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Purpose In The Procession

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14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God…” - 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

It's Friday, it's the end of a long week. As you read this, do you feel like you’re in a triumphal procession? Do you feel like you’re a sweet smelling aroma of Christ? In this text, Paul takes an image from the Roman world in which he lived. A Roman triumphal parade was given to successful generals as they returned from their conquests. 20th century theologian William Barclay wrote, “After a triumph, the procession of the victorious general marched through the streets of Rome to the Capitol. First came the state officials and the senate. Then came the trumpeters. Then were carried the spoils taken from the conquered land. Then came the pictures of the conquered land and models of conquered citadels and ships. There followed the white bull for sacrifice which would be made. Then there walked the captive princes, leaders and generals in chains, shortly to be flung into prison and in all probability almost immediately to be executed. Then came the lictors bearing their rods, followed by the musicians with their lyres; then the priests swinging their censers with the sweet-smelling incense burning in them. After that came the general himself. Finally came the army wearing all their decorations and shouting their cry of triumph - “Io triumphe!” As the procession moved through the streets, all decorated and garlanded, amid the cheering crowds, it made a tremendous day which might happen only once in a lifetime.” Of the triumphal procession, theologian F.B. Meyer added, “...to the eyes of the world of that day was the most glorious spectacle which the imagination could conceive.

Again I ask, as you read this, do you feel like you’re in a triumphal procession? If you’re anything like me...probably not. In the midst of the grit and messiness of raising a child, trying to be the husband I'm called to be, leading a growing family, being a man in the world, maintaining messy relationships, and trying to follow Christ, it often feels like anything but a triumphal procession. I feel like I often smell of anything but a sweet aroma of Christ, rather baby odor and dog hair. But these are images that Paul uses for himself and everyone who is has put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. William Barclay writes of Paul’s words, “He sees Christ marching in triumph throughout the world, and himself in that conquering train. It is a triumph which, Paul is certain, nothing can stop.

The Corinthian Church was a mess. Paul was being heavily criticized by the Corinthian Church for his ministry. Paul has suffered a great deal in his ministry. He’s already been imprisoned for Christ once by the time he writes this letter. There is no evidence to suggest that Paul ever lived a comfortable life after being knocked off his horse and began following Jesus. And yet he can utter these words of “triumphal procession” and “aroma of Christ”. Paul sees himself as sharing in the triumph of Jesus and he is one of his chief officers! Simply amazing!

You may not FEEL like you’re in a triumphal procession, but you are. Jesus is leading you in a triumphal procession after a victory that has already been won and you didn’t have to raise a spear because Jesus won it for you on the cross. He is leading you in this procession towards the day when we spend eternity with him. You may not “smell” like it, but in Christ, you are an aroma of him and he is spreading the fragrance of himself everywhere. We are marching in a glorious, unseen procession with Jesus at the helm. But what about what we do see? Maybe what we do see is our procession as well. It’s a procession not made up of soldiers, spoils, trumpeters, and regalia, but kids, dirty clothes, and stained carpets, dogs that need baths and haircuts, cars that need maintenance, and lightbulbs that constantly need fixing. Our procession can look like a lot of different things, but maybe it's not about the procession as much as it is the General in front of your procession and his triumph being lived out in your life. It's in the messiness of life where we find our General Jesus and experience him the most.

But as always, it comes back down to faith. And when you believe this in your heart, and you can consistently remind yourself of this, and you allow the ministry of the Word in your life to keep taking root in your heart, it can change everything about your moment-to-moment day. When things don’t seem to make sense in your life, you can rest in the fact that Jesus makes perfect sense, and he is leading you triumphantly. When you feel like you’re alone, he is leading you triumphantly. When you feel defeated, it’s just a fleeting feeling because you have the ultimate victory thanks to your leader Jesus. Imagine what it must have felt like to be a part of a Roman triumphal procession - such freedom, such security, such confidence, such purpose. Through faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit gives us the power to relate with others like we're in a triumphal procession, to speak, act, and live as though we are in a triumphal procession. This is why, despite his circumstances, Paul could endure anything and believe he was a part of a triumphal procession, because of his steadfast belief in who Jesus Christ is and what the cross means.

If you haven’t put your faith and trust in Christ, you are not sharing in this procession. But you can and you don’t have to wield a sword at somebody to do it! It's a procession that welcomes anybody who's faith is in Jesus and what he did on the cross. In this battle we're waging in life, when we stop going to other places to "win" freedom, security and purpose, and start marching to the beat of Jesus' victory for us, there we find true freedom, true security, and true purpose. Jesus is our General and there’s freedom in his unseen procession and our day to day procession. There’s security in his procession. There’s purpose in his procession. There’s life in his procession. There’s true joy in his procession.

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