect of the kind of faithfulness that ought to characterize the “saved”- thankfulness!

Much can be said about these lepers’ condition, cry and cure. However, our focus, like Luke’s, will be on this one leper’s expression of gratitude that serves as evidence of genuine faith and is a picture of God’s salvation (shalom), that Jesus affirms only to him (v.19). By his efforts this Samaritan recognises God was at work through Jesus and personally appropriates that amazing grace. Though socio-culturally and religiously rejected by the Jews as an ‘outsider’, he turns around (repentance) breaks away from the rest to return to Jesus (faith). He throws himself at Jesus’ feet and testifies boldly. He understood the spiritual isolation sin brings and is thankful for the wonderful fellowship; wholeness, not just physical healing, that Christ brings us into.

Jesus’ 3 questions (v.17-18) teach us the importance of thanksgiving as a grace, divine and human, that must never be taken for granted.  It’s saving power extends beyond human boundaries and is offered to all. Often, sad but true, those whom society think deserve God’s judgment the most, are found most thankful for his mercy and grace in time of need.

There is much we can learn from this Samaritan leper. Our Lord expects thanks from recipients of God’s loving forgiveness and healing power. Why is it that we Christians tend to forget, ‘we are what we are’ by the grace of God, turn grace into disgrace and are often ashamed to share the gospel? Let us continually be challenged toward thanks-living. I invite you to join me in a short prayer that has changed my life with an attitude of gratitude. It simply says: “Lord, You have given me so many things, give me one more thing, give me a Thankful Heart !” Amen.