One of the most intriguing shows on television is ABC’s "LOST". Never has a larger cast been assembled and more money spent on a television series than "LOST". The plot is so complex that they created a Wikipedia style website, an online dictionary, that includes thousands of articles exploring every imaginable aspect of the show.
"LOST" is a cultural phenomenon. It explores such topics as the existence of God, miracles, prayer, the nature of good and evil, the afterlife, redemption, forgiveness, and destiny. The show repeatedly alludes to biblical characters like Adam and Eve, Aaron, Jacob, Moses, and Jesus Christ. It even refers topassages like John 3:16. The names of episodes include Numbers, Exodus, and Psalm 23. One of the lead character’s names is Jack Shephard, a name inspired by the Biblical idea of the Lord is my shepherd.
"LOST" is a blend of the ideas from dozens of world religions.
But the show is a syncretistic blend of dozens of world religions. (See the book by John Ankerberg and Dillon Burroughs,What can be found in LOST)
•There are elements of the Aboriginal religion. For example, John Locke planned a six month walkabout in the Austrailian outback. The walkabout is an Aboriginal spiritual rite of passage.
•There are elements of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Eastern religions. Survivors of the plane crash discover the existence of the Dharma Initiative, a scientific community hidden on the island. In Hindusim, Dharma means, "the way to higher truths." The number 108, which appears throughout the show, is highly sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims.
•Also we find Kabbalah, Numerology, Paganism, New Age Religion, Roman Catholicism, Scientology, witchcraft, tarot cards, dreams, visions, fortune tellers, Native American rituals, mediums, demons, and astrology. And secularism weighs in heavily too, with science, psychology, and sociology being a basis for discovering truth. Hedonism, materialism, and even living the quaint American dream with the white picket fence is a philosophy depicted in "LOST".
"LOST" reflects the spiritual terrain of our culture. It’s an attempt make sense of reality by dialoguing with various systems of philosophy, religious belief, and spirituality. Does life have meaning? Does my life have purpose? Is there a God? Is there redemption? Is there life after death? Is there truth? How can truth be discerned? Is it discerned through faith or through science?
Let me ask you a question. How can we even begin to unravel the mystery of reality, or even the mystery of God, with our finite minds, our limited experiences, and with so many conflicting philosophies and belief systems floating around? Where do we start! It’s not just the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 that are lost. It's allof humanity. It’s the Muslim, the Jew, the Buddhist, the Wiccan, the scientist, the Native American, and the Aborigine. A shroud of darkness covers the whole earth.
Human experience cannot be the measure of truth.
If we learn anything in "LOST", it’s that human experience alone cannot be the measure of truth. We need something that transcends human experience, human philosophy, and manmade systems of belief.
What is the gospel that we proclaim as Christians? It’s that God himself descended into human experience and made his dwelling among us in the person of Jesus Christ. God did this in orderto reveal the mystery that been kept hidden for ages and ages.
Colossians 1:15-20 (NIV) tells us,"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."
In particular, I want you to reflect on Colossians 1:19 (NIV). "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him (Jesus)." This is one of the most remarkable claims not only in all of scripture, but of any religion in all the known world! All that God is-- God’s divine nature, his power, his majesty, his holiness-- the fullness of God can be found in the face of Jesus Christ. Jesus wasn't just an ordinary man. In Jesus, the creator of the universe was entering his creation to bring life and light to mankind.
Paul urges us not to be deceived by false prophets.
In Colossians 2:1-5 (NIV) Paul writes, "I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is."
In Jesus we have access to the full riches of complete understanding in regard to the mystery of God, the mystery of life, the mystery of reality, the mystery of life after death, the mystery of our destiny, the mystery of miracles, the mystery of redemptive forgiveness, and the mystery of good and evil. In Christ we are no longer lost. In Christ we’ve been rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of God’s Son, whomGod loves, and in whom we have redemption the forgiveness of sin.
In Christ Jesus, the mystery of God has been made known. The mystery has been exposed! In Christ are hiddenall the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. We need not look any further than Jesus Christ, God’s Son, to discover all that we need for life.
The origins of belief in our world are interesting to discover.
It’s an interesting thing to discover the origins of belief in our world. Muhammad claimed to have received visions from the angel Gabriel. No one else received these visions, not before and not since. Muhammad is the last and final prophet. When Muhammad received these visions, he became suicidal, not being sure of their origin. There was no one else to confirm his visions. Yet they form the foundation of faith for millions of zealous Muslims throughout the world.
The same can be said of Buddha and his experiences. Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon faith, claimed to have received golden plates containing details of God’s dealings with ancient inhabitants in America. Nobody ever had access to the plates, to interpret them, to translate them,except Joseph Smith. And when people started digging up Joseph Smith’s back yard searching for them, an "angel" took possession of the plates and all the artifacts pertaining to the ancient tribes. Like Muhammed and like Buddha, Joseph Smith was privileged to secret knowledge that no other person in all the world could possess.
God didn't keep any secrets from us when he sent Jesus into the world.
But when God sent his only Son into the world, there was nothing secret or hidden about it. The whole world beheld the glory of God as Jesus preached and taught, as he healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, and caused the lame to walk. The whole world beheld Jesus in all his grace and in all his truth. They saw him crucified on the cross. They saw him laid in a tomb. They experienced his resurrection from the grave. Theysaw him appear to hundreds of his followers after his death. They studied the scriptures and saw the hundreds of precision prophecies that Christ fulfilled through his life, death, and resurrection.
Not only did God promise that Christ would come, he told us exactly how Christ would come and why he would come. God told us howChrist would live and suffer and die, and how God would redeem all the world through Christ’s death on the cross. God’s intention isn’t that we be lost. It's that we’d know the truth and that the truth would set us free from the dominion of darkness.
In Christ we have the full riches of complete understanding! In Christ we have all the treasures of wisdom of and knowledge! It’s all ours in the face of Christ! Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Jesus is the exact representation of God’s being, his essence, his divine nature, his sovereign power, and his goodness and greatness!
Paul talks of God's pleasure in Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:19-20 (NIV) tells us, "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."
Colossians 2:9-10 (NIV) says, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority."
Colossians 2:6-8 (NIV) affirms,"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."
If there was one biblical phrase that could be used to describe "LOST" and the spiritual terrain of our age, it would be, "hollow and deceptive philosophy" orempty and deceptive philosophy. Hedonism (If it feels good, do it.) leaves you empty.Materialism (Life is in the abundance of things. We are what we acquire.) leaves you empty.Astrology, Scientism, Islam, and Buddhism sound good, but they leave you empty.
In Colossians 2:10 (NIV) Paul says, "...you have been given fullness in Christ." In other words, we become complete in Christ! In accepting Christ, we become fulfilled! In him, we have all we need. We have a treasure house full of wisdom, knowledge, and truth. Jesus is the supreme reality! In Jesus, God has completely revealed himself. And in Jesus we have complete salvation.