CHRISTIAN REFLECTION
 Contemplation Reflection. from TODAY, The Family Altar March and April 1987. |
DIGGEST
1. CURIOUS ABOUT THE GOSPEL
2. THE GLORY OF HUMILITY
3. IDENTIFIED WITH SINNERS
4 THE SUFFERING OF TEMPTATION
5. NO SABBATH REST
6. ANOTHER SABBATH WITHOUT REST
7. THE SUFFERING OF A FRIEND
8. ANTICIPATION OF SUFFERING
9. THEY COULDN'T BE MORE WRONG
10. PURSUIT OF SUFFERING
11. UNITY IN SUFFERING
12. REJECTED
13. BETRAYED
14. SUFFERING PICTURED
15. DARK GETHSEMANE
16. DENIAL
17. CRUCIFIXION
18. GOOD FRIDAY, AGAIN
19. RESURRECTION SUNDAY
20. SUFFERING AND GLORY
21. THE RISEN LORD AND SIMON
22. GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE<
23. THE STAR OF SALVATION
24. THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY
25. GOSPEL SUCCESS
26. THE SIGN OF JONAH
27. ASCENSION
28. TRIUMPHANT
29. EXALTED AND GLORIFIED
30. COMING AGAIN.
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[They wanted to find out about] the sufferings of Christ and the glory that would follow. 1 Peter 1:11 As we sense from today's reading, Peter wants us to be convinced
of the salvation he writes about, and he wants us to respond
in faith to it. After all, this is not just salvation in general
but "the salvation of [our] souls." Then Peter mentions angels. The gospel message is so striking and important to them that they listen in rapt attention whenever it is told; they "long to look into" the way God saves sinners through the death of his only Son. Are you - like the angels and the prophet - curious about the gospel?Will you compare the message of the prophets with that of the apostles this month as we study the suffering and exaltation of Christ? "
She . . . placed him in a
manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke
2 : 7 Those who have lived in and have studied Near Eastern culture
inform us that Joseph and Mary's difficulty in securing lodging
at the time of Jesus' birth was not as serious or humiliating
as we might think. Jewish people commonly offered their stables
to travelers who were in trouble or who could not find a place
to stay for the night. Nevertheless, the difficulties of the journey to Bethlehem,
the temporary nature of shelter, and especially the flight
into Egypt to avoid the wrath of King Herod remind us of what
Jesus said about his own life as a wandering preacher: "The
Son of Man has no place to lay his head." (Luke 9 : 58). The lowly circumstances of Jesus' birth are actually the
setting for the cosmic event described in Philippians 2 :
6,7: "[Christ Jesus],being in very nature God . . . made
himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant."
His humiliation did not consist in the time and place of his
birth - it consisted in the fact that the eternal Son of God
took on human nature. Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die.
(C.Wesley) But Jesus' humbling was utterly glorious. Angels and wise
men have spoken of this glory, and we, with them, adore him;
he is our Saviour, the very Son of God! Jesus was baptized too ..
. Luke 3:21 Now, at age 30, Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized by John in the Jordan River. John objected because he felt that it should be the other way around: Jesus should baptize him, he thought. But Jesus explained, "It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3 : 15). So John consented. John's difficulty with this made sense, however: if John's baptism was for repentance and the washing away of sin, Jesus did not need it. But just as circumcision, the sign of the Old Covenant, showed Jesus' oneness with all believers in the "new and better covenant." By his baptism at the beginning of his earthly ministry, Jesus identified with all sinners and showed that he had come to bear the sins of the world. As the author of Hebrews says, "He had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order . . . that he might make atonement for the sins of his people" (Hebrew 2 : 17). 4. THE SUFFERING OF TEMPTATIONHe . . . suffered when He was tempted. Hebrew 2:18 We know that suffering can lead to temptation. It did for Job when his wife told him to "curse God and die" because of the pain that he suffered (Job 2:9). We also know that when people are tempted and fall into sin, their temptation can lead to suffering. This happened to King David of Israelwhen the child born of his adulterous relation with Batsheba died (2 Samuel 12 : 18). When Jesus was tempted by satan, he had been without food for forty days - and he suffered, as Hebrews 2:18 tells us. But his suffering at this time was not related to his hunger; it came from the sting of Satan's hatred. Jesus' experience with temptation was totally different from many people's experience with it today: they seek it out and play with it. James 1:14-15 describes the process:"Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. then, after desire has conceived,it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death." I once knew a bedridden woman who was never without pain. Satan's temptations were extremely difficult for her - and that brought suffering. What brought her relief, though,was the assurance that Jesus understood: "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." 5. NO SABBATH REST All the people in the synagogue were furious.
Luke 4 : 28 Jesus had returned to his hometown, and expectations
ran high. "All spoke well of him," Luke says. But how quickly their attitude changed from
admiration to hatred! What caused this change? Jesus quoted
the proverb "No prophet is accepted in his home town."
That may explaqin some of their questions, but it does not
explain their murderous anger. What made the people so furious was that
Jesus used the prophet Isaiah to show them that the salvation
of God would finally go to gentiles as well as the Jews. Jesus
referred to incidents from Israel's history that showed that
already in the Old Testament, God had shown his mercy to Gentiles.
This was God's grat plan for the world. And Jesus' countrymen
found this very idea hateful. I have sometimes seen outlines os Jesus'
ministry that call his first year of work the "Year of
Popularity." It certainly wasn't like that in Nazareth.
The prophet Isaian described Jesus' ministry more accurately
: "Many . . . were appaled at him . . . he was despised
and rejected" (Isaiah 52:14, 53:3). The same message that Jesus brought to his
townspeople,however, has brought hope to millions throughout
the centuries. Salvation is for every nation, not just one
group. It is for me. It is for you. They . . . began to discuss
. . . what they might do to Jesus. Luke 6 : 11 In Jesus' day, the Jews were very interested in the law of
God. They had special teachers of the law who were called
scribes and who had the religious and civic duty of studying
the law carefully and interpreting it for the people. Another
group deeply interested in the law were the Pharisees, who
dedicated their lives to living according to God's law with
great precision. Jesus acknowledged that the aims of both of these groups
were legitimate. Once he said, "The teachers of the law
and the Phaaarisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them
and do everything they tell you." Then he added,"But
do not do what they do, for they do not practise what they
preach,' (Matthew 23:2,3) Jesus knew that their hearts were evil - he was "deeply
distressed at their stubborn hearts" (Mark 3:5). He knew
they had no concern for suffering people. He also knew that
they were plotting to destroy him. It is easy for us to despise the hard-hearted scribes and
Pharisees. But we would do well to ask, "What about me?
Am I concerned about my neighbor? Do I love my enemies? Sometimes
we even think we have the right to decide what we are going
to do with Jesus. Instead of trying to control Jesus - and,in
turn, make him angry - let's ask him to do something to us
that will make a difference for time and eternity. Herod said, "I beheaded
John." . Luke 9 : 9 When Jesus learned of John's death, "He
withdrew . . . to a solitary place" (Matthew 14
: 13 ). Undoubtedly he poured out his heart in prayer to the
Father. Christ knew that others suffered because of him. The children
of Bethlehem had been slaughtered because of him. His mother
had been told that a sword would pierce her soul because of
him (Luke 2 : 35 ). He was bringing death and suffering to
those closest to him. When Jesus headed toward Bethany one
day, the gloomy disciple Thomas said to the other disciples,
"Let us also go, that we may die with him" (John
11 : 16 ). But Jesus also brought new life. Doesn't it seem contradictory
that the Lord of life was attended by so much death? Some
years ago I lived in an area were people spoke of "the
living in the dead." They were referring to a beautiful
white birch tree, which had taken root in the decaying stump
of an ancient white pine - new life in the midst of death. Even Herod the tetrarch recognized that there was a source
of new life working in his territory. Even though Herod had
put people to death because of Jesus, Jesus was healing people
everywhere and bringing them "good news." Do you know this caring Jesus, whose promise of life above
the threats of death and suffering? "The Son of Man must
suffer many things . . . " . Luke 9 : 22 Worry has been described as "borrowed trouble."
Statistical analysis shows that most of the things we worry
about ahead of time never come to pass. Sometimes we tell
one another that worry doesn't help;one cartoon character
has said, "It does help - what I worry about never happens." Jesus said, "Do not worry about tomorrow . . . Each
day has enough trouble of its own." We must admit that
if we don't know the future, worry is useless. Jesus, however,did know the future, and though he did not
worry in the ordinary sense of the word, he did have feelings
that grew out of his knowledge of the future and what it held
for him. "Everything that is written . . . about the
Son of Man," he said, "will be fulfilled . . . .
[the gentiles] will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog
him and kill him" (Luke 18:31,32). All during his ministry,
he knew that the day would come when he would pay for his
words and deeds with his life. Certainly if any one of us knew such details about his or
her future, anxiety aaand agony would begin immediately. Jesus,
though, lived with the anticipation of suffering. This is
another way he suffered for his people. If we love him for
dying on the cross for us, we should love him even more as
we think of how he knew the cross was coming. "By Beelzebub . . . he
is driving out demons," (Luke 11 : 15) We are hurt and perplexed when others misunderstand us. Think
how it must haaave pained Christ to be accused of cooperating
with the devil when he performed his miraacles. But he did
not allow his hurt to overcome his concern for the spiritual
well-being of those who accused him. He pointed out, very
logically, "Any kingdom divided against itself will be
ruined." Anyone should have been able to figure out that
Satan would not destroy his own kingdom. It's striking that in reponse to the insulting charge leveled
against him, Jesus, in love, also offered forgiveness to his
accusers. Even before they acknowledged their error, he declared,
"Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will
be forgiven" (Matthew 12 : 32). What concerned him most in all this was the hardening opposition
of the Pharisees. Something was happening deep within them
as they resisted the testimony of the Holy Spirit of God,
who empowered Jesus to work his miracles. This is why Jesus
warned them about their spiritual danger by adding, "But
anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven,
either in this age or in the age to come." (Luke 12:32). We must believe that Jesus did his work in the power of the
Holy Spirit. With the same power, he works in our hearts today.
"Do you think I came
to bring peace on earth ? No,I tell you, but division."
Luke 12:51 Most people feel that they have a right to be happy. The
Constitution of the United States expresses this when it talks
about the "pursuit of happines." Jesus' life, however, was no pursuit of happines, even though
all who believe in him experience the most beautiful happines
there is. He was involved in what we might call a "pursuit
of suffering." He referred to his coming death on the
cross as a baptism and said that he would be in distress until
it was actually accomplished. He also realized that his own
suffering would result in suffering among his followers. Perhaps the most painful suffering for Christ's followers
is the division that sometimes comes into families because
of him. This happened often in the first century, when all
who came to Christ had to change their religion. John 7:5
tells us that even Jesus' brothers did not believe in him
for a time. If you suffer family division for jesus' sake, it may help
you a little to know how much the Savior suffered during his
ministry here. Peter goes so far as to say, "If you suffer
as a Christian, do not be ashamed . . . . Rejoice that you
participate in the sufferings of Christ" ( 1 Peter 4:13,16).
It also helps to know that many families that become divided
because of Christ eventually come together again through the
power of his Spirit. "All men will hate you
because of me." Luke 21 : 17 Some of the noblest chapters in human history have been written
by people who were objects of hatred. Many of us have been
deeply impressed, for example, by The Hiding Place, written
by Corrie Ten Boom, who suffered persecution at the hands
of Nazis. Christ's followers are often the objects of other people's
hate. When hated by others because of their Savior, however,
Christians share a special fellowship with Christ. The apostles
Paul (who previously called Saul) learned of this fellowship
when he was persecuting Christians. Christ himself said to
him "Saul,Saul, why do you persecute me?" (Acts
9:4). Chris wanted Saul to know that the persecution of Christian
is also a persecution of himself. The apostles then grew to
connect the sufferings of Christ and Christians so closely
that he later said, "I fill up in my flesh what is still
lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions" (Collossians
1:24). The assured result of suffering with Christ is glory with
him. Paul says so in these words: "We share in his sufferings
in order that we may also share in his glory" (Romans
8 : 17). The book of Revelation, as well, gives us the messaage
of our risen Lord: "Be faithful, even to the point of
death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Rev.2:10).
What a glorious promise! "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem
. . . how often I have longed to gather your children together
. . . " Luke 13:34 When,just days before his cruxification, Jesus crested the
Mount of Olives and saw the entire city of Jerusalem below,
he wept over it and expressed his full concern for it. Shortly
before, he had wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus. Jesus
was deeply emotional, and the Bible tells us often the way
he felt within. John Newton gives a proper response to Jesus'
tears: "Judas,
are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" Luke 22:
48
Many words can be used to express the cruelty
Christ suffered: he was despised, oppressed, mocked. As we
sympathize with Jesus in his sufferings, however, no word
stirs us as much as the word betrayed. One can be mocked and
despised by enemies; one can be betrayed only by his friends.
The fact that someone from Jesus' inner circle collaborated
with the forces of darkness to cause Jesus' cruxifixion is
very unsettling for those who are in his circle of friends
today.
Betrayal, sad to say, is common. David, the
king of Israel who typified Christ, also experienced it. As
Jesus ate with his disciples, he quoted David's words from
Psalm 41: "He who shared my
bread has lifted up his heel against me"
(John 13 : 18). Then he omitted a part of the verse that refers
to the betrayer as a "close friend." Did he omit
this part purposely? We don't know; he did address Judas as
"friend" later, when Judas came to betray him (Matthew
26:50).
More important, why did Judas betray Jesus?
Some people have tried to explain his behavior and even tried
to refurbish his bad image. But the Bible's only explanation
is that Satan entered him (Luke 22 : 3 ).
It frightens us to think that who knew Jesus
so intimatedly could fail him so completely. we must ask our
Lord to pray that our faith may not fail (Luke 22 : 32).
"I have
eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer."
(Luke 22:15).
"This is my body." "This is my
blood." How often these words have been repeated in celebrating
the Lord's Supper. Although Christians have disagreed about
the exact meaning of the words, no one can fail to be impressed
with the picture. Christ ate the Passover with his disciples,
and he used the setting and two of the meal's elements to
"show forth" his death.
As the Passover was a time to be reminded of
and to relive the deliverance of Israel from bondage in Egypt,
so the Lord's supper (also called Communion and Eucharist)
brings us back to the night when Jesus reclined at the table
with his disciples.
The institution of the sacrament of the Lord's
Supper on Passover night points to the uniqueness of Jesus'
suffering and death. Here, before his betrayal, trial, and
conviction, Jesus set before the disciples the symbols of
his death and instructed them to continue the ceremony thereafter
"in remembrance" of him. His death was not murder;
it was a voluntary sacrifice. One of the rewards of church membership is that
it gives us an opportunity to benefit from this sacrament.
He learned obedience
from what he suffered. Hebrew 5 : 8
The hill with the ancient olive trees is a reminder
- for Christians who travel there - of Jesus' prayers in the
garden of Gethsemane on the night he was betrayed. No wonder
people crowd around when they visit. They wish to enter this
sacred precinct, for here Jesus' suffering, except at the
cross, is brought closest to them.
The book of Hebrews reminds us of the scene
when it says, "He offered up
prayers . . . with loud cries and tears to the one who could
save him from death" (5:7).
And it is ironic that pilgrims now flock to
Gethsemane, for it is the very place where Jesus' abandonment
began. Jesus was in earnest need of companionship. And he
pleaded, "Stay here and keep watch," and again,
"Could you not keep watch for one hour?" Then he
spoke a word not only for that night but for all time: "Watch
and pray so that you will not fall into temptation" (Mark
14:34-38). But the disciples slept on.
We know that we have much to learn from the
disciples' experience. But the amazing thing is that Jesus
also learned. "Although he was a son, he learned obedience
from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the
source of eternal salvation for all who obey him" (Hebrews
5:8-9). For Jesus, Gethsemane was the prepatory school for
Calvary. For those who have learned obedience, he is the source
of salvation.
The Lord turned
and looked straight at Peter. Luke 22:61
Luke gives a revealing snapshot of what happened
between the time of Peter's denials of Jesus and the time
of his bitter weeping - Peter's conversations are recorded
in some detail. But Luke's record is sparing when he tells
about the look that Jesus gave Peter.
What was conveyed by that look? Reproval? Warning?
The Master had reproved and warned Peter before:"Out
of my sight, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do
not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men"
(Matthew 16:23). He had also ministered to Peter in mercy:
"Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.But I have
prayed for you, Simon, That your faith may not fail"(Luke
22:31-32).
Perhaps both of these incidents flooded Peter's
mind when the Lord looked straight at him. We do well to put
ourselves in Peter's place, as Bach does in these words from
"St.John's Passion" (Transltion A.Raeburn) : They crucified
him . Luke 23 : 33
In Paul's list of the steps of Christ's humiliation,
the last is death, "even death on a cross!" One
expert describes the cross this way: Of all the devices of
cruel imagination, crucifixion is the masterpiece . . . .
The process of nailing was exquisite torment, and yet worse
is what followed . . . . The spikes rankled, the wounds inflamed
. . . but the misery of miseries to the sufferer was, while
racked with agony, to be fastened in a position which did
not permit him even to writhe."
Even so, the cross, horrible as it was, now
represents the greatest power in the world. Throughout the
centuries its meaning has changed people totally and has made
the least likely candidates into believers.
Captain Mitsuo Fuchida led the Japanese planes
that attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. After the
war he was embittered by Japan's defeat, but he was deeply
moved by a friend's account of how, as prisoner of war, he
was nursed to health by a daughter of missionaries whom Japanese
soldiers had shot in the Philippines. He also read about an
American prisoner who hated his captors until he learned of
Christ's love and redemption. Fuchida bought a Bible and began
reading. "When I came to Luke 23 . . . " he said,
"I understood. I met Jesus that day. He . . . changed
[me] from a military officer to a warrior for Christ."
"This man
has done nothing wrong . . ."
"&Surely this was a righteous man."
Luke 23 : 41, 47
We Should look once more at yesterday, the day
we call Good Friday.It is said that the name for this day
developed from the term God's Friday, much as goodbye developed
from God be with you. In any case, it is true that the darkest
day in the history of the world, when God's Son was crucified,
was at the same time God's good day.
One of the reasons that day was "good"
is that is was the day Christ's exaltation began. Jesus had
predicted as much when he said," I,when I am lifted up
from the earth, will draw all men unto myself" (John
12:32). The thief and the centurion were the first tokens
of his worldwide success.
The centurion grasped correctly that there had
been a terrible miscarriage of justice. And the dying thief
apparently grasped even more about Jesus as he called for
help in his extremity and received the good news:"Today
you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).
And so the Lord was honored with these trophies
of praise and victory in the very hour that death and hell
did their grimmest work. Have you been added to the long honor
roll of those who have, ever since, come "from east and
west and north and south" to take their places in God's
kingdom (Luke 13:29)? How important it is to be among those
whom he has conquered!
"He is not
here ; he has risen !" Luke 24:6
I trust that you will take the opportunity to
attend church at Sunday. You may already have been to an Easter
sunrise service. Many people who seldom go to church make
sure that they go on this special day.
It may surprise you to learn that the Puritans
of England and New England refused, on principle, to commemorate
Easter. They said that although the Old Testament instructed
people to hold annual festivals, the New Testament had no
such instructions. They believed that Christ's resurrection
should be celebrated every week . There's a lot to be said
for this for this view - if more people felt this way, they
would go to worship services every Sunday rather than just
on Easter.
But our celebration of Christ's ressurection
must be more than something we use to fill churches. It must
be an experience of deepest worship as we come together "in
the Spirit" "on the Lord's Day" to adore the
Living One, who was dead but who is now alive forever (Revelation
1:8-10). Worship with the people of God is so exciting because
it rises from our feeling that we are joined with the church
in heaven and on earth.
"To him who sits on the throne and to the
Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and
ever!" (Revelation 5:13). Yes, every Sunday is a day
to worship God and the risen Savior.
"Were not
our hearts burning within us . . .?" Luke 24:32
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
is the great event that changes everything. Nothing has ever
been the same since the glorious day that a human being like
ourselves, who was also the Son of God, broke the chains of
death and emerged from the tomb.
But this needs explanation and interpretation,
and, wonder of wonders, the very person at its center took
upon himself the task of doing exactly that. The Scripture
we just read tells us how Jesus caught up with some of his
followers as they were walking dejectedly to the town of Emmaus.
Why they did not recognize him we do not know, but we do know
that the message he conveyed to them was extraordinary important.
As always, Jesus was careful to connect his
crucifixion with the Old Testament revelation. If only his
conversation had been preserved! He showed his despondent
friends that God had long planned that his Son would achieve
victory along the path of suffering. But they could not grasp
what he was saying until he personally revealed himself to
them.
The experience of the couple from Emmaus is
the experience of many converts to Christianity. The meaning
of Christ's life, death, and resurrection suddenly dawns on
them as Christ reveals himself, and they ask, "Were not
our hearts burning within us?"
"The Lord
has risen and has appeared to Simon." Luke 24:34
Nowhere in the Bible do we read what went on
in the risen Savior's first meeting with Peter. Whatever their
conversation was about, it's doubtful that Peter could forget
hoe Jesus' eyes had met his when Peter had denied his Lord
in the house of the high priest after Jesus had been arrested
(Luke 22:54-62).
On Easter Day, before Jesus appeared to the
disciples as a group, he made a special appearance to Peter.
And it is significant that Jesus at this time stopped using
the name he had given him - Peter, which means "rock."
(see John 21:15-19). Surely, this emphasizes that Peter at
this time was not exhibiting many "rocklike" qualities.
He was weak and afraid and confused. But Jesus ministered
to him in his weakness, even as he did later to "doubting"
Thomas. How gracious of the Lord to draw the curtain of privacy
around his meeting with the man who had failed him!
Later, at Pentecost, Peter showed that he had
been restored; bursting with apostolic authority, he said
to the crowds, "Seeing what was ahead, [David] spoke
of the resurrection of the Christ . . . . [and] God has raised
this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact'
(Acts 2 : 31,32). Jesus had revealed to Peter and the other
disciples what the Scriptures saaid about him: he is alive!
"Nothing
is impossible with God." Luke 1:37
We have just reviewed a series of events that
are without parallel - Jesus' suffering, death, and ressurection.
How could these have happened? How could God create a full
and perfect salvation from the ashes of defeat? When Jesus
was placed in the tomb, it seemed as if Satan had won the
battle. But no; Christ arose, and now you and I can live through
his power.
To understand something of the marvel of Jesus'
victory, it is helpful to go back to the message that the
angel Gabriel spoke to the virgin Mary. Describing the miraculous
conception of Jesus, he announced, "Nothing is impossible
with God." As faith-filled people gaze in wonder at Christ's
victory, they remember that it surely is true: nothing is
impossible with God.
The Great message of the Bible is this: the
idols of man are powerless, but the true God does the impossible.
Long before Jesus' conception and birth, aged Abraham and
Sarah laughed when God promised them a child, but the Lord
asked, "Is anything too hard for the Lord? . . . . Sarah
will have a son" (Genesis 18:14).
Even as God, since the beginning, has accomplished
the impossible, his power is available for our salvation today.
God is still in the business of miracles. If you do not yet
believe in Christ fully, ask him to work a miracle in your
heart.
"The rising sun will
come to us from heaven." Luke 1:78
For better or for worse, the star system is
firmly in place. We speak of those who are stars of stage
and screen and television. A star is a special person; crowds
follow stars whenever they venture out.
But there is only one person who has ever lived
who can be considered a star in the fullest sense of the word:
Jesus Christ, whose victorious life shines splendidly within
the Bible. We generally associate the idea of star with Jesus'
birth; we should also associate it with his triumph over sin
and death.
Old Testaaament prophets, looking forward to
the coming of the Messiah, used the star idea. In spite of
himself, the stubborn aand rebellious prophet Balaam said,
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, "A star will
come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel"
(Numbers 24:17). Another prophet, Malachi, announced, "The
sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings"
(Malachi 4:2).
Remembering the old prophecies that described
the coming Christ aas a shining Saavior, the apostle Peter
described the way Christ comes into the hearts of believers:
"We have the word of the prophets
made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to
it, as to alight shining in a dark place, until the day dawns
and the morning star rises in your hearts" (2 Peter 1:19).
They were filled with awe and
praised God. Luke 7:16
Of all the miracles performed by Jesus, his
raisings of the dead were the most extraordinary. Along with
the miracles of healing, they demonstrated Jesus' divinity
and the power of the age to come.
It is not surprising, then, that Jesus was often
misunderstood when he talked about death from his personal
perspektive. He would say,"Don't cry," or, "Stop
wailing." When he talked about Jairus' daughter, he said,
"She is not dead but asleep" (Luke 8:52).He also
spoke of Lazarus' death this way: " Our friend Lazarus
has fallen asleep; but I am going to wake him up" (John
11:11). No wonder people were confused.
Even though Jesus' miracles of raising the dead
were a powerful testimony to his divinity, not everyone reacted
to these miracles in the same way. When Lazarus was raised,
John 11:45 tells us, "Many of the Jews who . . . had
seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him." On the
other hand, many of the Jewish leaders became determinated
to kill Jesus. In John 12 we read that they even made plans
to kill Lazarus because of the way people were going over
to Jesus' side because of him.
What is your reaction to the resurrected Christ
and his life-giving power? Those who believe in him may be
sure that the day will come when their bodies will be raised
through that power.
"I saw Satan fall
like lightning from heaven." Luke 10:18
Did Jesus ever laugh or cause his listeners
to laugh? Some of his word pictures must have brought a few
chuckles from his audience: the blind leading the blind, or
a camel going through the eye of a needle. The return of the
seventy-two from their missionary tour was a time of such
joy that Jesus summed up their success with a verbal picture
that was something like a cartoon:"I saw Satan fall like
lightning from heaven."
For the Jewish people who heard Jesus talk this
way about Satan, his words were a dramatic description of
Satan's defeat, and the people understood him immediately.
For them, Satan's power was often thought of in terms of the
fact that he had access to heaven - they alwats remembered
the way the first chapter of the book of Job described Satan
talking with God.
How excited the disciples were that, by the
power of Christ, they now had control of demons! And Jesus
joined in their happy mood. But he added a sobering warning,"Beware
of only temporary success-work for the results that last eternally."Now
he also warned, "Woe to the earth and the sea, because
the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with furry, because
he knows that his time is short" (Revelation 12:12).
Jesus has conquered Satan. But those who believe
in Christ must still contend with this wounded enemy.
"One greater than
Jonah is here." Luke 11:32
One week after Easter, Jesus appeared to the
disciples again in the upper room. On Easter Thomas had been
absent from the group, and they had been unable to convince
him that Jesus was alive. "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" (John 20:25).
Thomas was a very modern gentleman, wasn't he?
He wanted scientific proof. When he was confronted by the
resurrected Christ, he recognized Jesus' lordship and his
divinity. Jesus' resurrection is the "sign of Jonah"
that Jesus told his countrymen about.
Jonah, as we know, spent "three days and
three nights" in the belly of a great fish. In his return
to human society and to his prophetic work, we see a prefiguration
of what happened when Christ arose. In Luke 11 Jesus made
clear that his resurrection was going to be the great sign
of his divinity.
Once again, we see that he Old Testament prophets
through their words and dramatic lives pointed forward to
the victorious work of Christ. Now we, with Thomas, stand
before the evidences of Jesus' resurrection, and we are obligated
to believe that Jesus is our Lord and our God. Are you, with Thomas, able to say, "My Lord and my God!"?
While he was blessing
them, he . . . was taken up into heaven. Luke 24:51
Generally, Christians tend to give more attention
to Christ's resurrection than to his ascension into heaven.
When we examine the Bible, however, we discover that it connects
these two events in Christ's history; they are so close that
you cannot think of one without the other. In fact, it is
misleading to emphasize the resurrection and to downplay the
ascension.
When the apostle Paul describes the steps in
Jesus' humiliation and exaltation, he moves directly from
the crucifixion to the ascension (Philippians 2:6-11). And
when Jesus talked about regaining the glory with his Father
which he had before his earthly life, he referred to his ascension
to the right hand of God.
We must become more excited about the ascension,
and even now we should be getting ready to celebrate Ascension
Day. This is the day when the church can sing,
Crown him with many crowns, This also marks the day when a time of special
blessing began for the church. Jesus, our high priest, had
offered himself as the sacrifice for sin. And when he ascended,
he did so in the attitude of blessing, in the same way that
the high priest would traditionally come forth from the altar
to bless the waiting people.
"I am going to send you
what my Father has promised." Luke 24:49
In the ancient world no celebration was considered
more glorious than the march of a triumphant warrior through
his capital city. This was true of mighty empires around the
world. A form of this survives today in the ticker-tape parades
in which we welcome home heroes from space and sports events,
as well as war.
David, in the Psalms, tells of God's going up
to Zion to be worshiped by his people. David had conquered
Jerusalem, but he pictures God as the conquering hero: "When
you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you
received gifts from men" (Psalm 68:18).
Paul quotes this same sentence from Psalms to
describe Christ's ascension into heaven, but he changed the
last phrase to read, "gave gifts to men" (Ephesians
4:8). The psalmist's version is closer to what ordinarily
happened among heroes on earth. Paul's version describes what
happened in Christ's triumphal return to heaven. Christ, who
as the Son of God is a gift giver, did not need the gifts
of his adoring subjects. Instead, he gave them the greatest
gift: the Holy Spirit.
What a glorious sight:Christ returned triumphant
to the Father, having conquered not only sin, death, and the
grave, but Satan and hell also. And he had taught that the
Father would give the Holy Spirit to all who asked. Now he
sends what the Father promised.
"The stone
the builders rejected has become the capstone." Luke
20:17
Luke 20 helps us to understand what happened
when Jesus was rejected by his countrymen aand then was exalted
to the highest point of glory by his Father in heaven. The
parable about the vineyard is a story of human hatred and
treachery. And it applied directly to Israel, for the prophet
Isaiah had called Israel God's vineyard (Isaiah 5:7). Coupled
with this story is the picture of the stone that was discarded
by builders but that eventually became the capstone (Psalm
118:22). Lying there on the building site, the stone was a
menace-it could maim those who stumbled on it.
Note how the Old and New Testament are connected
here. Petyer, seeing the connection, aalso speaks about Jesus
as the stone that the builders rejected but that become the
capstone (1 Peter 2:8). See how God works in an unexpected
manner, destroying all human opposition to his plans and exalting
the very person who was rejected, and killed, God raised,
exalted, and made glorious! As Peter, on Pentecost, declared,
"God has made this Jesus . . . both Lord and Christ"
(Acts 2:36).
How foolhardly it would be for us to reject
the one who has been raised to a position like that of the
capstone in a building. "He on whom [the capstone] falls
will be crushed."
"At that time they
will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great
glory." Luke 21:27
If you are familiar with the words of the Apostles
Creed,you know that the final step of Jesus' exaltation is
his glorious return to this earth. Of all the material in
this historic creed dealing with Jesus, this is the only event
that must still come to pass. He has risen from the dead and
ascended into heaven, and now he sits at the right hand of
the Father in heaven. "From there he shall come to judge
the living and the dead," says the creed. Or,as the angels
told the disciples at the time of his ascension, "This
same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will
come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven"
(Acts 1:11).
The gospel of Jesus Christ is, quite simply,
a beautiful story that is framed by the two comings of the
Savior: his first coming in humiliation (Philippians 2:6-8)
and his second coming in glory.
And each one of us is obligated to react to
the message of Christ. Those who turn away from this message
in disinterest and unbelief will join the multitudes who will
cry out to the mountains when Jesus comes again, "Fall
on us and hide is from . . . the wrath of the lamb!"
(Revelation 6:16). How much better to believe in this glorious
Savior so that, on that day, we will hear the Savior say,"
Stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is
drawing near."
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