Sat 5.6 – Easter Eve

Today’s Readings: John 18-20

Hey guys, let’s take a little different approach to the devotional this morning. We you go through your day today, remember what today is as we celebrate this season. We know he rose on the first day of the week, Sunday. We know he was crucified on the fifth day of the week, Thursday. But have you ever stopped to think about those days in between? Have you ever considered the sorrow and distress that would have been on the hearts of the people? Have you ever thought of the brokenness and defeat that would have overcome Jesus followers during these three days? These would have been hard times for the disciples!

I selected a familiar passage from scripture that recounts the whole Easter story for us. Take a minute and think about some of the people involved with this story and try to see all of these events through their eyes as you read these chapters today…

Jesus – He knew why he was here, he knew the future, he knew the weight he was to bear. He also knew that the disciples didn’t fully understand all that was going on. He knew Peter, though full of passion, was about to stumble. He knew John, the beloved, would be left alone without his mentor. He knew his mother was about to enter the darkest days of her life. He knew he was leaving behind a group of people who needed him…(see John 14-17 as he so beautifully explains how they are to live in his absence) Yet, “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame”.

Peter – Having just promised the Lord his companionship to the end, has defected and ran away ashamed, even denying him publically three times. The last glimpse he had of Christ was during his final screaming denial of their friendship. Peter would soon return to fishing (the life he knew before Christ called him to be a disciple). Imagine his heart of regret. Having the opportunity to make a difference and yet, failing to do so. His Master and Lord, Teacher and Leader, now crucified and there’s no going back.

Mary – Think of all the years she spent as a social outcast. Nobody wanting to come within 30 yards of her (unless they too were of poor reputation). When all the townspeople mocked, when all her family abandoned her, when nobody seemed to care if she live or die, there was One man…Jesus…who not only cared, but he gave her a purpose to live. He showed compassion when none of the others would. He would give her those loving pats on the shoulder that so many were afraid to be seen doing, He didn’t care about her past, only her future. And now, the Hope giver, the life redeemer, the compassionate One, gone. Dead. Buried. And hope, with him.

John – having grown so close to the Lord as to be called the “beloved disciple”, he knew the heartbeat of Christ because he’d heard it with his own ears, he knew the desires of the Lord because he was inside Christ’s life, Christ’s inner circle, and after all those years of growing together, becoming friends, learning at his feet, and molding to fit the Master’s will…now…his beloved Leader, Master, Teacher, Friend…gone. The WAY the TRUTH the LIFE, all gone away. Surely loneliness would have plagued him, solidarity would seem bitter to him…but he must go on somehow.

Now take those eyes and look through the pages of scripture…imagine the morning Mary arrives at that tomb. Imagine the fervor with which Peter and John would have run to that tomb. Imagine the hope that would have flooded their eyes when they heard of this glorious news… RESURRECTION… HOPE … CHRIST!

May you have a wonderful Easter…and may this weekend be a time for you to reflect on how you look at these events, and may we never let them become a Sunday school story, but rather a world changing truth of the hope we have in our Lord!

1.3 - How can anyone be PERFECT?

Today’s Readings: Colossians 1, Ephesians 4

Last night at the Fridge, we talked about God’s desire for the life of His children from the middle of Colossians 1. One of the things He desires for us, is that we “walk worthy of the Lord…strengthened with all might…meet to be partakers of the inheritance.” Among other things He outlines, even just these seem to be a pretty high standard don’t they???

If you will remember, we also mentioned that the book of Ephesians was a sort of “twin” to the book of Colossians. Check out how God describes the goal of the believer in Jesus Christ in Ephesians 4. After giving a list of spiritual gifts, he says those gifts are given so that “…we all com in the UNITY of the FAITH, and of the KNOWLEDGE of the Son of God, unto a PERFECT man, unto the MEASURE of the STATURE of the FULLNESS of Christ.”  Wow! God actually expects me to be living up to the standard of CHRIST!??! He really expects me to be PERFECT??!!?? How can that be? (I even have to ask myself - ‘Are you sure God means that for ME, because I know ME and I do not think I can pull that one off.)

Now, I know that seems to be a unrealistic goal. But why would God set a goal in front of us and then command us to meet that goal if it was impossible? He wouldn’t, would He!?

Well, the answer to the question is, “NO!” However, we must remember what we talked about last night. The strength that we have to reach that MEASURE, STATURE, FULLNESS and PERFECTION of Christ is none other than CHRIST HIMSELF living inside of us! We have something no other generation of God followers has had, the LIVING GOD doing His LIVING IN AND THROUGH US! Check out what God says in Colossians 1.27-29. It would be easy for anyone to look at these verses and think that it was too tall an order to be filled in our modern world, to think that there is no HOPE. Yet, it was almost like God anticipated that we would think that, so He concluded the chapter with these words… saying that there is a MYSTERY that allows all of this to happen, something that generations past didn’t fully understand. This is mystery is given to us of God which is CHRIST IN us, the HOPE of GLORY. There is no hope to measure up if we are relying only on ourselves. But, when we rely on the Christ IN us, I think HE can live up to HIS OWN STANDARD, don’t you? The last verse even says that it is God “which worketh in me mightily” to accomplish His own purpose for me. Wow!

How can anyone be Perfect??? The only way - to be in the PERFECT ONE (Jesus Christ) and for the PERFECT ONE to be in ME.