Hello, my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this Friday,
When you hear the word “aroma” what comes to your mind? Perfume or maybe flowers or the air after a rain, or maybe a terrible stench? We’re spending some time with the apostle Paul these days, as he had begun writing yet another letter to his friends in Corinth. Unlike 1 Corinthians, and the two other letters of conviction Paul wrote but which have been lost over the centuries, this letter we know as 2 Corinthians is an encouraging celebration of what God was doing among the Christians in Corinth.
In chapter 2 Paul wrote: “Thanks be to God who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Jesus Christ everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death, to the other an aroma that brings life.” (2 Cor. 2:14-16)
Parades are common in almost every society of the world. Military parades are among the oldest. The region of the world where Paul traveled had experienced military conquest and military parades for many centuries, so Paul’s words were immediately understood by those who heard them.
A triumphal military parade normally had several key elements:
First… a conquering king or military general who the parade is honoring!
Do you notice Paul used the words: “Christ’s triumphal procession”? Jesus Christ is the victor, the conquering king who has defeated Satan and his dark kingdom which had held humanity in sin bondage since the days of the Garden of Eden! Jesus won His victory through His sinless life, His atonement death on the cross, His victorious resurrection and His glorious ascension returning to reign in heaven!
Second… These ancient military victory parades also included the spoils of war on display which often included treasures and rare animals from the conquered region as well as human captives who would become slaves of the conquering kingdom.
These human captives were dragged along the parade route humiliated, in shackles and often nearly naked defeat. Did you notice Paul’s words “Thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession.” (2 Cor. 2:14)
All Jesus redeemed people are honored and delighted to march in Jesus Christ’s victory parade! However, rather than stumbling along in humiliation, we march in great thanksgiving and praise to God the Father for HE sent our Savior from heaven to earth to deliver us from our bondage in sin slavery. And we celebrate our Savior Jesus who defeated Sin, Satan and Death through His obedience to the Father’s Redemption Plan. And we celebrate the indwelling Holy Spirit of God who assures us of our new identity as a holy people, forgiven and adopted by Holy God.
Third… often victorious military parades in ancient times were enveloped in the smoke of incense burned in honor of the statues of the victorious army’s gods.
For the victors and the cheering crowds, the incense smell was the delicious fragrance of victory. For the captives it was the terrible stench of defeat. Paul declares that WE, those rescued from our sin slavery, are the living aroma of our victor Jesus Christ! Have you ever thought about that? Do you remember Jesus once spoke about His followers being “salt and light” in our dark and spoiled world? (Matt. 5:13-16) Now, Paul added the sense of a wonderful, sweet smelling aroma that wafts up to God, from wherever a delivered sinner turned saint might be standing at any moment in time. Is that you my friends?
Finally… do you see Paul celebrates that just as in those triumphal military processions, you and I, and all Christ followers are a sweet, welcomed aroma to all who seek to celebrate and honor Jesus Christ our Redeemer; while at the same time we are a terrible stench in the nostrils of those who reject Jesus and refuse His Gospel of Hope!
Oh my, that moves us to ask ourselves some important questions as the parade walks by today:
1. What is the reaction in my soul when I watch the Jesus parade march by? Am I cheering for those rescued from sin and death or ambivalent or even resentful?
2. What aroma does my life give off and how do the people around me respond? Is it possible I claim to be a rescued follower of Jesus, but the aroma I give off is a stench of death because I’m still a captive to sin heading for an eternity apart from Jesus?
The ‘lessons learned’ notes will be very helpful to us if we’ll take a few moments to read through them, and if your heart is ready to praise Jesus, there’s a great worship song available to you, and of course I’ll be here ready to meet with you tomorrow.
Today’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:14-16.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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