Resurrection Day!

Resurrection Day!

Praise God for the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb!  Good Friday was not the end.  You see, Sunday, as Carman sang, is on the way!  The best way to relay the story is from the account of an eye witness.  Here is the John's account recorded in his gospel, chapter 20.

The Empty Tomb

 ¹ Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ² So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

 ³ So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴ Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷ as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. ⁸ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹ (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

 ¹⁰ Then the disciples went back to their homes, ¹¹ but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹² and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

 ¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
   “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” ¹⁴ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
   ¹⁵ “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
   Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
 ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
   She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
 ¹⁷ Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
 ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

 ¹⁹ On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

 ²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus Appears to Thomas

 ²⁴ Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

   But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”
 ²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
 ²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
 ²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
 ³⁰ Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Listen to this inspirational message by Tony Campolo

It's Friday....but Sunday is coming!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcbKWT10z34

Preparation Day

On the Saturday before Easter Sunday we wait. 

After the crucifixion, this day was a very sad day.  The disciples and all of Jesus’ followers had seen Him die.  He was gone.  Sadness and despair filled the air.   

How do we know?  The disciples were huddled behind locked doors on the evening of the Resurrection

.

“A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’” (John 20:26)

What were they thinking?  They were all probably well aware of what had happened after the crucifixion. 

Here is Mark’s account:

⁴² “It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. ⁴⁴ Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. ⁴⁵ When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶ So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.”  (Mark 15:42-47 NIV)

I am sure they were filled with fear and doubt and many questions.  Had they just wasted 3 years of their lives following a man who claimed to be the Son of God?  They had seen the miracles, had heard His teachings, and had seen their own lives changed.  But?  What would happen now?

While you contemplate that question, watch this video.  You will know why this is such an important week-end:  the most important in history, next to the birth of Jesus which we celebrate at Christmas time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIDYvg73RuM&feature=player_embedded

Good Friday

Good Friday:  the reason for Jesus' coming to earth

Matthew 20:20-28 records the account of the mother of James and John, two of Jesus’ disciples, coming to Him with a request.  It is recorded that she 

“came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

   ²¹ “What is it you want?” he asked.

   She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

   ²² “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

   “We can,” they answered.

 ²³ Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

 ²⁴ When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. ²⁵ Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”(NIV)

Many lessons can be learned from this passage.  But on this Good Friday, let me focus on verse 28.  Jesus had two primary missions in life.  The first He did for His whole earthly life:  “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” His life in action was one of serving others, but not seeking to BE served.  How contrary to much of today’s American culture.  Today we ask what people can do for US!  

The second reason, and actually the first in priority, is found at the end of the verse: “and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The emphasis throughout many of the N.T. writings, such as the letters to the church, differentiate between Christ’s life and His death.  His death…coming to give His life as a ransom for many” is a main topic in the N.T. letters.  

“You will find that the Epistle to the Hebrews especially is full from beginning to end of the thought of the sacrificial character of the death of Christ. He was incarnate "that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." "He needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins and then for the people's: for this He did once, when He offered up Himself." "By His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." "The blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God" shall" purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God." "Once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." He was "once offered to bear the sins of many." "He offered one sacrifice for sins for ever." "We are sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." We have "boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus." It is the "blood of the covenant wherewith" we are "sanctified." "Jesus, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate."  (The Biblical Illustrator Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2006 Ages Software, Inc. and Biblesoft, Inc.)

 Good Friday is the day on which the ultimate Servant gave His life so that you and I would not have to die in our sins; so that you and I could have hope...life...peace...and on and on!  

John M. Moore, the hymn writer captured this truth when he wrote…

Why did they nail Him to Calvary’s tree?
Why, tell me, why was He there?
Jesus the Helper, the Healer, the Friend—
Why, tell me, why was He there?

Then the songwriter answers the rhetorical question by saying…

All my iniquities on Him were laid—
He nailed them all to the tree.
Jesus the debt of my sin fully paid—
He paid the ransom for me."

When Jesus was on the cross, I was in the crowd.

  

In The Worlds Crisis, H. A. Mitchell writes: "The object on which we fix our eyes is that on which our heart is set; the things we like best, or the person we love most. How many times you have stood gazing at some picture because you so much admired it! All unconsciously when in company with someone, you were found looking intently at them, simply because of a great fondness you had for that person. History relates that Cyrus once asked Tigranes, among others, how much he would pay for the ransom of his lady, a beautiful woman whom he had just recently married. He replied, 'A thousand lives if I had them."

"When Cyrus had set her and many more at liberty, and was going home after a supper had been provided by him, many were joyful; one was extolling his wisdom, another his valor; someone else was praising his beauty of person and admiring the sweetness of temper, when Tigranes turned to his lady and said: "What did you think of Cyrus?' She replied: T do not know, I did not observe him.'

"'Upon what object, then, did you fix your eyes?' said Tigranes. His wife replied, 'Upon him who said the he would give a thousand lives to ransom my liberty.'

"The eyes of that woman were on the one who loved her so well that he would give a thousand lives to set her free if it were in his power. Jesus Christ has given His life to ransom us and set us at liberty. Do you believe it? Then our eyes will be fixed on Him. The world will not charm us, it is Jesus. He is the one most lovely of all. 'The eyes of all look unto thee' (Psalm  145:15)."  http://www.moreillustrations.com/Illustrations/eyes.html

On this Good Friday....let us fix our eyes on Jesus.  He paid the ransom for you and for me."

Life is filled with symbols

In chapel today at Central Bible College, campus pastor Alan Baker led the campus is "The Final Footsteps of Jesus Communion Service."  Dr. Mark Jenkins took us on a journey to Jerusalem and the historical sites of Jesus last week from the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem to the the place of the crucifixion.

The service concluded with the campus sharing together in the communion.

I was asked to share a "charge" to the campus family about the "cup" and lead in prayer before we partook of the cup together.  This is what I said:

Life is filled with symbols.

My wedding ring is a symbol of a commitment, a covenant, I made with my wife Karen “to keep myself only unto her as long as we both shall live.”  Not only is it a symbol of my commitment to her on the day of our wedding, but it symbolizes my continuing commitment to her.

In two weeks, a number of you will  receive another symbol which you will hang on your wall some day:  a diploma from Central Bible College, symbolizing, not only the completion of your academic requirements, but also years of blood, sweat and tears!

Look at the cup you hold in our hand.

Jesus said this cup is also a symbol of a covenant.  We are here today remembering the Last Supper where Jesus introduced this new covenant.  After supper Jesus took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

The disciples did not realize what “poured out” meant.  Later they did.  Do we realize what it means?  You and I are impacted specifically by what Jesus did!

Revelation 5:6 records a scene in heaven:  

“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.” 

After a description of this Lamb – Jesus – the 4 living creatures and the 24 elders sang a new song:

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

Although you will not wear this symbol or hang it on your wall, right now, as you look at this cup, ask the Holy Spirit to impress this symbol indelibly on your mind so you will NOT forget what Jesus did for you when “with His blood He purchased YOU for God!”  

May we remember all of the days of our lives that we will have the privilege one day to stand in heaven before the throne with people who Jesus purchased with His blood from every tribe and language and people and nation.

Carry One Another’s Burdens

20.  “Carry one another’s Burdens”

My goal for today is to “carry one another’s burdens” 

God’s Word declares: Galatians 6:2  “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

“Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”  (NASB)

Do you see a Christian brother or sister burdened in some way?  Don’t let them fall under the weight of that burden, whether it be physical or emotional or whatever.  Remember how the scribes and Pharisees handled such situation? "They bind heavy burdens hard to bear and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger" (Mt. 23:4). We must not increase others' burdens, but make them lighter. Besides helping the load for someone else, you are fulfilling the law of Christ.

I like what John Piper said about this.  “In this way you fulfill the law of Christ (6:2). That's an odd phrase in a book that says (5:18): "If you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law." And (3:13): "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law." Have we been freed from the curse and burden of the Mosaic law just to be burdened down with a more radical law of Christ? No. The difference is that Moses gave us a law but could not change our hearts so that we would freely obey. Our pride and rebellion was not conquered by Moses. But when Christ summons us to obey his law of love he offers us himself to slay the dragon of our pride, change our hearts, empower us by his Spirit and fulfill his law. That is why, even though Christ's law is more radical than the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, he can say, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Mt. 11:28-30). The law of Christ is not easy because it's greasy, or permissive. It is easy because when we are weak he is strong. It's easy because he produces the fruit of love: "I am crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…" (2:20). Christ never commands us to do anything that he wants us to do on our own. Therefore every command in the law of Christ is a call to faith. Through faith God supplies the Spirit of Christ (Gal. 3:5); through the Spirit we produce the fruit of love (5:22); through love we fulfill the law of Christ (6:2). Therefore, if you trust him, you will fulfill his law of love. You will devote yourself to lifting the burdens of others.”    http://www.soundofgrace.com/piper83/081483m.htm

“Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of  those without strength and not just please ourselves.”  (Romans 15:1)

My choosing to “to carry each other’s burdens” will enable me to fulfill the law of  Christ, the “new commandment” of the “new covenant” in which Jesus stated, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.”

People who need to see a demonstration of my carrying their burdens today include:  (list names)

Carrying other people’s burdens will help me to grow in the following area(s):  (list)

Carrying other people’s burdens will help me to gain victory over:  

How am I like Jesus when I put into practice Galatians 6:2?