a child of god
this is the way, run in it
Being perplexed - it's such a human condition.
It never ceases to amaze me how I come to a passage in the bible that I have read before and it comes to life before my eyes, and God the Holy Spirit shows me something new. I was finishing up reading through Luke yesterday, so I was in Luke 24, close to the end and in some ways on automatic pilot. Yes, I know what is in this chapter, it's such a relief to leave behind the pain and sorrow of the cross and hit resurrection day when Jesus rose from the grave to life again, walking with His disciples for one last period of time before going to heaven. But what amused me and caught my attention initially was how the women came on Sunday/Monday morning to have the grave opened and anoint Jesus' body for burial - there had not been enough time for that before the Sabbath rules kicked in - and what do they find? Not just the tomb already open, the stone, too heavy for one man to move, rolled away from the grave entrance, but Jesus' body is missing. It's not there. This is not what they had expected. And the Bible says, "they were perplexed about this" and were standing there not knowing what to think or do. God always does the unexpected. Isn't that wonderful? How boring life would be if we knew what to expect at every turn. How boring if we always got what we wanted without any effort, any testing or growth, any challenge. I give you permission to remind me that I said this the next time I'm complaining about a current challenge I am perplexed about - and yes, I can think of one right now. When God breaks in, life happens and the situation changes. And as if the open empty grave were not enough, two angels appear to the women who respond in terror and bow their faces to the ground, and the angels say to the women, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you...saying that these things must take place and on the third day (He would) rise again?" And those two ladies had an epiphany, a God light-bulb moment. Yes! They did remember that Jesus had said those things, and they could see with their own eyes the truth that His grave was empty, miraculously. When the women go to tell the disciples, they don't believe it. Another typical human response. But Peter, good old hasty impetuous Peter, he goes to look and see for himself, going away afterwards, marveling. Another gospel account says John went with him, and believed. In this chapter 24 of the gospel of Luke, we also have the recounting of the men walking to Emmaus, and the risen Jesus meets them, goes with them for a way, explains to them from the scriptures why it was necessary for the Messiah to go to the cross, and then reveals Himself to them as God the Son when they broke bread together. God reveals Himself - that must have been an amazing moment. We then see the two men doing the typical human thing - I knew it! Did you know it? I knew it when... Weren't our hearts burning when He ... When God breaks in, and reveals Himself, helps us understand, lifts our hearts and encourages us to keep on walking with Him, that is a precious moment and one worth recording and remembering. God sharing Himself with us in life, and Jesus, the Son of God, is the living One who has defeated sin and death for us, so that the grave is not the last of the story for those of us who believe in Him.
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Franci Ballwatching and working for the kingdom of God in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham - UK Archives
January 2019
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