Safetypinlove

All other great religious leaders across the ages cannot boast of this.. or as Luke pointed out in Acts 2:29, “the patriarch King David died and was buried, and his tomb is still with us today.” In other words, the bodies of all great religious leaders such as Confucius, Buddha, Muhammad, and the Dali Lama are exactly where they were laid to rest. And to quell any conspiracy theories that the disciples made the story up…Paul tells us in I Corinthians 15:3-8 that over 500 people witnessed the risen Lord during the 40 days before His ascension to the right hand of the Father. So today on Resurrection Sunday, I praise God for His perfect plan of redemption…for He is risen, He is risen indeed!

The world is still…holding its collective breath. Heaven seems silent…where is God they ask. Will things happen as Old Testament prophecy has foretold…or have we been duped into thinking that Jesus was the Messiah? The disciples are in hiding, afraid with every sound that the Roman guards will be at the door ready to drag them away. Even though Jesus had told them repeatedly that He had to die…they didn’t understand or didn’t want to believe it. In their minds, the Messiah would come as a mighty warrior/political leader that would crush the Roman Empire…but instead, they saw the man they had followed for the last three years crucified like a common criminal. And so they waited…wanting to believe in a miracle, but fear and doubt snuffing out all their hope. Today may be a Silent Saturday in your life as you face unsurmountable battles filled with fear and grief. So even though there’s uncertainty and unanswered questions, know that God is still there and miracles still happen everyday.

Have you ever wondered why we call it “Good” Friday? It’s not because of the events that transpired, but because of the hope and salvation that we as Christians believe resulted from those horrific events…promises of forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life. The word “good” in this context is believed to have derived from an older meaning of “Great & Holy”…a day set apart for religious observance and reflection. Thus, Good Friday signifies the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which may seem paradoxical to call the day “good” when we are commemorating Jesus’ suffering and Crucifixion. But without Good Friday, the Lamb of God would not have completely fulfilled in obedience and submission all prophecy concerning the Messiah.

The Book of Lamentations starts with the prophet Jeremiah walking the streets of his beloved Jerusalem. And the farther he walks, the more he pours out to God his passionate and overwhelming grief of what he sees. He cannot start to wrap his head around the destruction, confusion, and the utter hopelessness of God’s people…(even though Jeremiah readily acknowledges that it’s because of their sin that it’s happening.) For Jeremiah, his words start with a downcast soul…but he doesn’t stay there. For in the midst of all the chaos, he reminds the people, and himself, that God is still sovereign, full of mercy and love, and will ultimately bless His people. Likewise, God wants us to bring Him our grief and suffering…but He doesn’t want us to stay there. Instead, we must shift our focus from a perceived rejection of God, to confidence in His goodness and providence.

For Judas, it was greed, treachery, and disillusionment that drove him to betray Jesus. In Luke 22:3-6 it tells us that Satan took control of Judas, (John 13:2) and it was he that sought out the religious leaders not the other way around. And when Judas had offered his services, it says they were glad and promised to give him money.(Mark 14:11) For the religious leaders this was a perfect plan…they had covert access to Jesus by way of an “insider” that would enable them to take Jesus into custody without provoking the crowds that gathered around Him daily. But as we know, the betrayal of Judas cost him everything…showing us that there are always moral consequences when we trade our beliefs for material gain, and evil over loyalty.

I came across a very thought provoking quote from Charles Spurgeon this morning that read, ” There is nothing in the Law of God that will rob you of happiness; it only denies you that which would cost you sorrow.” This all goes back to the character and behavior of God which is always good…and His Covenant devotion that binds Himself to His people in loving kindness. (Psalm 100:5, Psalm 107:1) Thus, God’s Law can only reflect His goodness which is eternal, immutable, and intrinsically good…for God is the very source of all goodness and can do nothing but.

It was the final earthly days of Jesus before His crucifixion…and a plot had been hatched by the religious leaders to kill Him. They didn’t view Jesus as the long awaited Messiah, but rather as opposition that dared to question their power and authority over the people. And as Jesus’ popularity grew, so did their fears that the people would turn and follow Jesus, not them. They thought they were so sneaky and acting in secret…unaware that they were in fact fulfilling Chapter 53 of Isaiah, where the consolation of Israel is foretold as God accomplishes the Salvation of His people…through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

The battle you may find yourself in today didn’t come to measure your power – it came to reveal God’s. And yes, the battle is real – but it’s not yours to carry. God declared this to His people across the Old Testament, “The battle is Mine, declares the Lord.” (I Samuel 17:47 and II Chronicles 20:15) That’s because it’s only by Divine power and not human effort that battles are won…therefore, it’s our responsibility to put our trust and dependance in God’s great power and mighty strength, and not ours. (Psalm 147:5 and Isaiah 40:26)

In the utter vastness of the universe and against the awesome greatness of God’s power, man would seem to be a minute speck. But the Puritan preacher, Charles Spurgeon, put this profound question into perspective when he wrote, ” He knows your case as thoroughly as if you were the only creature He ever made, or the only saint He ever loved. Approach Him and be at peace.” So it can only be with awe and wonder that we can boldly approach the Throne of Grace… knowing that despite our fragile smallness, God is ever mindful of and cares deeply for each one of us.

There are times when we meet someone new and we just click. We chat, discovering common interests and like passions. And then we make plans to get together again…to get to know each other better. Thus, when I hear someone lamenting about their desire to know the Lord better, I ask if they’re friends or just acquaintances of His. Jesus is our friend and supporter…His steadfast love holds us when our foot is about to slip. (Psalm 18:18 & Psalm 94:18) He is our advocate friend…interceding for us, while seated at the right hand of God in heaven. (Romans 8:34) Finally, Jesus is our loving fellowship friend…desiring a intimate relationship and attachment by affection of love and obedience. What indeed is the friend we have in Jesus…sticking closer than a brother in His faithfulness and steadfast love for us.