Description
MASTERPIECES
Raising of the Cross
Ed Young
April 15, 2001
Ever since I can remember, I have always enjoyed artwork, whether it be drawing or doodling, sketching or even painting. I thought today I would do some painting while I talk to you, if you don’t mind, just a little bit of artwork over the next several moments. At this time, you might be saying to yourselves, “Why in the world is Ed Young trying to do some painting?” I don’t at all pretend to be some accomplished artist, but I just want to do some painting.
You know we are beginning a brand new series today. Preston mentioned it. It is called “Masterpieces.” We are simply taking some of the greatest paintings in the world and seeing how they relate to our world. Today’s painting is by Rembrandt and it depicts Rembrandt raising the cross. It is a self-portrait. If you are wondering about my subject matter, what I am painting right now, well, you are looking at him. This is me. It’s a self-portrait. Great thing about self-portraits is you can make yourself look even better than you really are. Just bear with me for a couple of moments while I do a little painting. I will put my hairline a little lower than it is in reality. I think it might look a little bit better that way, maybe longer hair. You know I have a big old mouth. My dentist tells me that my mouth is about the size of a condo.
I’ll stop for a second and paint a little bit more later. It’s a self-portrait, the beginnings of one, because Rembrandt did it. And if it’s good enough for Rembrandt, it’s good enough for me. Speaking of painting, the Bible says that God is also into artwork. He is a phenomenal painter. He cranks out masterpiece after masterpiece. David over in the Old Testament said this about God’s artwork, Psalm, chapter 8, “You made man inferior only to yourself. You crowned him with glory and honor.” In Psalm 139, he said, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that full well.”
What was David’s dissertation driving at? He was saying this: We are living, breathing pieces of art. Basically, God is standing in front of the canvas of our lives. Our Lord has strategically placed paint all over our picture. If we let him, if we give him the art supplies, if we give him the brush, the pallet and the paint, he will take your life and mine and turn it into a masterpiece. That should be revolutionary. We are the subject matter of God’s artistry. I hope you are tracking with me now. If we are the subject matter of God’s artistry, and God is in the masterpiece painting business, then that makes us pretty pricey. We are valuable. Let’s say that together. I’ll say I am valuable and you say it with me. “I am valuable.”
We talked to an art dealer this week about the painting that Rembrandt rendered. We asked him how much the painting would cost. He said, “It’s priceless.” I am valuable. I am worth something.
How many of you have ever participated in one of the greatest things known to man, a garage sale? Would you lift your hand if you have? Aren’t garage sales fun? What a blast. A while back, Lisa and I had a garage sale. There is one thing that always intrigues me about garage sales, really two things. The first thing is, people will buy anything. I mean, junk. You are saying, “Who would pay for that?” Secondly, a garage sale teaches us that an object is only worth as much as someone will pay for it.
There have been times in my life, and I know there have been times in your life, where maybe you felt like an item in a garage sale, maybe a season in your life where you felt like you don’t really matter, that you are a no count, that you are insignificant. In a real way, God says that is a bunch of bunk. You are valuable. You are worth something. “You are so valuable,” God says, “that I did something to secure your value. I did something for you so you will know how much you cost. Romans 5, “God has shown how much he loves us. It was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us.” In 1 Peter, chapter 1, “God paid a ransom to save you. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Jesus Christ.” Download it.
Because of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, I am valuable and so are you. Don’t ever let anyone say you are not. You have never locked eyes with someone who does not have a high value, because Jesus Christ died on the cross for all of our sins. I am a masterpiece. I am valuable. But also, if I am valuable, I am a true original. Let’s just say that now. “I am an original.” I am one of a kind. I am unique. An original is not some photocopy or a fake. It’s the real deal.
When we clock out and meet the Lord face to face, God is not going to look at you and look at me and go, “Hey, I wish you would have been more like someone else. I wish you would have been more like him or her.” God’s not going to say that. God is going to say, “I wish you had been more like you.” If you had not been you, there would be a hole in history, a gap in God’s creativity. You are an original.
Speaking of being an original, 2 Corinthians 10:12 talks about being an original. Here is the angle it takes. It says that we make a mockery of God’s brilliance and his creativity when we don’t understand how original we are, and when we compare and contrast ourselves with others. It’s unfair to compare. 2 Corinthians 10 says, “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves.” Let me stop here for a second. I am an original, right? I am valuable. There is a big time price tag on my life, the shed blood of Jesus Christ. If I am going to do life deeply with God, if I am going to do life in a healthy way, yes, I have got to understand my value. I also have to understand my originality. To do that, don’t miss this one now, I’ve got to see my canvas the way God sees me, nothing more, nothing less. But we get into trouble. I mess up and so do you. I turn God’s masterpiece into a finger-painting when I begin to look at someone else’s canvas, compare my canvas with them, or classify. The Bible says don’t go there. “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves, when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.”
We are immersed in a culture that has cut its teeth on comparisons. We compare everything, figures, physiques, bank accounts, houses, cars, clothes. We even compare kids. We act like we don’t, but we do. If you don’t believe me, go to the soccer field. Go to a t-ball game, always comparing, always contrasting. We are making a mockery of God’s masterpiece when we do that. It’s like comparing apples with oranges, or to maybe some of the yuppies here, a BMW with a Lexus. That was a joke, BMW with a Lexus, get it? When we compare and classify ourselves, when we don’t own our originality, here is what happens. Two bad things happen.
Number one, we fall into the “bubba zone.” I have an uncle, great guy, very generous person, give you the shirt off his back. He has a one of a kind, unique voice. We call him “Uncle Bubba.” He talks like this. Bubba has the amazing ability to articulate a word and take on the expression of the word when he says the word. A while back, I was in Houston seeing my family and my middle brother is named, Ben. Uncle Bubba came up to me and said, “Ed, have you seen Ben? He looks terrrrible,” contorting his whole face as he said the word “terrible.” When you compare or classify or contrast yourself with some else, you will enter the Bubba zone and you will feel terrible.
Something else will happen too. Comparing yourself with others can send you on an ego trip. A lot of people will say, “This guy, this girl, they are on an ego trip, orbiting around their lives because they are into what makes them look good, what makes them feel good, what gives them pleasure. That’s all they are about, an ego trip person. We all know someone who compares themselves with others. Why? Because when they compare themselves, they are saying, “You know what? I am better than him. I am better than her. I am this. They are not.”
We mess up, too, when we criticize others. We become the proverbial art critique. We think as we criticize others, that somehow it will make our painting look better, even more original, or more valuable. Little do we realize, though, its trashing God’s talent. It’s turning this masterpiece into a finger-painting. Sometimes we are really sly. Sometimes—have you ever done this? I have—We will tear apart our own painting in hopes that our friends will build us back up. Maybe someone will say, “Hey, man, you are a great tennis player.” We say, “Oh, no, I am not. I am a terrible tennis player,” hoping our peers will say, “No, man, you are awesome. You the man.” We are so sly about it.
I was thinking about the originality of who we are wired up to be a while back. I just turned forty years of age a few weeks ago, and my six year old twin daughter wrote me this little card. Listen to this. This really put wind in my sail. “To Ed Young. I love Young. You are the best Ed on earth. Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, I love you. From Laurie Young.” Then she put, “H.B.” To explain that, it means Happy Birthday. That really meant a lot to me. God has told us the same thing in his Word. Because God commissioned Christ to live a sinless life, to die a sacrificial death, because Jesus burst forth with resurrection power, we should understand our value and our originality. In a real way, God has said, “Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, you, Ed, are the best Ed on earth. So don’t try to be someone else. Be yourself.”
When Lisa and I were at seminary, we house-sat for a family of great means. In Texas, we would say they were loaded. We would house-sit while this family would fly around the world in their jet. They had an amazing art collection. One night, Lisa went down into the basement. She said, “Honey, you would not believe what is down in the basement. Sculpture after sculpture on wooden shelves. Original priceless artwork just down in the basement. I said, “Wow, is that unreal?” I said to myself, “Boy, if we had a collection like that, we would advertise it. We would say, “Look at this.” This is worth something. This is an original.” They didn’t.
Don’t ever try to put your life down in the basement. Don’t ever say, “Well, I am not really that talented. God didn’t really have a great plan for my life or a great purpose or agenda.” That is a lie from the pit of hell. That is not true. Display your life in God’s gallery. However, the only way you will ever understand what God’s gallery is about, what value is really about, what originality is all about, is when you take the step and commit your life to Christ. Once you do that, once you put your art supplies in his hands, then and only then will you understand who you are. Most people don’t even realize who they are. It’s sad, but they don’t. Why? Because they don’t have a connection, a deep connection with the Lord.
So I am valuable. Let’s say that, I know it’s early. “I am valuable.” “I am original.” But something else the Bible tells me I am in Christ, I am also lovable. Say that. “I am lovable.”
My wife and I started dating when I was like fifteen years of age. We didn’t really date but we called it that. It sounded pretty cool, you know, dating. One summer, my family and I took a vacation and we were gone for a couple of weeks. While we were on vacation, amazingly Lisa found out where we were staying and she sent me a love letter. My mother said in her Mississippi accent, “Ed, look what I have. I just picked this up from the postman.” I said, “Oh, Mom, it’s a letter from Lisa. Thank you, Mom.” It was a thick letter, about seven pages, and Lisa had sprayed Charlie cologne on it. It was phenomenal. I opened it up and read this letter. She was telling me how much she loved me. I must have read that letter twenty-five times in two or three days. My parents were joking with me. They would say, “Ed, come on, you want to read the entire letter to us so we can hear it?” “No, Dad. No, Mom. It’s just between Lisa and I.”
The Bible is a colossal collection of love letters. Read it. It talks about how much you matter, how much I matter. It talks about how much we are loved. Love has to have an object and we are the object of God’s love. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him, should not perish but have eternal life.” I’m loved.
Isaiah 54 says, “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken says the Lord.” So when I wake up in the morning, I don’t have to roll over and ask, “I wonder if God loves me today?” I don’t have to wonder that. There is nothing I can do right now or nothing you can do right now that will cause God to love you less. His love is constant. If we realized how much God loved us, I think we would blow a fuse. We would just melt down. We couldn’t handle it. I’m lovable.
I am also something else. It even gets better. I am forgivable. Let’s say that together. “I am forgivable.” From cover to cover, the Bible talks about this. I am forgivable. We could easily, friends, paint our portrait where Rembrandt painted his. Your sins and mine nailed Jesus to the cross. It did. Jesus Christ took all of the guilt, all of the pain, all of the remorse when he hung there suspended between heaven and earth, taking the licks for your iniquities and mine. He did it because we matter to him. He did it because he wanted us to understand our originality and our value and his love and his forgiveness. The good news of the Bible is the work has been done. The price has been paid.
Let me tell you the lengths God has gone through to secure forgiveness and to secure our true identity. Back in the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve had it going on. They were hitting on all cylinders. They saw their canvas in the image of God, nothing more, nothing less. Didn’t compare themselves. Didn’t contrast themselves. They just said, “God, this is it. I am made in your image. You are the master artist. This is sweet!”
Something happened, though. The evil one came on the scene, tempted them, and he said in no uncertain terms, “Hey, look away from God for your significance. Look to someone else or something else.” They did. They messed up God’s masterpiece due to sin. They turned his masterpiece into a finger-painting. The moment they sinned, they separated themselves from God. God is holy. He can’t wink at sin. He can’t just say, “Boys will be boys. Girls will be girls.” He can’t even look on it.
God did something too, though. He acted. God, because of their guilt, because of their sin, God took an innocent animal and killed it right before Adam and Eve’s eyes. They had never seen death before. Everything was perfect in the garden. Can you imagine the horror when they saw the animal’s blood spilling on the soils of this beautiful garden? Can you imagine what was going on in their minds? God then skinned the animal and used the skins to cover their nakedness. Once they sinned, Adam and Eve realized that they were naked. They felt the guilt and the pain of it. The animal skins covered their nakedness. This is a foreshadowing of what was going to happen later, the shedding of an innocent third party, the spilling of blood, to cover and atone for the sins of mankind.
Push the fast-forward. God’s people were in Egyptian bondage. God told them he was going to supernaturally let them go. He also told them that a death angel was going to pass over the city and take the life of the first born of every household. But then he told his people, he said, “Look, guys, you take an unblemished lamb, kill it, take it’s blood and apply it to the doorpost over your home, and when the death angel passes over the city, he will literally pass over your household if you have applied the blood of the lamb on your doorpost.” The entire Old Testament sacrificial system was based on the shed blood of an innocent third party to atone for man’s sin.
In the New Testament, you have Jesus, born of a virgin, lived a perfect life. Thirty years of age, he’s walking down the street, John the Baptist says, “There’s the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” And three years later Jesus Christ died on a Roman cross for your sins and mine. Right before he breathed his last breath, he said, “It is finished.” Three days later, he bursts forth with resurrected power. He signed God’s masterpiece, God’s redemptive painting. Right now, by his grace and by his power, he is saying, “I want to take your art supplies. I want to paint in your life. I want to be the artist. I want to take your finger-painting and make it into something breathtakingly beautiful.”
Let me stop here and do some more painting. You might be saying about now, “I didn’t realize, Ed, that you had a goatee.” If you are punching your neighbor now and going, “You know that kind of looks like Jesus.” You are right. Let me tell you why. Years ago, by the grace of God, he painted his Son on the canvas of my life. It’s something I cannot merit or earn. It’s something that was just done for me. But I had to make the call to apply it or not.
There is something really cool about a painting. What I think is so cool about a painting is the fact that the painting must have a frame. The frame really sets a painting off. Our life is the same. The Bible wants us to frame our lives by four facets. Stay with me now. I am valuable. I am an original. I am lovable and I am forgivable. The only way I can ever discover who I really am, my uniqueness, is to allow God to paint the portrait of his son on my life. The only way I can ever understand my originality and value is to do that.
It is my earnest prayer that you will come to that point that you will have that transference, that you will say, “You know, God, I want to give you these art supplies. I know you have been standing patiently in front of the canvas of my life waiting and waiting for me to give you the brush and the paints and everything it takes to paint the image of your son there.”
If you had your paints and you were painting your portrait up here, what would it look like? Jesus wants it to look like himself, and it can because of his death, burial and resurrection. Then and only then will you realize your value, originality, love and forgiveness. So how about it? Why not right now just say, “Lord, here’s the pallet, here’s the paint, here’s the brush. You take control.”