To Kill a Jabberwocky

It has been a couple of weeks since I saw the new 'Alice in Wonderland' in theaters. I thought it was a good, solid watch, though it did nothing too drastically different as to better or even worsen any of the versions before it.

What I do remember from the movie that I liked a lot was Alice's confrontation with the Jabberwocky. Not so much the actual fight but how she convinced herself that it could be done.

It was great. Alice has a shield and a sword walking slowly up to the massive beast and she says to herself that it is impossible to kill such a creature. Then, remembering a saying she shared with her father, "I have accomplished six impossibilities before breakfast." She then started listing the impossibilities she had accomplished before facing the Jabberwocky.

In my estimation it was one of the sweetest parts of the movie. It speaks to all of us in some way or another. I see something before me that is challenging and I want to balk. I have a tendency to get anxious or nervous about certain things and then I realize that I have done crazier things and seen miracles happen unexplainable.

It makes me think of God's grace in my life:

By His grace I have been saved from my sin.

By His grace I have had the Holy Spirit poured out on me.

By His grace I have a beautiful family.

By His grace I have community and fellowship with Godly brothers and sisters.

By His grace I have the most amazing wife.

By His grace God continues to make me into a more lovable creature by putting challenges along the way making me depend all the more on His beautiful grace.

It puts daily activity in perspective and makes us think about the weight of victory in overcoming the impossible.

We love stories that the hero has to overcome impossible challenges. That is what makes them the hero. But when it comes to our stories we would rather avoid the risk of losing. But when we think about it we live and breathe by miracles.

To kill a jabberwocky, one must think of all the miracles that have happened even before breakfast.

The Just and the Justifier

Today we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. I guess in theory we celebrate it every Sunday, and I guess we should celebrate it every single day.

The Resurrection makes us who we are.

One of the greatest paradoxes of the Christian faith is that God is Just and Merciful. He is more Just than we will ever be and more Merciful than we will ever be. It is because of Christ that He can be both, because in Christ He holds these two together.

God is the Maker of Heaven and Earth. He is the King, a Righteous Ruler. To let rebellion go without punishing it would negate His Holiness, His Justice. A Just Ruler would not allow crimes to go unpunished.

So, the biggest struggle is that when I sin, when I rebel, when I am idolatrous, I feel the impossibility of approaching the throne of God, for it is against Him that I have sinned. My inclination is to run from the Sovereign God. But here is where the beautiful truth and freedom come in: Not only is He Just but He is the Justifier. He is not only the One who judges but He is the One who Saves.

My rebellion is against God Almighty, but at the same time only God Almighty can save me.

How does He do this? He becomes Man to take on the full punishment of rebellion of mankind. God remains Just and Merciful.

What better day to celebrate our Freedom? Religions have much truth to them but lack salvation for mankind. Christianity is so beautiful in that God becomes Man in order that His Character and Salvation are complete.

God is not only our Judge but Our Savior. He is not only the Just but the Justifier.

This is all because of Jesus Christ defeating death on the Cross.

What greater news is this?

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Chrsit Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:23 - 26)