Month: April 2019

Emmaus Road

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So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. Luke 24:28-29 ESV

It is interesting that these two disciples had walked all day with Jesus. They had listened to all He had to say. They had talked with Him and told Him all their problems. But all down that long hot and dusty road, they never realized who they were spending their day with.

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All down the path they had walked focused on their hopelessness, confusion and fear. At any moment Jesus could have stopped them in their tracks shouting, “Hey guys, it’s me! I came back from the dead! Everything is going to be great!” but He didn’t. Instead Jesus first asked them about their problems then patiently explained from scripture God’s plans. Then He fell silent and acted as if He would just go on without them.

Then those disciples made a choice that changed their destination from a village to a vision. They chose to offer a small kindness to the stranger who had shared His day with them. Jesus accepted their invitation and when they sat down together to eat, He blessed the bread and showed them who He was. Will we invite some of the least likely strangers to sit with us tonight? When we make room for them at our table Jesus will still break the bread and give us a glimpse of His face just as He has been doing for 2000 years!

Meeting Jesus

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His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire.         Revelation 1:14 KJV

On the first Easter Sunday, Mary Magdalene met Jesus outside of the tomb. Jesus was right there, but until He revealed himself to her she thought He was just the gardener. What is Jesus really like? What would it be like to meet with Jesus? How can we relate to a God with flaming eyes that see into the deepest places of our soul? When John first saw Jesus he tells us that he fell down in a dead faint! It was too overwhelming seeing Jesus even for a moment! But Jesus came and put out his hand to touch John and said:

… Fear not; I am the first and the last: Revelation 1:17 KJV

Jesus knows every detail of our lives, and He wants us to know Him. Easter Sunday means finding Jesus is not only alive, but alive and wanting us to know Him. Are you waiting outside a tomb of dying hopes and wondering where Jesus is today? The message of Easter is that He will come just when we least expect. He knows all about us and He is waiting to come and change our lives forever! What a wonderful Risen Lord! What a Savior we have waiting for us again this Easter!

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On the 2nd Day He Rested

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From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised  Matthew 16:21 ESV

We all know what happened on that first day, that terrible and blessed day on the cross. On the third day it is very clear that Jesus rose from the dead. But in spite of many ideas and even elaborate tales no one truly knows just what occurred on Holy Saturday. So can we ask the question, “What if Jesus simply rested? What if when Jesus said, “It is finished!” and gave His spirit into his father’s hands He just rested without sorrow, suffering or demands of any kind for that day. What if after three and a half years of ministry in which it was said that he had nowhere to lay his head and scarcely time to eat; that Jesus chose to rest in His Father’s ability to do all that needed to be done for the day.

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What if Jesus rested because it was the Sabbath? What if like a field rests in Winter waiting for Spring rains He lay quietly just as on the day in which the creation of the heavens was completed? Perhaps Jesus just paused to see everything that was good in the new creation now begun. What if there are times in our own lives when there is nothing more holy to do than nothing? What if on this Holy Saturday we could quietly reflect and rest in the completed work of Jesus Christ. What would our lives be like if for even one day we simply trusted God to do all?