Tag: easter

Scratching our heads on the Emmaus Road: Walking in Ignorance. Ponder that plight of the Blinded Lost Sheep. Luke 24:14-18

Luke 24:14-18 Amplified Bible

14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. 15 While they were talking and discussing it, Jesus Himself came up and began walking with them. 16 But their eyes were [miraculously] prevented from recognizing Him. 17 Then Jesus asked them, “What are you discussing with one another as you walk along?” And they stood still, looking brokenhearted. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered Him, “Are you the only stranger visiting Jerusalem who is unaware of the things which have happened here in these [recent] days?”

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Does it seem unfair that these disciples were kept from seeing Jesus?

I have heard people say that it seems Jesus was being mysterious, tricky here.

While Jesus walks along with them, the disciples think he is an out-of-touch stranger who has no idea what happened recently in Jerusalem.

But let’s look at this from a different angle.

From a teaching and learning perspective, Jesus makes a brilliant move.

The disciples do not know Jesus is right there with him, so they can express their misunderstanding and frustration without being distracted.

They have no need to try to act as they would if they knew he was there.

They have room to hear God’s story all over again and to begin learning anew.

We learn that they also asked each other later, “Were not our hearts burning within us as he talked with us . . . ?”

Somewhere deep inside they sensed that their fellow traveler had remarkable understanding and authority as he spoke about the Scriptures, but first they needed to be in a space where they could be redirected.

Jesus their shepherd had more than one agenda to attend to in order for them to grow as disciples who would be invited to share in his mission.

While not being able to recognize him, they could begin to develop spiritual eyes of faith by which all new disciples would begin to see him.

How well has the good shepherd gotten your attention lately?

What is he trying to teach you?

Going Down the Emmaus Road: Walking in Ignorance?

How could the disciples on the Emmaus road not recognize Jesus?

They were returning from Jerusalem, where Jesus had been arrested, tried, tortured, crucified, and buried.

Now his body was gone, amid rumors flying that he had risen from the grave.

Just a week earlier they probably had walked with Jesus as he rode a colt into Jerusalem. They had hoped he would declare himself king and take up the ancient throne of David. But instead he was arrested, sentenced, and then crucified. And now they heard tell of an empty tomb and a missing body!

As they wandered home to Emmaus, they wondered about what might have been.

We know Jesus rose from the grave, yet we too can still live in the dark about his presence, or even ignore him. At this point those two disciples were in the dark since Jesus hadn’t revealed himself to them. They must have wondered who this person was who didn’t seem to know what had happened in Jerusalem.

So they filled him in.

Walking the resurrection road is still enormously challenging today.

Living consciously and intentionally in Jesus’ presence is a daily challenge.

We so readily miss the reality of Christ with us.

Yet this is our hope: Christ is with us whether we recognize him or not.

Don’t intentionally ignore him.

Look for him.

Immanuel, “God with us,”

“God walks with us.”

“God talks with us.”

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit …

Praying …

God Sustains His Servant.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 
He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path.
3 
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear [with great reverence]
And will trust confidently in the Lord.

4 
Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not regard the proud nor those who lapse into lies.
5 
Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of your wonders,
They would be too many to count.

6 
Sacrifice and meal offering You do not desire, nor do You delight in them;
You have opened my ears and given me the capacity to hear [and obey Your word];
Burnt offerings and sin offerings You do not require.
7 
Then I said, “Behold, I come [to the throne];
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8 
“I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your law is within my heart.”

9 
I have proclaimed good news of righteousness [and the joy that comes from obedience to You] in the great assembly;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips [from proclaiming Your righteousness],
As You know, O Lord.
10 
I have not concealed Your righteousness within my heart;
I have proclaimed Your faithfulness and Your salvation.
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.

11 
Do not withhold Your compassion and tender mercy from me, O Lord;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.
12 
For innumerable evils have encompassed me;
My sins have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see.
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has failed me.

13 
Be pleased, O Lord, to save me;
O Lord, make haste to help me.
14 
Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back [in defeat] and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.
15 
Let those be appalled and desolate because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha [rejoicing in my misfortune]!”
16 
Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”
17 
Even though I am afflicted and needy,
Still the Lord takes thought and is mindful of me.
You are my help and my rescuer.
O my God, do not delay.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Retrieving His Lost Sheep, Retrieving His Lost Sheep, Walking on the Road to Emmaus, retrieving His lost sheep. Luke 24:13-35

Luke 24:13-35 Lexham English Bible

Jesus Encountered on the Road to Emmaus

13 And behold, on that same day, two of them were traveling to a village named[a]  Emmaus that was sixty stadia[b] distant from Jerusalem, 14 and they were conversing with one another about all these things that had happened. 15 And it happened that while they were conversing, and discussing, Jesus himself also approached and[c] began to go along with[d] them, 16 but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are these matters that you are discussing with one another as you[e] are walking along?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 And one of them, named[f] Cleopas, answered and[g] said to him, “Are you the only one living near Jerusalem and not knowing the things that have happened in it in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” So they said to him, “The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, a man who was a prophet, powerful in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers handed him over to a sentence of death, and crucified him. 21 But we were hoping that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. But in addition to all these things, this is the third day since[h] these things took place. 22 But also some women from among us astonished us, who were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they[i] did not find his body, they came back saying they had seen even a vision of angels, who said that he was alive! 24 And some of those with us went out to the tomb and found it[j] like this, just as the women had also said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish and slow in heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things concerning himself in all the scriptures. 28 And they drew near to the village where they were going, and he acted as though he was going farther. 29 And they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is getting toward evening, and by this time the day is far spent.” And he went in to stay with them. 30 And it happened that when he reclined at the table with them, he took the bread and[k] gave thanks, and after[l] breaking it,[m] he gave it[n] to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he became invisible to them. 32 And they said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking with us on the road, while he was explaining the scriptures to us?” 33 And they got up that same hour and[o] returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven and those with them assembled, 34 saying, “The Lord has really been raised, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 And they began describing[p] what happened[q] on the road, and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.  Luke 24:13–16

One of the more poignant places where Jesus shows up as the good shepherd is when he goes after two despondent, lost sheep on the road to Emmaus.

Jesus meets these two followers in their grief, invites them to tell their story, processing their disappointment.

Jesus’ very presence with them reminds them that they still belong to him and are 100% a valued part of his sheepfold, in spite of their doubts and confusion.

He literally walks alongside them in the valley of the shadow of his own death.

The good shepherd is a pursuer.

These sheep are on their own, vulnerable, lost, and in need of their shepherd’s care. They are not abandoned to their misconceptions of current events.

Jesus seeks them out and tends to them as only he can.

This story serves as a comforting reminder to any of us who may be, are facing, growing doubts or disappointment with God. Maybe we have had to adjust our understanding of how God is working in our lives, or maybe we feel unworthy of the shepherd’s care because we have somehow continuously wandered away.

This picture of Jesus underscores the immensity of the love He for us and our incalculable value and worth to him as his beloved sheep.

This appearance of Jesus to two of His disciples is intriguing and fascinating.

They were quite distraught, and didn’t seem to know what to think about Jesus’ death.  They had hoped that He was the true Messiah but then He was killed. 

And then there were some who claimed His tomb was empty. 

What should they make of all this?

What should we make of all this?

As the story goes on, Jesus “interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures.”  Disciples realized this man with whom they were speaking had incredible wisdom and understanding, so they invited Him to stay with them.

Jesus stayed and sat down with them in their home. 

While there, Scripture says

“he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.”

Again, this is intriguing and fascinating. 

Why did Jesus appear to them, conceal who He was, sit down and break bread with them, allow them to suddenly recognize Him and then simply vanish into thin air?  Well, He did it for a reason and we should be very attentive to this.

Jesus wanted those disciples, as well as all of us, to know that He who rose from the dead was very much alive and that we would recognize Him in the breaking of the bread.  We would recognize Him in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist!

This appearance of the resurrection Jesus to these disciples was, in fact, an appearance to teach all of us the simple truth of His presence in the Eucharist. 

It was at that moment, as they “took bread, said the blessing, broke it,” that Jesus was suddenly made manifest to their minds and souls. 

Jesus is alive in the Eucharist! 

But it also tells us that He is veiled in the Eucharist. 

This combination of being veiled and truly present gives us wonderful guidance in our faith.

Jesus is here, right now, in our presence, but we most likely do not see Him. 

But He is truly here! 

These disciples were in the presence of Jesus and they did not realize it. 

The same is true for us. 

We are constantly in His presence do not realize it.  This is especially true when we are worshipping but it is also true in countless other ways throughout our day.  We must commit ourselves to seeing Him, to recognizing Him and to adoring Him.  We must discover the resurrected presence of Jesus all around us.

Too often we think our Lord is present only in extraordinary ways.  But that is not true!  He is constantly present to us in very ordinary ways. He is here with us right now, loving us, speaking to us, and calling us to love Him. 

Do you see Him? 

Do you recognize His presence?

Reflect, today, upon the experience of these disciples. 

If you were them, you’d be blessed to be in the presence of the Savior of the world.  What an honor!  The truth is that God is with you now and always. 

He is constantly with you and is constantly speaking with you.  Look for Him and listen to His voice.  You may be surprised at how so very near He really is.

I arise today 
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God’s strength to pilot me,
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

[Note that people sometimes pray a shorter version of this prayer just with these 15 lines about Christ above. The conclusion follows below.]

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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The Necessity of Resurrection: And if Christ hasn’t been raised, our faith is worthless; we are all still in our sins. 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 

1 Corinthians 15:12-19 Christian Standard Bible

Resurrection Essential to the Faith

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith.[a] 15 Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified wrongly about God that he raised up Christ—whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Those, then, who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. 19 If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.

Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Today, people refer to “canceling” as a way of expressing their disapproval of something or someone in a public forum.

People cancel others to try to stop the spread of objectionable ideas. And those who have been canceled see it as the suppression of their right to speak freely.

Followers of Christ have always faced pressure from those who disapprove of aspects of the gospel message.

Historically, Christians have believed that the resurrection of Jesus was an actual historical event.

Even the apostle Paul wrote that if the resurrection didn’t happen, Christianity as an entire belief system would be false. He wrote, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).

But this is not so important in progressive Christianity.

Today, the metaphor of resurrection stands for many Christians as a symbol of the call to new life, as an appeal to practice resurrection here and now.

According to this counterfeit truth, it’s not necessary for a Christian to believe in the miracles of Jesus—including his resurrection. Rather, it’s enough to just simply focus on the meaning, ethical and moral lesson behind these narratives.

In Corinth, this disapproval was aimed at the gospel’s emphasis on bodily resurrection, which seemed incompatible with a dualistic philosophy that saw the material world as being incompatible with the spiritual.

Such scorn caused some Corinthians to suppress the unpopular aspects of the gospel they had received from Paul.

One result was their assertion that there was no bodily resurrection (v. 12).

Paul’s method of dealing with this error was to start with their premise and explain what it would mean if that were actually true.

He does this with a series of “if…then” assertions which show that once the foundation of the bodily resurrection of Christ is removed, the hope of the gospel collapses entirely (vv. 13–19).

Without the resurrection, faith in Christ is “useless” (v. 14).

Apostolic authority for the gospel is eliminated (v. 15).

If Christ did not rise “you are still in your sins,” and those “who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost” (vv. 18–19).

Paul summarizes with this blunt conclusion in verse 19:

“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

The good news is that Jesus “has indeed been raised from the dead” (v. 20).

We are now waiting for the full effect of the victory Christ has already achieved to become a reality (vv. 22–28).

Go Deeper

What unpopular aspects of the gospel message do you feel pressured to suppress? How does their cancellation, removal, distort God’s message?

In the name of God, the father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

Psalm 33

Praise to the Creator

1 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones;
praise from the upright is beautiful.
2 Praise the Lord with the lyre;
make music to him with a ten-stringed harp.
3 Sing a new song to him;
play skillfully on the strings, with a joyful shout.

4 For the word of the Lord is right,
and all his work is trustworthy.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the Lord’s unfailing love.

6 The heavens were made by the word of the Lord,
and all the stars, by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the water of the sea into a heap;[a]
he puts the depths into storehouses.
8 Let the whole earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
9 For he spoke, and it came into being;
he commanded, and it came into existence.

10 The Lord frustrates the counsel of the nations;
he thwarts the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of his heart from generation to generation.
12 Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord—
the people he has chosen to be his own possession!

13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
he observes everyone.
14 He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth
from his dwelling place.
15 He forms the hearts of them all;
he considers all their works.
16 A king is not saved by a large army;
a warrior will not be rescued by great strength.
17 The horse is a false hope for safety;
it provides no escape by its great power.

18 But look, the Lord keeps his eye on those who fear him—
those who depend on his faithful love
19 to rescue them from death
and to keep them alive in famine.

20 We wait for the Lord;
he is our help and shield.
21 For our hearts rejoice in him
because we trust in his holy name.
22 May your faithful love rest on us, Lord,
for we put our hope in you.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Why Does the Resurrection Continue to Matter two thousand years Later? Mark 16:1-7

Mark 16:1-7 New American Standard Bible

The Resurrection

16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of [a]James, and Salome bought spices so that they might come and anoint Him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, they *came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb for us?” 4 And looking up, they *noticed that the stone had been rolled away;  [b]for it was extremely large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 6 But he *said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; see, here is the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’”

Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The Hope of the Resurrection

For many of us, the fear of our moment of death is our greatest fear. No matter how hard we try, maybe pray it away we won’t avoid death’s frightening reality.

Death seems like the last and greatest enemy.

But the good news is that in Jesus’ resurrection God has provided the solution to death and to the fear of death.

In our reading for today, what the women planned to do was not pretty, but it was an act of devotion to Jesus to see that he had a proper burial.

Because he had been crucified just before sundown on Friday, there hadn’t been time to properly anoint and prepare his body for his burial before their holy Sabbath day. So “when the Sabbath was over,” the women bought spices and went to anoint Jesus’ body, according to their custom.

But things didn’t go as planned.

Arriving at the tomb, the women were greeted by an angel, who told them something that quickly transformed their lives and changed the world.

“You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified,” said the angel. “He has risen! He is not here.”

In an instant their entire understanding of life and death began to change.

Jesus had gone from life to death to new life.

His resurrection became death’s defeat, and in the light of that, Paul could write, “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54).

Christ is risen—for you!

Do you still believe that in 2025?

Why Does the Resurrection Matter?

What if the resurrection isn’t just about what happens after you die—but everything about how you live right now?

If we’re in Christ, we know that one day, God will bring us to a renewed, eternal physical kingdom where we will experience a glorified and perfected version of every beautiful thing we love about the world down here. 

1. Because of the resurrection, death has no more sting.

Death—whether our own or of a loved one—is life’s hardest experience because it feels so permanent.

But if the resurrection is true, it’s not permanent.

It’s temporary because Jesus took the sting out of death, its permanence.

This is why if our loved ones were in Christ, we don’t say things like, “I’ll never hold my baby again,” or “I’ll never see my wife again,” or “I’ll never hug my grandmother again.” Because in the new world, we will certainly hold, see, and hug them again, with our physical arms.

But what about our loved ones who weren’t saved?

That’s a hard reality to confront, and a question I don’t exactly know how to answer. What I do know is that in heaven, our capacity for love will increase.

I also know that Scripture says God will wipe away every tear from our eyes and make every sad thing come untrue.

With this in mind, I assume that somehow this means we’ll be at peace with the decisions that people made for themselves.

I don’t know how all that is going to work, but I’ve learned to trust Jesus in it.

In the meantime, I plead with everyone I know and love to come to Jesus.

2. Because of the resurrection, our worst pain is only light and momentary.

God promises that your pain actually becomes part of the beautiful thing he’s making you.

Paul writes that death is swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54).

When you swallow something, you digest it, and it becomes a factor in making you, well, you.

That’s what God’s going to do with our pain. It’s not just that we had pain on earth, and now we’re at the theme park of heaven and forget all about it.

No, in heaven, we’ll see how the pain we went through produced in us the incredible beauty and weight of glory we become.

Your situation may feel permanent, but it’s not.

Whatever situation you’re in—chronic pain, chronic illness, or disappointed dreams, a bad marriage, being alone—it’s all temporary.

Paul calls it light and momentary. 

That doesn’t mean we make light of our pain or live charmed lives free from pain. Paul experienced some of the worst pain possible for us to experience—betrayal, abandonment, torture, loneliness, and chronic illness. “But,” he said, “even the worst of the worst is all light and momentary, compared to the weight of glory that’s coming to me in the resurrection.” In the meantime, we live with abundant hope and persistent prayer that God can and will heal us from all of our pain, now or in the future.

3. Because of the resurrection, we can press forward with risk-taking, trial-enduring, death-defying obedience to Jesus.

For every missionary who has walked away from family and fortune and friends to carry the gospel to unreached places, the resurrection says, “It’s going to be worth it.

Your sacrifice was only temporary. Jesus is going to repay you one-hundred-fold in the kingdom to come.” 

Though it’s costly now, you’ll soon be home in eternity forever with Jesus and the ones you love. And you’ll be glad you gave your life so that other families could be there, too. Imagine what it will be like when you’ve been there for 10,000 years, knowing those who came to Christ because of your sacrifice.

You don’t know who they are now, but you will then.

So be bold, and death-defying in your obedience.

 1 Corinthians 15:58 Authorized (King James) Version

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

4. Because of the resurrection, living for Jesus is the only thing that makes sense.

Every one of us has a soul and a body.

For those of you who die united to Christ, your souls will immediately enter the presence and joy of God as you await the glorious resurrection of your bodies.

For those of you who die apart from Christ, your souls will immediately enter the judgment of God as you await the resurrection of your body.

But make no mistake, this resurrection isn’t unto eternal happiness, but eternal judgment and misery.

Jesus said in John 5, “The hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment” (vv. 28–29).

Friend, I cannot emphasize to you enough the utmost importance of what you do with Jesus.

He offers his resurrection to you if you repent of your sin and submit to him as Lord and Savior.

For those of you in Christ, this world is as close to hell as you will ever come.

For those of you outside of Christ, this world is as close to heaven as you’ll get.

Which resurrection do you want to be included in?

The resurrection to judgment or the resurrection to life? 

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Praying …

Psalm 19 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 19

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech,
and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language,
where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven,
and his circuit unto the ends of it:
and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul:
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart:
the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever:
the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:
sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned:
and in keeping of them there is great reward.
12 Who can understand his errors?
cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright,
and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart,
be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord,
my strength, and my redeemer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Seeing God’s Bigger Picture When We are Grieving; Sadness unto Gladness. Psalm 34:17-20

Psalm 34:17-20 The Message

17 Is anyone crying for help? God is listening,
ready to rescue you.

18 If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there;
if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.

19 Disciples so often get into trouble;
still, God is there every time.

20 He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone;
not even a finger gets broken.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Grieving is a natural response to loss and sorrow. In the midst of our pain we find comfort and peace in the assurance that God is near to the brokenhearted.

When we experience loss, we turn to God in prayer, pouring out our hearts before him.

He completely understands our pain, and in his tender compassion the Lord continuously offers comfort and peace, peace surpassing our understanding.

Grieving is a natural process that requires time and grace. We allow ourselves to mourn, knowing that God wipes every tear and also holds us close to his heart.

Psalm 56:8 The Message

8 You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn
    through the sleepless nights,
Each tear entered in your ledger,
    each ache written in your book.

In times of sorrow, we can draw strength from fond memories of the ones we have lost. Their legacy lives on through the impact they have had in our lives, and we can certainly thank God for the ways he has blessed us through them.

As we walk with God through our grief, through Scripture and prayer we find truest hope in the resurrection and eternal life promised in Christ, our Savior.

Looking not to our grief but trusting in all of God’s promises, we hold on to the assurance that our loved ones who have passed away are safe in his loving arms.

Bigger Gospel Picture: Our Sadness unto His Gladness

John 20:20-31 The Message

To Believe

19-20 Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” Then he showed them his hands and side.

20-21 The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were awestruck. Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.”

22-23 Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said. “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”

24-25 But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We saw the Master.”

But he said, “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.”

27 Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.”

28 Thomas said, “My Master! My God!”

29 Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.”

30-31 Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book. These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it.

The first Easter did not look like a typical Easter celebration.

Before Jesus’ resurrection was discovered, the day was marked by tears, devastation, and bewilderment—not joy, hope, and praise.

The disciples were gathered out of fear, to protect one another, not to sing “Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!”[1] 

1 Charles Wesley, “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” (1739).

The truth is in their overwhelming grief and sadness, they sat in sadness; for them, their story had come to a grinding halt, with the next page 100% blank.

Or so they thought.

The Gospel does not attempt to deny or try to idealize the grief felt by Christ’s followers after His crucifixion.

They didn’t understand what had happened, and they certainly didn’t know what would happen next.

Their sadness reveals humanity’s limitations in knowing the bigger picture.

Despite the Old Testament prophecies and Jesus’ own foretelling of His death (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34), John’s Gospel tells us that they “as yet did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead” (John 20:9).

They didn’t understand that when Jesus said from the cross, “It is finished” (19:30), He was not expressing any defeat but declaring everlasting victory.

This victory meant resurrection.

And as the resurrected Savior came to the disciples in their darkness, fear, and sadness, He brought transformation.

Their unbelief turned to belief, an affirmation of faith, and their sadness turned unto His brand of gladness.

That gladness was rooted in the fact that they understood that Jesus had risen from the dead.

Their faith and their future returned and were rooted in this wonderful reality.

The darkness of their despair made the light of the resurrection all the more glorious.

If you are looking for an idol that will just make you glad, your search will be in vain, through the Scriptures and prayer you should look for the God of the Bible.

He does make us glad—more so than anyone or anything or anyplace else—but He often starts by making us sad.

We are saddened by this broken world, saddened by our own sin, saddened that on the cross Jesus died for our wickedness, disobedience, and disinterest.

It is only through truly feeling such sorrow that we can fully understand the gladness that comes with our account being settled, our debt being paid, our sins being forgiven, and our wrongs being forgiven and forgotten. (Psalm 32)

We can know the gladness of a love that loves us even though we are not worthy of it—that loves us when we don’t want to listen.

What kind of love is this?

It is the love of God for men and women, for you and me!

Today, look away from yourself and look at Him.

This is love, and when we know we are loved in this way, we are able to see the healing in the harm, sadness can be the soil in which eternal gladness grows.

About which part of your life—perhaps a part full of pain, or regret, or anxiety—do you need to hear this today?

Remember that whatever you are walking through, it remains true that Christ the Lord is risen, Christ the Lord is fully Alive and we can all sing, Hallelujah!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Compassionate God, in our grief may we find comfort in you. Draw near and hold us close as we mourn. Thank you for all of your promises. Thank you for understanding our pain and our tears. Help us to find hope in the resurrection and eternal life you have made possible for us in thy Son Jesus. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

Psalm 84 New American Standard Bible 1995

Longing for the Temple Worship.

For the choir director; [a]on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

84 How lovely are Your dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
3 The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
4 How blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are ever praising You. [b]Selah.

5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
In [c]whose heart are the highways to Zion!
6 Passing through the valley of [d]Baca they make it a [e]spring;
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
7 They go from strength to strength,
[f]Every one of them appears before God in Zion.

8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.
9 Behold our shield, O God,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold [g]from those who walk [h]uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Stuck in Fear, Sent Out With Peace; Jesus Will Always Stands Among Us. John 20:19-23

John 20:19-23 New American Standard Bible 1995

Jesus among His Disciples

19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them, “[a]Peace be with you.” 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, their sins [b]have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

When Jesus first appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, they were in a very uncertain place cowering behind locked doors, fearing what the authorities who had crucified their leader would do next.

But locked doors couldn’t stop Jesus!

Nothing stopped Him from entering the house and re-entering their lives, proving Himself to be their Savior and their living hope.

He was able to be seen, heard, touched, known—and He approaches our lives in the same manner.

No matter where we are or what we have done, Christ can enter our lives—our sadness, our darkness, our fear, our doubts—and make Himself seen and make himself known, standing among us and calmly declaring, “Peace be with you.”

Maybe you’re a “doubting Thomas,” quick to question matters of faith.

To some degree, questions are good and healthy.

Thomas was straightforward with Jesus, essentially saying, I’m not going to believe in You unless I can actually put my finger in Your scars. 

Jesus replied to Thomas, All right, if that’s what it takes for you, here you are and here I am (John 20:24-29).

Jesus can meet us in our doubts.

Or maybe you’re a denying Peter, quick to renounce your identity in Christ and quick to feel condemnation for how you’ve messed up.

Jesus took Peter, who had questioned Him countless times but crumbled before the question of a servant girl, made him the rock on which His church was built (Matthew 16:18).

Jesus accepts us despite our very obvious shortcomings and uses our lives in transformative ways. Or perhaps you’re a disgraced Mary Magdalene, whose past haunts you, making you feel all unworthy of Jesus’ love and acceptance.

Yet God did not ordain Jesus’ first recorded encounter after His resurrection to be with just a Sunday-school teacher but with a woman who had a sordid past riddled with sin and had even suffered demon possession.

It was no haphazard coincidence that the first embrace, as it were, from the resurrected Christ was with such a person.

He offers this same redemptive embrace to us.

Jesus can get past locked doors; He can get through to hardened hearts. souls.

Through His death and resurrection, He was able to bridge the gap that sin had opened between rebellious humanity and a righteous God. We must receive the salvation He freely offers. It must be fresh in our minds each day.

Have you done this? Have you received Jesus unconditionally and unreservedly?

Do you embrace Him daily?

Do you rehearse His gospel to yourself each morning?

To trust in this way means we give ourselves to God in service.

We submit ourselves to His lordship as our Savior.

We take God’s promises to heart, and we take the salvation He freely offers.

With this belief, will you see that He stands beside you, offering you an eternal, intimate peace that triumphs over and transforms your sadness, your darkness, your fear, your doubts. Hear the risen Christ say to you, “Peace be with you?”

Stuck in their Fear – They Were Sent Out With Peace

On Easter Sunday Jesus’ disciples gathered in a room and locked the door. They were so afraid that the people who had killed Jesus would want to get them too.

But Someone came in anyway, as if the door weren’t even there! And the one who came in was Jesus! He said, “Peace be with you!” And he might well have meant, “Peace be with you, all you cowering, scared, door-locking disciples.”

Then he showed them his hands and side.

For on them were the scars of battle between life and death, between God and the enemy showing Jesus had taken everything the enemy could throw his way.

And yet, there he was, alive! “The disciples were overjoyed.”

Then Jesus said again, “Peace be with you!”

He gave his followers a mission: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Where was Jesus sending them?

Luke 10:1-12 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Seventy Sent Out

10 Now after this the Lord appointed [a]seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. 2 And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no money belt, no [b]bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ 6 If a [c]man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in [d]that house, eating and drinking [e]what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; 9 and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet [f]be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.

In their cowering state, into the world, where people live and die. Out into the world, where men and women are easily overwhelmed and defeated. Into the world, where it’s hard to experience true peace, where rejection may be cruel and the norm, where betrayal is a very real, potentially very lethal possibility.

The hardcore reality for Christians is Jesus doesn’t want his disciples hiding in locked rooms; he wants us out in the world with the message of life on our lips and acts of life in our hands, feet. And as we go, he says, “Peace be with you!”

On a scale of one to ten …

Called and Sent into the “plentiful harvest where the laborers are few”

Between …

Cowering behind “locked doors”

and

Moving freely among the “wolves”

How well do we Christians of the 21st century, handle this measure of reality?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Works and the Word of God.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a]line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be [e]blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Resurrected Lord, we stand cowering behind our 21st century version of locked doors, pray grant us your peace so that, in a world of violence, struggle, and death, we may confidently claim and put into practice the truth of your victory over sin and death.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Thanks Be to God! I believe Easter is never going to be quite done with me. John 20:17-18.

John 20:11-18 New American Standard Bible 1995

11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 12 and she *saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 And they *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She *said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and *saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”  Supposing Him to be the gardener, she *said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” 16 Jesus *said to her, “Mary!” She turned and *said to Him in [a]Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). 17 Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene *came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Stuck in Grief, Pulled Into Joy

Mary stood outside Jesus’ tomb, crying. Her Lord and friend had died, and a real and legitimate grief had come over her.

But Mary’s grief entombed her.

It blurred her vision so that when she saw the stone rolled away from Jesus’ tomb, she assumed that someone had stolen his body.

And when she saw Jesus standing in front of her, she thought he was a gardener.

Unrecognized, Jesus, fully alive, faced a friend who was blinded by so much grief that she couldn’t see him.

Perhaps Jesus spoke Mary’s name softly, gently.

But he might well have said it forcefully to shake her out of her grief: “Mary!”—as if to say, “Get a grip on yourself! I’m alive! I’ve conquered death. I’ve broken its grip. Mary! Leave the tomb behind and come into the joy of new life!”

Sometimes grief or other harsh realities can overwhelm us so much that we forget Jesus is alive. But he has conquered death—our death, our loved ones’ deaths—and our future is safe in his hands.

We legitimately grieve the deaths of people we love, and we struggle with the cruelties of injustice and corruption in this world, but we do so knowing that our grief will one day turn to joy. What a thankful call to new thankful living!

Christ has risen, and one day he will return again!

Expecting Even More …

Yesterday Christians everywhere celebrated the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

Some of us may have sang the words, “I serve a risen Savior, he’s in the world today” and in that moment of worship, our hearts resonated with every word.

Today, however, we’re back to school or work or at home facing the pressures of everyday life that we left when we each left our homes to go to our churches.

But with the long passage of time between the resurrection and now, the risen Savior may not seem nearly as close today, and little may seem to have changed.

We’re still faced with that lingering disease, that broken relationship, those same financial problems, or those hardships that come with growing older.

We hear about all the same issues as before being poverty and persecution, about war and conflict in so many countries, and we might just find ourselves asking, “Has Easter really made a difference? How has it changed me for the better? Has anything changed in the past 2,000 years since Jesus’ resurrection? Are things any better in the 21st century than they were in the first century?”

Though nations, technology, and social institutions have changed a lot since then, the human condition, our circumstances are still pretty much the same.

God’s image bearers are still addicted to sin, are still refusing to acknowledge that sin is the very severest of personal issues still confronting all of us today.

Jesus warned his followers, “In this world you will have trouble.”

But because he has overcome the world, we can have new life in him and peace in spite of our struggles.

We can believe despite of our present life circumstance and how we got to that particular circumstance through our life’s experiences, God is not done with us.

We can continue to strive beyond ourselves, to engage the kingdom of God in the place in life we find ourselves to enact God’s restoration in our daily lives.

We can in our full acknowledgement of the resurrection, share his love with others and look forward together to the day when the risen Savior will return!

For Christians, Christ’s triumph over death and sin is the very best news.

Jesus is risen!

God’s promises of forgiveness and new life for his people have been fulfilled.

But the resurrection means infinitely more than an empty tomb.

Mary saw that morning that the tomb was empty—and that was something she didn’t expect.

It was a shock to find that Jesus’ body was gone, and she thought it had been taken somewhere else.

Had it been stolen? Or had someone just moved it? She wondered.

Jesus’ response to Mary indicates that she found more at the empty tomb than she had even imagined.

Through her tears, Mary saw Jesus—risen and alive again!

But she didn’t realize it was him until he called her name.

That’s how it is for us too.

He calls our name too!

He calls us, and we go forth into those places of mission and ministry, we follow him and we glorify, and honor him as the One who has ascended to the Father.

As important as the empty tomb is to the Christian faith, we do not simply linger at the tomb and wonder what has happened there.

We listen to Jesus calling our name, inviting us into a new adventure that leads us to even more—to become witnesses for the risen and ascended Lord.

You are invited to follow the risen Jesus. In what ways can you do that today?

I don’t think Easter is quite done with me yet.

John 20:17-18 New American Standard Bible 1995

17 Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene *came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

I know what glorious things this Holy Day says to the world at large.

But what does Jesus want me to know, to think about, to wrestle through at this time of year? This season of new beginnings.

So, I’m lingering here a bit longer.

After all, Easter is no longer a ritual to me.

It’s a revelation.

A time where Jesus splits my soul along the fault line of a scar deep within: I was an unwanted and heavily bullied human, no one wanted to be my friend.

Unwanted, heavily bullied and teased, no friends I could ever trust or count on.

But to Jesus … I was wanted so much that He gave His life for me.

It feels so personal.

Even though I know God so loved the world, He gave His son, it becomes very individual if we let it and if we live in it and out from it.

Be personal.

With Jesus.

Yes.

So, in the midst of a world putting Easter away, might we let it sit with us for just a bit more?

I just opened my Bible open to the place where the angel spoke to the women at the tomb.

Matthew 28:1-7 New American Standard Bible 1995

Jesus Is Risen!

28 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week,  Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “[a]Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.  7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

And I am tangling my thoughts around His words from Matthew 28 as six quietly and ever so subtly prayers, emerge into my resurrected spirit …

• “Do not be afraid,” – God, I hand over to You those things that make me so afraid. Resurrect the parts of my faith squelched by fear.

• “I know that you are looking for Jesus,” – God, when my soul is searching, help me know the answer to every longing can be found in You.

• “He has risen,” – God, the fact that Jesus is risen should lift my head, my heart and my attitude. Help me to live today as if I really believe this with every part of my life.

• “just as he said,” – Jesus, You keep Your promises. Help me live as though I believe that with every part of me. Help me trust You more, obey You more and resemble You more.

• “Come and see,” – Jesus, You had the angels invited the women in to see for themselves that You had risen. You invite me into these personal revelations every day. Forgive me for sometimes rushing about and forgetting to come and see for myself … You, Your Word, Your insights.

• “Then go quickly and tell his disciples,” – Jesus, I don’t ever want to be a secret keeper with my faith. I want to be a bold and gracious truth proclaimer. For You. With You. Because of You. Me, the unwanted human whom You loved, redeemed and wanted.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Yes, let this my miraculous Easter be personal.

Yes, let this my miraculous Easter be relational.

Yes, let this my miraculous Easter be transformational.

And, above all, let this my miraculous Easter be fervently prayerful.

And may I rise from my circumstances to linger with Jesus a bit longer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Because God is NEVER done with YOU!

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Celebrate, We Certainly Will! “For He is not here; for He has indeed risen, just exactly as he said.” Matthew 28:6

Matthew 28:1-7 New American Standard Bible 1995

Jesus Is Risen!

28 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “[a]Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Happy Easter!

The morning has indeed come – exactly as it has since the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth and gave his everlasting order unto the earth.

Early on that first Easter morning, just before the sunrise, some of the same women who had stood weeping at the cross quietly made their way through the narrow streets of Jerusalem to the garden where their Jesus had been buried.

Their eyes were heavy with tears.

Their whole world had come to an abrupt halt.

Their dreams had been shattered.

The one on whom they had placed their hope was dead.

They had seen it with their own eyes.

They had witnessed his crucifixion.

The jeers of the people who had told Jesus to come off the cross and save himself were still ringing in their ears.

Jesus’ friends had not understood his cry: “It is finished!”

All they knew was that their beloved Master and Teacher was dead.

The women were going now to embalm the body of their Lord.

They wondered how they would remove the large stone at the tomb’s entrance.

But as they got ever closer to the grave, one miracle followed another.

They found the stone rolled away and an angel sitting on top of it.

Why was the stone rolled away?

As scholars have noted, it was not to let Jesus out, but to show everyone else that he was no longer inside.

He has risen!

And that makes all the difference in the world.

In a world with so many cemeteries, where death always seems to have the last word and laugh, Jesus has conquered death. Knowing that changes everything.

Celebrate, We Will!

John 3:26-30 New American Standard Bible 1995

26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.” 27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves [a]are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the [b]Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full.  30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

“He must increase, but I must decrease!”

As we have just walked through the Easter season, looking at Jesus and His life, I find myself so often wondering what it would have been like for me to be there watching his life happen, watching this incredible drama unfold before my eyes.

We read through the length and breadth of all of Scripture and we glimpse into the amazing things about Jesus’ life and all that happened to those around him.

I get chills when I think about watching his display of love, grace, truth sharing, his measured obedience to whatever his Heavenly Father directed him to do.

So, each Easter season, I find myself in a posture of awe and wonder.

The hope-filled joy of knowing who holds the pen to the pages of my life and who walks alongside me through all my seasons. This my friends, is good news.

If you are like me, I simply love thinking of Jesus’s whole life, not just his years of ministry.

I can hardly imagine watching Jesus take his first steps as a wobbly toddler or watching him walk up to be baptized by John the Baptist or to see him feed the 5,000, or to have the honor of hearing Him teach the Sermon on the Mount.

All of these amazing things we hear and picture but wow, to actually see them in the flesh sounds like such a gift, a gift that I’d give just about anything to see.

And while that would be an amazing gift, I am ever so reminded that we have the greatest gift of living on this side of the cross.

This side of the cross allows his Spirit to live inside you and me, this side of the cross is where death has no more sting.

The gift of living on this side of the cross is a gift that we cannot overlook.

We have the Word of God in written form that at anytime we are able to dig into it to learn more about who our Creator is, what his son’s life was really like, and exactly why we needed a Savior to take our place.

It’s sitting in that awe and wonder that I am reminded of one of my favorite verses, one that has changed my life forever: 

John 3:30. “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

These are seven life-changing, powerful, needed words spoken by John the Baptist.

These seven words continue to be a reminder to me of the gift Jesus is to all of us daily.

Because of Jesus and His life we are able to live our lives in the posture of decrease so that our lives increase in Him.

How amazing is that?

Our Heavenly Father sent His perfect, sinless son Jesus to come and take on the penalty of all we would ever do just so we would have the opportunity to be made right with Him and live eternally together.

This leaves me speechless!

Jesus had to come and take on all you and I would ever do so we could be eternally right with God forever.

He had to.

What a powerful, all-consuming love story this is and it’s freely offered to you and me and, without exception, the rest of humanity – for all the ages to come.

We get the choice to accept Christ and all His life was, is, and is to come.

Because, Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection is what tethers us all to eternity.

Without one part of it, there would be no opportunity to have the gift of grace and mercy.

There is no defeated grave without the cross.

The sheer magnitude of John 3:30  carries so much importance of who Jesus is and what His life means to us.

Everything He calls us to is so that our lives would be ones that soak up all of the goodness of God and all that He has for us, this means we have to decrease.

His life calls us to not be afraid to pick up our cross and follow Him.

It calls us to love Him more than anyone or anything and walk to always hand in hand with His spirit as we point others back to Him.

This is what an increase of Christ looks like in our lives.

When we die to self to make Him known. This is what we get invited into, and this my sweet friends is something to forever celebrate and celebrate we will!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us celebrate with Prayer,

Psalm 146 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord an Abundant Helper.

146 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord while I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 Do not trust in princes,
In [c]mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.
4 His spirit departs, he returns to [d]the earth;
In that very day his thoughts perish.
5 How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 Who made heaven and earth,
The sea and all that is in them;
Who keeps [e]faith forever;
7 Who executes justice for the oppressed;
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free.

8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous;
9 The Lord [f]protects the [g]strangers;
He [h]supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He [i]thwarts the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord will reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
[j]Praise [k]the Lord!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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