44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. — Luke 23:44–46 (ESV)

All of us have a trust wound. At some point in our lives, we experienced betrayal. Somebody let us down and it hurt. Badly. We felt tricked or betrayed. We wondered why we ever trusted them in the first place. In that moment, something deep inside of us determined that we would never experience that again. Consequently, it becomes very difficult for us to trust anyone. The proliferation of false news and misinformation only bolsters our suspicions and fears. Who can we trust? How can we trust?

In the middle of the most painful and difficult moment of Jesus’ life, he trusted the Father. Though he had been beaten, crucified, and left for dead, Jesus still trusted his Father. This is the same Jesus that cried out seeking to understand why God was forsaking him. That cry did not negate his trust. Until the very end, Jesus entrusted his whole life to the hands of the Father. His last breath was a declaration of this unwavering trust.

Does trusting God with your life seem impossible right now? Are you unsure of his trustworthiness? Then consider Jesus. He trusted the Father, not just in times of delight, but even in his death. In his darkest moment, and when things made no sense, Jesus trusted God. Jesus knew that his Father was trustworthy. Even in the midst of incredible pain, suffering, darkness, and sorrow, God was worthy of Jesus’ trust. In the face of death, the Father remained worthy.

The Father did not disappoint. His response to Jesus’ trust was resurrection. This, of course, was no surprise to Jesus. He knew full well that the Father had promised to raise him back to life on the third day (Luke 9:22). His submission to crucifixion was an act of trust in the Father’s promise.

Jesus trusted the Father and was raised on the third day. Therefore, we too can trust God with our lives, knowing that he is infinitely worthy. There may be people in your life that you should not trust. There may be people that you simply cannot trust at this time. But you can always trust God. You can always take him at his word because he always keeps his promises. Always.

Liturgy 

Glory to you, our Sovereign Creator,
who holds us in your hands—the very hands
that created ocean and air, day and night. 

We come to you, a weary and ragged people,
exhausted from putting our trust in weaker gods. 

Many of us round the corner to the Easter season
on two wheels—beaten down, battered, and bruised. 

We confess: We struggle to trust you and often fail.
Our circumstance has left a stain and we have been badly burnt. We are slow to believe and hesitant to trust. 

Our flesh tells us it would be better if we donned the crown ourselves, maintaining control. Some nights it is even hard to slip into slumber, knowing that in order to sleep we must loosen our grip and relinquish the reins while we rest. As if we’d ever held them in the first place!

We bristle at the holiness of the triune God, a holiness that threatens our perceived autonomy. We want to define God by our own lived experiences. By our suffering.
By our past. We can’t handle the good news.

Oh God, what we must look like from the perspective of your throne. Lend us your lense, that we may see ourselves in light of eternity. Lord, bring us into the light, even if it feels too blinding to our unaccustomed eyes, so that we might see the reality of our filth. 

Embolden us to lay every idol aside and give ourselves proudly to you alone. We become what we love. No idol has ears to hear our cry, eyes to see our condition, no mouth to speak truth, no bones to be crushed on the cross. Leaving us, their empty worshippers, deaf, blind, mute, and forsaken. 

You wrestled death and emerged the victor. You have chosen us. What greater affirmation could we need?
You are a God we can trust. 

You are who you say you are.
You did what you came to do.
In your power, you work for our good.

If the Son entrusted his spirit to the Father, so, by your grace, must we.

Nations will rage and the tempest will rise. But you are not threatened by our uncertainties.

And so:
We till the ground.
We rock the baby.
We set the bread to rise.
We sing with gladness. 

Because:
Faithfulness to you begets hope.
Loyalty to you buoys hope.
Obedience to you declares hope.
Trust in you kindles hope. 

May we walk forward with a surefooted assurance of your saving grace, knowing how truly sweet it is to trust in you. Use every doubt for your purpose, oh Lord, until you call us home.

Amen.

Good Friday & Resurrection Sunday

You are invited you to celebrate Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday at Coram Deo Church. Good Friday is a unique time of reflecting on the sacrificial death of Jesus, while Resurrection Sunday is a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Our Good Friday services will be at 5:30 and 7:00 p.m. on April 15 while our Resurrection Sunday services will be at 8, 9:30, and 11:00 a.m. on April 17.