“Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” shouts the newspaper salesman, trying to tempt people to purchase a newspaper because it contains juicy information they will want to know. And yet, all the news related to life in the here and now is only temporary. The apostle Paul has got what he calls, “Good News”. It’s about a life beyond the grave and it’s better than just “Good News.” It’s really GREAT NEWS!”
Jesus Christ died, was buried, and three days later arose from the grave with a new and transformed body. We celebrate his resurrection from the grave every year at Easter. Selfishly speaking, the joy of Easter is not just that Jesus Christ bodily rose from the grave, but that his bodily resurrection guarantees we can have the same experience when we die. Paul links the two events together. “Since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead (for the rest of us)? For if there is no resurrection of the dead (for us), then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your trust in God is useless” (I Corinthians 15:12-14).
The fact is, we are living in perishable bodies. “Outwardly we are wasting away,” Paul says elsewhere (II Cor.4:6) and we all know that to be true. “These perishable bodies of ours are not able to live forever” (I Cor.15:50). The fact is, when we breathe for the last time and our soul separates from our physical body, we will be physically dead. All of us will physically die (Hebrews 9:27). But, because of Jesus Christ, we can live forever. He said, “Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish” (John 11:25&26). “I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life” (John 5:24). How is it that we must all die once, and yet, Jesus says we will never die?
The Bible speaks of two kinds of death (Revelation 2:11; 20:6,14; 21:8). The first is a physical death and occurs when our soul separates from our body. That is the death none of us can escape. The second is a spiritual death and occurs when our soul is eternally separated from God. When a Christian dies physically, their soul immediately goes to be with the Lord (II Cor.5:8; Philippians 1:21), while the non-christian discovers they are eternally separated from God when they die physically. The Good News is that when Jesus Christ returns to planet earth, he will bring with him the souls of those who have already died in him and reunite them with a new and transformed resurrected body (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Philippians 3:21; I John 3:2; I Cor.15:42-57). That isn’t just Good News. That is GREAT NEWS! And that is why Paul could encourage us to, “be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless” (I Cor.15:58).
Monday, November 10, 2014
The Journey
Approximately 10 weeks ago, I received an email invitation that upon first glance, appeared to be one of those, "too good to be true" offers we have all received. And, 99.99% of the time, they ARE too good to be true! But, upon further inspection it was indeed an invitation from former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee to go on a spiritual journey with he and his wife, and 100+ pastors from various parts of the United States. The journey begins on Wednesday, November 12th and continues through Friday, November 21st. During those ten days, we will fly to Krakow, Poland and visit Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz and Birkenau, tour Schindler's Factory and visit important sites in Poland where Pope John Paul II was born and raised. On Sunday, November 16th, we will fly to London, England where we will go on a private tour of Parliament, and Westminster Abby. We will also tour the home of Sir Winston Churchill and visit sites important to Margaret Thatcher and view London from the London Eye. On Wednesday, November 19th we will fly to Los Angeles and tour Ronald Reagan's Presidential Library.
Pope John Paul II, Margaret Thatcher, and Ronald Reagan were all instrumental in the eventual collapse of Communism in Russia and Europe. Their economic policies, military, and spiritual beliefs were legendary and we will get an opportunity to see how faith in Jesus Christ raises the dignity of all human beings and shapes governments. I'm not sure how much free time we will have or how good our Internet connections will be, but if possible, I will try to write about some of my experiences in this BLOG. Your prayers for safe travel, God's Holy Spirit at work in our lives through these experiences, and that the networking with other Christians would prove beneficial to the various churches represented by these many pastors, as well as the states they live in, and our nation, would be greatly appreciated.
Pope John Paul II, Margaret Thatcher, and Ronald Reagan were all instrumental in the eventual collapse of Communism in Russia and Europe. Their economic policies, military, and spiritual beliefs were legendary and we will get an opportunity to see how faith in Jesus Christ raises the dignity of all human beings and shapes governments. I'm not sure how much free time we will have or how good our Internet connections will be, but if possible, I will try to write about some of my experiences in this BLOG. Your prayers for safe travel, God's Holy Spirit at work in our lives through these experiences, and that the networking with other Christians would prove beneficial to the various churches represented by these many pastors, as well as the states they live in, and our nation, would be greatly appreciated.
November 19
When talking about various examples of evil in the peaceful town of Mayberry, Barney Fife used to tell Andy they needed to take action against that evil. His words were specifically, that we need to, “Nip it. Nip it in the Bud!” In other words, whenever crime was committed, it needed to be dealt with right away before it got a toehold in Mayberry and infected others who would then follow suit.
In I Corinthians 5, Paul addresses an ugly situation in the church at Corinth. A stepson was living in sin with his father’s wife (vs.1). Sadly, no one in the church was doing anything about it. Everyone conveniently looked the other way and said nothing to the individual. Not only were this young man’s actions sinful, but Paul contends that allowing sin to remain among them would have a terrible influence on the rest of the body. “Don’t you realize that if even one person is allowed to go on sinning, soon all will be affected? Remove this wicked person from among you so that you can stay pure” (vss.6&7). Elsewhere, Paul had written, “bad company corrupts good character” (I Cor.15:33). And, “It takes only one wrong person among you to infect all the others - - a little yeast spreads quickly through the whole batch of dough” (Galatians 5:9). The Proverb writer agreed, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend” (27:17). Good people can either influence their friends to do good, or bad people will influence their friends to do evil. That is why Jesus cautioned his disciples to, “beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6; 12:1). He knew the hypocritical lifestyles and teachings of these so-called religious teachers could adversely affect his followers if they were not careful.
So, Paul takes to task the Corinthian Christians for allowing this man to get away with his sin without confronting him on it. Apparently, Paul had written an earlier letter (vs.9) in which he told the Corinthian Christians not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. He clarifies his earlier remark by saying that he was not referring to non-christians. If that was the case, we would all have to go into a monastery and live in total isolation. “What I meant was that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a Christian yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler” (vs.11). God will judge those outside of Christ, but it our responsibility to judge and hold accountable those who claim to belong to the family of Christ (vss.12&13). For, if we don’t keep each other accountable, who will? If we don’t hold one another to the higher standards set by Christ, who will? To be sure, our speech, even in confrontation should be “full of grace and seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6; Ephesians 4:15; John 1:14), but love demands that we expect righteous living from those who claim to be righteous.
In I Corinthians 5, Paul addresses an ugly situation in the church at Corinth. A stepson was living in sin with his father’s wife (vs.1). Sadly, no one in the church was doing anything about it. Everyone conveniently looked the other way and said nothing to the individual. Not only were this young man’s actions sinful, but Paul contends that allowing sin to remain among them would have a terrible influence on the rest of the body. “Don’t you realize that if even one person is allowed to go on sinning, soon all will be affected? Remove this wicked person from among you so that you can stay pure” (vss.6&7). Elsewhere, Paul had written, “bad company corrupts good character” (I Cor.15:33). And, “It takes only one wrong person among you to infect all the others - - a little yeast spreads quickly through the whole batch of dough” (Galatians 5:9). The Proverb writer agreed, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend” (27:17). Good people can either influence their friends to do good, or bad people will influence their friends to do evil. That is why Jesus cautioned his disciples to, “beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6; 12:1). He knew the hypocritical lifestyles and teachings of these so-called religious teachers could adversely affect his followers if they were not careful.
So, Paul takes to task the Corinthian Christians for allowing this man to get away with his sin without confronting him on it. Apparently, Paul had written an earlier letter (vs.9) in which he told the Corinthian Christians not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. He clarifies his earlier remark by saying that he was not referring to non-christians. If that was the case, we would all have to go into a monastery and live in total isolation. “What I meant was that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a Christian yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler” (vs.11). God will judge those outside of Christ, but it our responsibility to judge and hold accountable those who claim to belong to the family of Christ (vss.12&13). For, if we don’t keep each other accountable, who will? If we don’t hold one another to the higher standards set by Christ, who will? To be sure, our speech, even in confrontation should be “full of grace and seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6; Ephesians 4:15; John 1:14), but love demands that we expect righteous living from those who claim to be righteous.
November 13
There are certain people in each of our lives that, for whatever reason, we find it difficult to question or confront. Perhaps, it’s because of the position they possess at work, or the important role they play on our athletic team, or the office they hold in government, etc. Or, maybe it’s their age and we respect the obvious wisdom they have gained through the years. Maybe it’s a combination of both of these reasons and more.
When one thinks of the apostle Peter, our minds picture a spiritual giant. Hadn’t Jesus placed the initial leadership for the church in Peter (Matthew 16:16-19)? Wasn’t Peter one of three privileged to be in the Master’s Inner Circle (Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 5:37-43; Mark 14:32-42)? It was Peter who was often the spokesman for the rest of Jesus’ disciples (Mark 14:27-31; John 6:66-69) before Jesus died. And it was Peter who was often the spokesman for the rest of Jesus’ disciples after Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 2:14-40; 3:4-26; 4:8-12). Only Peter had the guts to walk on water (Matthew 14:25-29). Only Peter acted to defend Jesus when the soldiers came to arrest him (John 18:10&11). And when the resurrected Jesus appeared on the beach while his disciples were out in a boat fishing, it was Peter who jumped into the water and swam to see his Lord (John 21:7&8).
But, sin has a way of deceiving even the most mature and respected of Jesus’ followers. Peter was the first to understand that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was God’s gift to ALL people, including the Gentiles (Acts 10). It was Peter who said, “It’s God own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from - - if you want God and are ready to do as He says, the door is open. The Message he sent to the children of Israel - - that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again - - well, he’s doing it everywhere, among everyone” (Acts 10:34-36; The Message).
And yet, even the great Peter could be influenced by what other people thought of him. When he was in a room with Gentiles, he was great friends with them, but when Jews entered the room, Peter kept his distance from his Gentile friends (Galatians 2:11-13). Are there times when maybe we have also been like Peter? Times when we skip praying for our meal in public when we are with unbelievers? Times when we run into church friends and fail to acknowledge these church friends to our secular friends (John 12:42&43)? We all need a Paul in our lives, someone bold enough to keep us accountable and remind us what things are really important (Galatians 2:14-16). At other times, we may need to be a Paul to our Christian friends who still have maturing to do in their lives.
When one thinks of the apostle Peter, our minds picture a spiritual giant. Hadn’t Jesus placed the initial leadership for the church in Peter (Matthew 16:16-19)? Wasn’t Peter one of three privileged to be in the Master’s Inner Circle (Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 5:37-43; Mark 14:32-42)? It was Peter who was often the spokesman for the rest of Jesus’ disciples (Mark 14:27-31; John 6:66-69) before Jesus died. And it was Peter who was often the spokesman for the rest of Jesus’ disciples after Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 2:14-40; 3:4-26; 4:8-12). Only Peter had the guts to walk on water (Matthew 14:25-29). Only Peter acted to defend Jesus when the soldiers came to arrest him (John 18:10&11). And when the resurrected Jesus appeared on the beach while his disciples were out in a boat fishing, it was Peter who jumped into the water and swam to see his Lord (John 21:7&8).
But, sin has a way of deceiving even the most mature and respected of Jesus’ followers. Peter was the first to understand that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was God’s gift to ALL people, including the Gentiles (Acts 10). It was Peter who said, “It’s God own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from - - if you want God and are ready to do as He says, the door is open. The Message he sent to the children of Israel - - that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again - - well, he’s doing it everywhere, among everyone” (Acts 10:34-36; The Message).
And yet, even the great Peter could be influenced by what other people thought of him. When he was in a room with Gentiles, he was great friends with them, but when Jews entered the room, Peter kept his distance from his Gentile friends (Galatians 2:11-13). Are there times when maybe we have also been like Peter? Times when we skip praying for our meal in public when we are with unbelievers? Times when we run into church friends and fail to acknowledge these church friends to our secular friends (John 12:42&43)? We all need a Paul in our lives, someone bold enough to keep us accountable and remind us what things are really important (Galatians 2:14-16). At other times, we may need to be a Paul to our Christian friends who still have maturing to do in their lives.
November 10
Kenny Rogers sings a song in which the words say, “And she believes in me. I’ll never know just what she sees in me....But she has faith in me, and so I go on trying faithfully. And who knows maybe on some special night, if my song is right, I will find a way.......”
Few things say, “I love you,” more than believing the best about people and standing by them, especially when few others will. Jesus met a woman in Samaria in John 4 who had already been married five times and was currently living with a man outside of the marriage covenant (vss.17&18). Because Jesus was able to look past her sin and instead see her pain, and because Jesus believed the best about this woman and saw her potential, her life was totally changed. She, who had a horrible reputation amongst those who knew her, was able to lead an entire village of people to also find Jesus (John 4:39-42).
Later, Jesus met a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. The Mosaic Law forbid adultery and said that those caught in such an act should be stoned to death (Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22). But, because Jesus was again able to look past her sin and see the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders who used her to test Jesus, and because Jesus believed the best about this woman and saw her potential, her life was spared. Enveloped by Jesus’ love and forgiveness, her life was forever changed (John 8:1-11).
Saul had such a horrible reputation for persecuting Christians, that when he miraculously became a Christian, few believers trusted him. And who could blame them? (Acts 9:13&14, 21, 26) This man had previously searched out and persecuted Christians, wanting to destroy them and their faith. Furthermore, Saul thought he was serving the same God they did, when he carried out this violence (Acts 9:1&2). It’s no wonder that Christians were very skeptical when Saul, the persecutor of Christians now claimed to be Saul, a preacher for Christianity.
Enter Barnabas, whose name meant, “son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36). Barnabas befriended Saul when few others would. Barnabas introduced Saul to the apostles and stood up for him. And because Barnabas saw the potential in Saul in the same way Jesus sees the potential in all of us, Saul was accepted by the apostles in Jerusalem. The more time he spent with these men who had been personally trained by Jesus, the more they and others trusted him. It was Barnabas’ friendship that played a large role in Saul eventually ministering to countless numbers of Jews and Gentiles in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 13:1-15:35).
Could it be that you are a Christian today because someone saw through your sins and your hurt and instead, saw the potential in you? Is it possible the Lord might place someone in your path who also needs a friend to believe in them? What Saul is out there whose life could be totally and radically changed by someone who saw them through the eyes of Jesus?
Few things say, “I love you,” more than believing the best about people and standing by them, especially when few others will. Jesus met a woman in Samaria in John 4 who had already been married five times and was currently living with a man outside of the marriage covenant (vss.17&18). Because Jesus was able to look past her sin and instead see her pain, and because Jesus believed the best about this woman and saw her potential, her life was totally changed. She, who had a horrible reputation amongst those who knew her, was able to lead an entire village of people to also find Jesus (John 4:39-42).
Later, Jesus met a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. The Mosaic Law forbid adultery and said that those caught in such an act should be stoned to death (Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22). But, because Jesus was again able to look past her sin and see the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders who used her to test Jesus, and because Jesus believed the best about this woman and saw her potential, her life was spared. Enveloped by Jesus’ love and forgiveness, her life was forever changed (John 8:1-11).
Saul had such a horrible reputation for persecuting Christians, that when he miraculously became a Christian, few believers trusted him. And who could blame them? (Acts 9:13&14, 21, 26) This man had previously searched out and persecuted Christians, wanting to destroy them and their faith. Furthermore, Saul thought he was serving the same God they did, when he carried out this violence (Acts 9:1&2). It’s no wonder that Christians were very skeptical when Saul, the persecutor of Christians now claimed to be Saul, a preacher for Christianity.
Enter Barnabas, whose name meant, “son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36). Barnabas befriended Saul when few others would. Barnabas introduced Saul to the apostles and stood up for him. And because Barnabas saw the potential in Saul in the same way Jesus sees the potential in all of us, Saul was accepted by the apostles in Jerusalem. The more time he spent with these men who had been personally trained by Jesus, the more they and others trusted him. It was Barnabas’ friendship that played a large role in Saul eventually ministering to countless numbers of Jews and Gentiles in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 13:1-15:35).
Could it be that you are a Christian today because someone saw through your sins and your hurt and instead, saw the potential in you? Is it possible the Lord might place someone in your path who also needs a friend to believe in them? What Saul is out there whose life could be totally and radically changed by someone who saw them through the eyes of Jesus?
November 7
In the Christian walk, prayer plus the Holy Spirit equals power from God. No one knew that more than the early followers of Jesus Christ. During his earthly ministry, Jesus had said, “If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:13). And Jesus had promised his disciples, “when the Father sends the Counselor as my representative - - and by the Counselor I mean the Holy Spirit - - he will teach you everything and will remind you of every-thing I myself have told you” (John 14:26). So as Jesus prepared to leave his disciples and ascend into heaven, he reminded them, “do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what He promised. Remember, I have told you about this before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4&5). For, “when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere” (1:8).
There were a number of believers who got together regularly in the days following Jesus’ ascension into heaven. The Bible says, “they all met together continually for prayer” (1:14). Peter felt it was necessary to replace Judas, who had hung himself after he betrayed Jesus (Matthew 27:1-10; Acts 1:18&19). Two men who met the qualifications for being an apostle (1:21&22) were nominated and again the Bible says, “they all prayed for the right man to be chosen” (1:24). Sometime, shortly after that, the Holy Spirit came just as Jesus promised, and gave many people the miraculous ability to speak in intelligible languages they had no prior knowledge of (2:4-12). When the crowd present asked what was going on, Peter addressed them and said that Jesus was the Messiah sent from God and they had crucified him. When many in the crowd were convicted, they asked what they could do to be forgiven. Peter replied, “Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins (see also Matthew 28:18-20). Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you and to your children, and even to the Gentiles - - all who have been called by the Lord our God” (2:38&39). What took place after that was phenomenal. Armed with the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer, “the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity - - all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of the people.” And the results? “Each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved” (Acts 2:43-47).
Prayer plus the Holy Spirit equals power from God. Jesus taught us to pray and never quit praying (Luke 18:1). He promised us the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives after he left and Peter assured us the Holy Spirit would inhabit every believer in Jesus Christ who turned from their sins and were baptized in him (2:38&39; 5:32). So, if we want to see first century results in Christ’s twenty-first century church, we would be wise to follow the example of our first century ancestors. Prayer plus the Holy Spirit equals power from God.
There were a number of believers who got together regularly in the days following Jesus’ ascension into heaven. The Bible says, “they all met together continually for prayer” (1:14). Peter felt it was necessary to replace Judas, who had hung himself after he betrayed Jesus (Matthew 27:1-10; Acts 1:18&19). Two men who met the qualifications for being an apostle (1:21&22) were nominated and again the Bible says, “they all prayed for the right man to be chosen” (1:24). Sometime, shortly after that, the Holy Spirit came just as Jesus promised, and gave many people the miraculous ability to speak in intelligible languages they had no prior knowledge of (2:4-12). When the crowd present asked what was going on, Peter addressed them and said that Jesus was the Messiah sent from God and they had crucified him. When many in the crowd were convicted, they asked what they could do to be forgiven. Peter replied, “Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins (see also Matthew 28:18-20). Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you and to your children, and even to the Gentiles - - all who have been called by the Lord our God” (2:38&39). What took place after that was phenomenal. Armed with the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer, “the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity - - all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of the people.” And the results? “Each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved” (Acts 2:43-47).
Prayer plus the Holy Spirit equals power from God. Jesus taught us to pray and never quit praying (Luke 18:1). He promised us the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives after he left and Peter assured us the Holy Spirit would inhabit every believer in Jesus Christ who turned from their sins and were baptized in him (2:38&39; 5:32). So, if we want to see first century results in Christ’s twenty-first century church, we would be wise to follow the example of our first century ancestors. Prayer plus the Holy Spirit equals power from God.
November 5
Jesus made no secret about the fact that he would bodily resurrect on the third day after being placed in a tomb (Luke 9:22; 24:5-8; Matthew 16:21; 28:6; Mark 8:31). His disciples knew it. The women who followed him knew it. Even the Jewish religious leaders knew it. In order to make sure that no one would steal Jesus’ dead body and then tell others that he had resurrected from the grave, the religious leaders had a request for Pilate. “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will be raised from the dead.’ So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he came back to life!” (Matt.27: 63&64). So, Pilate placed some of his guards at the disposal of the religious leaders to guard the tomb and prevent such an event from happening.
But, when God proposes to do something, there is nothing man can do to prevent it. When an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled the stone away, these brave, highly-trained, very-powerful soldiers “shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint” (Matt.28:4). When the women came to the tomb early on the first day of the week to finish embalming Jesus, “they found that the stone covering the entrance had been rolled aside. So they went in, but they couldn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus” (Luke 24:2&3). While they were trying to imagine what could have possibly happened to Jesus’ body, two angels appeared to them and asked, “Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He has risen from the dead!” (Lk.24:4&5: Mk.16:5&6; Matt.28:5&6).
The news that Jesus had bodily risen from the tomb seemed too good to be true. When the apostles first heard it from the women, they didn’t believe it because the story sounded like nonsense (Luke 24:10&11; Mark 16:10&11). Even after the disciples saw Jesus alive for themselves, they still had questions.
The same is true for us today. We have not had the privilege of actually seeing Jesus alive following his death and burial, as Jesus’ disciples did. Thomas didn’t believe the other disciples when they told him they had seen Jesus alive. And Thomas said he wouldn’t believe their story unless he saw Jesus for himself (John 20:25). To be sure, when Jesus did appear to Thomas, the doubting disciple proclaimed Jesus as Lord (20:28). But, as Jesus said to Thomas, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven’t seen me and believe anyway” (20:29). Like Thomas, we have not had the privilege of seeing Jesus alive. But, we have seen his resurrection power at work in our lives (Philippians 3:10). There have been miraculous answers to our prayers, unexplainable changes in our lives and the lives of others, and unusual occurrences in our lives that have all confirmed a power greater than we can understand. The question for us is, will we live our lives expecting Christ’s resurrection power to show up on a regular basis? Or, will we continue in our skepticism to ignore that truth? The choice is ours, but so are the consequences.
But, when God proposes to do something, there is nothing man can do to prevent it. When an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled the stone away, these brave, highly-trained, very-powerful soldiers “shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint” (Matt.28:4). When the women came to the tomb early on the first day of the week to finish embalming Jesus, “they found that the stone covering the entrance had been rolled aside. So they went in, but they couldn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus” (Luke 24:2&3). While they were trying to imagine what could have possibly happened to Jesus’ body, two angels appeared to them and asked, “Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He has risen from the dead!” (Lk.24:4&5: Mk.16:5&6; Matt.28:5&6).
The news that Jesus had bodily risen from the tomb seemed too good to be true. When the apostles first heard it from the women, they didn’t believe it because the story sounded like nonsense (Luke 24:10&11; Mark 16:10&11). Even after the disciples saw Jesus alive for themselves, they still had questions.
The same is true for us today. We have not had the privilege of actually seeing Jesus alive following his death and burial, as Jesus’ disciples did. Thomas didn’t believe the other disciples when they told him they had seen Jesus alive. And Thomas said he wouldn’t believe their story unless he saw Jesus for himself (John 20:25). To be sure, when Jesus did appear to Thomas, the doubting disciple proclaimed Jesus as Lord (20:28). But, as Jesus said to Thomas, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven’t seen me and believe anyway” (20:29). Like Thomas, we have not had the privilege of seeing Jesus alive. But, we have seen his resurrection power at work in our lives (Philippians 3:10). There have been miraculous answers to our prayers, unexplainable changes in our lives and the lives of others, and unusual occurrences in our lives that have all confirmed a power greater than we can understand. The question for us is, will we live our lives expecting Christ’s resurrection power to show up on a regular basis? Or, will we continue in our skepticism to ignore that truth? The choice is ours, but so are the consequences.
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