Summary & Key points
Morning, everyone. Amen. Wasn’t it wonderful to have our Sunday school kids leading worship as well? Thank you for that.
Amen, amen. Just a word—John Un is an amazing friend, brother, and leader. He travels all around the world and does leadership mentoring for big conglomerates. It’s a blessing to have him here as a friend. Normally, Eagles conferences take place in Singapore and are packed out with leaders and Christian politicians from all over the world. Patrina and I have had the privilege to speak at a few of them. We are in for a treat, so make the effort to be here and invite a friend. But don’t jury people from other churches. Don’t do that. Invite friends, colleagues from work, and especially those at college and in business.
This is the first week of March, the first countdown toward Easter. We have five weeks. This morning, I want to start by talking about broken mirrors and seeing beyond our reflections. I want to start with the basis of where the cross begins. Bear with me, because you may think, “How are you going to do broken mirrors with the cross?” Let’s do it together this morning.
Easter is a story of redemption. We can’t get away from it. We all need redemption. I’m going to read something I put together about what redemption is. We hear the word, but what is it? Today, I want to bring some clarity to that and what it does to us. Can you shout the word “redemption”? Redemption. Redemption.
What is redemption? It’s actually the most foundational teaching of the Bible. It begins in Genesis and culminates in Revelation. It comes to its completeness when Jesus returns again. Redemption is a powerful and hopeful concept that speaks powerfully and clearly to the heart of God for us, for you and me, very personally. At its core, redemption is about two concepts: repurchased and rescued.
Imagine if you have something really precious, something that has no monetary value. Money cannot buy it, and you lose it. That would almost bring devastation. But if somebody steps in and redeems it for you, paying a great price, they bring back that great value for you. That’s what redemption looks like. The great value we lost is our relationship with God. It cannot be purchased in any way—sacrificing animals or bringing offerings won’t work. Only one thing brought it back: the death of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection. It made all the difference. Our lives are restored back with God because of this thought: redemption. Jesus redeems us. This theme, this term, this idea, this concept starts from Genesis 1 and continues all the way to Revelation until Jesus comes back.
Redemption is a very simple thing in that it refers to God’s act through Jesus to deliver all of us from the bondage we have been in and restore our relationship with him. So today, I want to lay some groundwork to understand what salvation is all about, what God redeems us from, what he has restored in our lives, and what broken pieces in your life you think God cannot restore. I want you to find hope this morning in what you hear.
The whole thing is this: it is not a physical or earthly rescue event that took place. It is more of a spiritual one. The ultimate price was not a big amount of money, gold, silver, or diamonds. The significant price was Jesus’s death. That was the price. In simple English, redemption means
God’s rescue plan through Jesus to bring us back to him. We are lost because of sin. The relationship is shattered because of sin. Sin entered when Adam and Eve sinned, so we are separated from God. We are unable to save ourselves. There is nothing you and I can do, or anyone for that matter, to earn salvation or achieve a place in heaven. We can’t. Our righteousness, the Bible says, is like filthy rags. Even our best is not heaven’s worst; it just can’t match that.
We were lost, separated, and unable to save ourselves. But God, in his amazing love, his overwhelming love, sent Jesus. For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. The redemption of what Jesus did is crucial. By believing in Jesus, we receive God’s salvation when we accept him into our lives. The difficulty is that we say, “I receive you, Jesus, into my heart.” Actually, that’s a horrible prayer. Where is my heart? My heart should say, “Lord, I receive you into my life,” impacting every part of my life—my mind, thinking, actions, waking, sleeping, everything.
God hits the reset button in our lives, giving us a new beginning and new life. We are no longer defined by our past. Our today and tomorrow are not defined by yesterday. Our life is not defined by our mistakes but by God’s love and forgiveness. The challenge is that we often don’t understand God’s love or forgiveness. If we did, we would understand what it is to forgive others because most of us don’t forgive easily. If we understood love, it would change many things. Society wouldn’t be killing each other; men wouldn’t be killing each other in the name of convenience or politics. If we step back and look, we lost a lot in the garden. That broken mirror, that fractured life, we carry on with different things. Today, we try to mend life, emotions, and self-esteem, but it doesn’t work. It is only restored in one person: Christ Jesus.
Ethnic and racial issues cannot heal until we come to the cross. The Israel-Palestine conflict will never be resolved until both sides understand what Jesus did. Then they will stop the rifles and the massacre. None of them are right because that’s not the way of the cross. This amazing concept of redemption is not a one-time event but a process in our life. Every day we come into His likeness, through daily devotion and prayer, getting into God’s word and looking into that mirror—not a shattered mirror, but a perfect mirror that doesn’t lie to us.
Daily we are renewed and restored. God’s grace, redemption, and forgiveness are transformative. But we must remember that no one is beyond God’s reach. No one is. Through redemption, we see the depth of God’s love for us. It is so profound that God paid the highest price to bring us back to him—the death of his son. Easter is not just a celebration; it is acknowledging God’s amazing grace.
Our lives without God’s redeeming grace are like a broken mirror, a shattered mirror. Have you ever looked into a shattered mirror? You see fragments of yourself, not the complete image. This is how we carry a very fragmented image in our lives, leading to many issues. Only when we allow God to heal and restore us do we find the fullness of God, the fulfillment of his grace, and the cross that heals and restores.
How can hardcore convicts, when they encounter Christ, turn around? It’s not on their own ability but when they encounter Christ. That shattered image of life and upbringing is restored through Christ. We have distorted views of life and are always searching for significance through how we dress, who we talk to, the money we have, the place we live, the cars we drive, and the people we marry. We search for significance in various ways because of a shattered image within us.
We made blunders in marriage because we were searching for meaning, purpose, and satisfaction. If we have Christ and say Christ is everything, are we singing a lie? If we are satisfied in him, we won’t be troubled when things don’t go right. We will be calm and find clarity in God’s word.
Let me ask you: What do you search for significance in? The right university, college, education, results, or country? Church, friends, listen. Where are you searching for your significance? Who are you searching for your significance in? This is why we make blunders in marriage. We always search for meaning and purpose. We long for satisfaction and try to find it in various things. But it is only restored in one person: Christ Jesus. Our starting point should be the scriptures.
Romans 3:23-24 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. All are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” If you have a physical Bible, underline and circle those words: all and all. All have sinned and all are justified freely through redemption by Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here.” Are we still holding onto that old image, that false image of security? If I drive a Bentley, live it up, or travel business class, is that what brings significance? Is that what says you are blessed? Serious? I’m not saying take a vow of poverty or sacrifice everything. That’s false humility.
When you look into a broken mirror, the fragmented reflections you see are often how we see ourselves: broken, disjointed, and incomplete. This metaphor of a shattered mirror speaks to our perceptions of self and life, which are damaged by failure, problems, and disappointments. Yet, there is a promise that gives us hope: a new identity in Christ. Our Brokenness within us is often deep and overlooked. We put bandaids on it, seeking highs and superficial fixes. But how we live after Sunday, how we engage God on Monday morning, and how we handle people throughout the week reflect our relationship with God.
Our modern world is bombarded by images of perfection. Whether walking through Bukit Bintang or the streets of London, New York, or Milan, the lights, beauty, and models all create a facade. The models starve themselves, yet we desire to emulate them. It’s a distorted image. We want to look like them, dress like them, and achieve a false standard of success.
Movies, social media, and advertising promote this image. Even in churches, image has become everything. We long for significance, thinking that affluent life, success, or appearance will bring it. But it’s all a shattered mirror, a false image. The impossible standards we set, the image we project, and the pressure to measure up all lead to insecurity and self-destruction. Parents sometimes inflict these impossible standards on their children, creating a false sense of success and value.
Behind this facade of perfection lies a deeper truth: the condition of human Brokenness. This Brokenness is not just an individual feeling but a societal issue manifested in injustice, inequality, social fragmentation, environmental degradation, and mental health challenges. Recognizing and addressing this Brokenness is crucial for healing and reconciliation in our lives and communities.
The reality of sin is our problem. The fall of humanity has severe implications for our relationship with God. Genesis 1 tells the story of the serpent, more crafty than any other wild animal, who deceives Eve. The serpent’s cunning deception and Eve’s desire for wisdom led to Disobedience and deception, shattering the perfect harmony God created. This event speaks to our vulnerability to Temptation and moral failure, our tendency to self-deception, and the pursuit of immediate gratification at the expense of spiritual well-being.
The consequences of sin are severe, leading to both physical and spiritual death. Sin affects us spiritually, emotionally, and physically, leading to Brokenness in relationships, addictions, and hopelessness. Just as a broken mirror distorts our reflection, sin distorts our perception of ourselves and our creator, leaving us feeling disconnected and unworthy of God’s love.
The promise of a savior is our hope. Isaiah 53:5-6 prophesies redemption through Christ, who was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. His punishment brought us peace, and by his wounds, we are healed. Jesus Christ is the Fulfillment of that promise, reconciling humanity back to God, healing our Brokenness, and restoring us to wholeness.
Through Jesus’s sacrificial death on the cross, he offers us a pathway to Healing and reconciliation. He is the ultimate Perfection and symbol of restoration. His love and grace replace our Brokenness with beauty, our despair with hope. In the midst of our Brokenness, there is hope found in the promise of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
Let us turn to Jesus, who can heal our shattered lives and make us a new creation. Fix Your Eyes Upon Jesus, the ultimate Perfection and symbol of restoration. Through his sacrifice, we find meaning Beyond The Superficial standards of our culture and a deeper truth that transcends our Brokenness, offering a new identity in him.
Keep this book of the law always on your lips. Meditate on it day and night, for it is the mirror that reflects God’s truth in our lives. The spirit God gave us does not make us timid but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.