DAY 8 - COUNTING TO ASCENSION

In parallel time – April 23, 2017

Jesus’ appearance to the entire group a week after Resurrection Day! (on the 8^th day)

Reading for today:
John 20:24-30

‘Though the doors were locked Jesus came and stood among them….”

I apologize for the whiplash – dashing backward, then forward…. But – my intention all along was to write about what happened ‘then’ in parallel time, and I want to be faithful with keeping that intention. I obviously had more to write about than I could possibly get to – so am still playing ‘catch-up,’ but for the things that are stated to be specific times – I want to keep up – and today is one of those days.

Jesus appeared to His disciples on the evening of the Sunday he was resurrected – simply ‘appeared’ to them behind a locked door – and said those words that Jesus and angels say when people are quaking in their boots, “Do not be afraid.” There is no record of what He did between that day and His next recorded appearance, but He shows up a week later – for Thomas’ sake. Thomas wasn’t with them last Sunday when Jesus first appeared to His disciples, proving that He had risen.

Thomas made it perfectly clear that he was from the sturdy rootstock of ‘Show me!’ I love Thomas. His story is one that resonates clearly when we are in times of doubt and unbelief. ‘Show me.’ And Jesus did – and does….

‘Blessed are those who don’t have to see to believe’ – but I can tell you that those who require more proof are also blessed – for when we ask for bread, he doesn’t give us a stone….

I have heard a lot of sermons castigating Thomas for his unbelief – but we should thank him, for through him we see the Master, alive and well – and Thomas witnesses to the risen Lord.  These many years later, his words of affirmation ring true. Thank you, Thomas Didymus. Thank you, Lord!

Stop doubting and believe.

Humor for today:

When I was in college at Northwest, Professor Fee told the following story on himself:

“I was trying out for a church in Grants Pass, Oregon, and the first words out of my mouth when I stepped into the pulpit were: ‘Good morning to all of you people here in Grass Pants.’

It was not the first impression he had intended – but it was a wonderful ice breaker.

Another truly funny one in real life happened in Montesano. My pastor – who was/is an absolutely certifiable genius tended to get words mixed up on occasion. One Sunday from the pulpit, speaking of someone who wasn’t playing with a full deck, he said, “She didn’t have both udders in the water.’ He meant oars. Since I am visual it was a lot funnier to me than to most folks.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

POST-RESURRECTION OBSERVATIONS 2012

First, a little postscript to yesterday's entry: I have been using the English Standard Version for my Lent study of John; however, yesterday I was reading in the NIV, and it fails to state that the napkin was folded. That's unfortunate. Whomever was working on that translation back in the early 1980's obviously didn't know the significance, so didn't make that point clear.

But one thing is clear in both the NIV and the ESV which I have overlooked in previous readings.... I was shocked to take note of it this morning. In that very first meeting on Sunday evening, when Jesus appeared to those gathered behind a locked door, verse 22 states that Jesus breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." I had never noticed that before. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost didn't occur until 50 days after His resurrection - - but they were given His Holy Spirit and the power that accompanied the gift later the same day that He arose from the grave!

Thomas didn't happen to be there that day - and when the other disciples told him they had seen the Lord, he proclaimed he wouldn't believe Jesus had risen from the dead until he could see and touch the nail marks in His hands and put his hand into the pierced wound in Jesus' side. It was 7 long days later before that happened. Again, the disciples were together secured behind a locked door when Jesus appeared and stood among them. The first item He attended to was to address Thomas' stated conditions for belief. 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."

Thank you, Thomas. You've gotten a bum rap over the years, but who is to say any other disciple would have believed had they not seen with their own eyes? It just happened to be Thomas! And, the proof Jesus provided is a witness to us. Thomas did believe because he saw for himself, and we believe because of the legacy the disciples' accounts provide for us - which is attested to us through the affirmation of the Holy Spirit.

In fact, John 20 ends with a couple of pretty cool statements! In verse 29, Jesus says to Thomas, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." That's us! In all fairness, Thomas didn't have the Holy Spirit as his ally yet, and he experienced the devastation of Jesus' death and the end of the hope he thought was to be.

Fortunately for us, we have that great cloud of witnesses and what they witnessed as a record, which is the subject of the last cool thing stated in John 20. John states that Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples which have not been written down for us, 'But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.'

Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. i.e., I don't always live up to my beliefs, but I want to. It takes being intentional and it requires discipline that I sometimes don't want to invest....

POST-RESURRECTION OBSERVATIONS 2012 (revised)

My blog entries for Lent 2012 got me very near the end of the book of John - - and I feel compelled to finish the book.... It seems like unfinished business....

Chapter 20 reports Jesus' first appearances to His followers and disciples following His resurrection on Resurrection Sunday morning +- 33 A D.

John tells us Mary Magdalene went out to the tomb while it was still dark. Sabbath was over at dusk on Saturday, and Mary likely walked a couple of miles in the early hours of Sunday morning before daylight crept over the surrounding hills. Even in the near-dark, she could tell that the stone had been rolled away.

She ran in panic to Peter and John and declared, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where they have laid him."

John makes a point of letting us know that in their foot race to the tomb, he outran his older colleague - but John stopped at the entrance. Not Peter. No such reservation for him! Peter barged right past John and entered the tomb - and saw the strips of linen lying there, noting that the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head was still lying in its place, folded and separate from the linen.

One of my favorite stories involves the napkin that was carefully folded and set aside separate from the other strips of burial cloth. A few years ago I was told that this would have been an object lesson message to His followers, as the napkin they used was synonymous with a dinner napkin used during meals. In their culture, there was an understood message in the placement of the napkin at the dinner table. If the Master of the house was finished with his dinner, he would wad his napkin and leave it at his place, which was the clue for the wait staff to clear away the dishes; however, when the Master folded his napkin and left it beside his plate at the dinner table, it meant he was coming back. In this smallest of details Jesus left them a message: I am returning! The napkin that had covered his face was folded neatly and laid apart from the other burial linens as a statement that He would return.

And He is! He's coming back - and it could be very soon! Apparently the Mayans zeroed in years ago on December 21, 2012 as the final date in history. I doubt that will be the day - since no man knows the day or hour - - besides, it would be living foolishly to assume we have that much time.... We need to live every day with the awareness that Jesus could return for His own any day!

But - back to John 20! After Peter and John looked inside and saw that Jesus was indeed missing, they went back to where Mary had found them at the place where they were staying.

Mary had followed them to the tomb, and after they left, she went to peek inside.

Amazingly, what she saw was two angels in white, seated where Jesus body had been placed on Friday afternoon by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. But Jesus' body was not there....

The angels asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" As soon as she replied to their query, she turned and saw a man standing there in the pre-dawn darkness. She didn't realize the man was Jesus. He spoke to her, asking the same question the angels asked: "Woman, why are you crying?" Then added, "Who are you looking for?"

John tells us that at first she thought the man was the gardener, until he spoke her name. "Mary," He said, and immediately she knew Him. He told her He had not yet ascended to the Father, something He was about to do.... He instructed her to go tell his brothers....

Her first early morning walk to the tomb had been with a heavy, heavy heart. In her second walk to the tomb, when she followed Peter and John, she was filled with anguish and dismay. Now, with exultant joy she ran to tell His disciples (and likely his siblings) that she had seen the Lord, and gave them the full details of her report.

Palm Sunday - just a week before - led from joy to sorrow. This Sunday, sorrow led to joy!

RESURRECTION! HE IS RISEN!

The gaping mouth of the cave at Banias (Caesaria Philippi) was called 'The Gates of Hell'. This was where Jesus and His disciples were when He asked them, "Who do men say that I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God." Jesus affirmed that to be true and said on the truth of that statement He would build His church. He also said that 'the gates of hell' would not prevail against it....

The Gates of Hell area at Caesarea Philippi is surrounded by commemorations to other 'gods' that were their objects of worship. Yet, Jesus made it clear that nothing would prevail against His Truth. He didn't say they wouldn't try. They will and have and do - - but there is nothing, nothing, nothing that can prevail. It is finished. We know the end of the story! He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Our Senior Pastor shared a story both Wednesday at First Wednesday Prayer, and this morning. It was a story I had already planned to share today - - and his sharing it just reaffirms that! It is the story of the grave clothes in the empty tomb. John tells us in Chapter 20 that when he went into the tomb he saw the linen cloths - and the face cloth (napkin) folded up in a place by itself. It wasn't very many years ago that I learned the significance of that observation. It is a detail I absolutely love!

In Jewish culture, after dinner it was the custom for the Master of the house to wad his napkin and leave it if he was finished eating so the household staff would know it was time to clear the table. However, if the Master was just getting up for a bit and coming back to complete his meal, then he would fold his napkin and leave it at his place as an unspoken message that he was returning. The folded napkin to them meant, "I am coming back."

I love the detail! He had told them clearly before His death - but even at the resurrection, He gave them a signal they would understand. It was a significant message!

Later that Sunday He appeared to His disciples. He just suddenly showed up in a room where they were hidden behind locked doors. A stone tomb couldn't hold Him; a locked door couldn't keep Him out! His first words to them were, "Peace be with you." What indescribable joy! He conquered the worst Satan could do. He conquered death! He lives! He lives! Yeshua ha Meshiach (Jesus Messiah) lives today!!!! King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Hallelujah! He is risen!

MAJESTY by Lola Cain, 1996; adapted 2009

“A King who ruled in majesty”

That’s what people wanted him to be!

No crown of thorns or whip of shame

No cross on which to bear our blame

No nails, no spear, no agony

No death upon a criminal’s tree

No burial in a borrowed grave

…No resurrection power to save!

Thank God for his eternal plan

for justifying fallen man

Providing atoning sacrifice

Sending his Son to pay the price.

Coming incarnate to earth to die

He redeemed His created from Satan’s lie

Thank you, Sacrificial Lamb

…for overriding the will of man.

The veil was rent! God’s plan complete!

We now can worship at his feet!

We enter his presence unafraid

by the blood that Jesus shed to save!

Thank the LORD, he rose again

victory over death to win

Thank Father, Son and Holy Ghost

…the anthem sung by the heavenly host!

“He’s risen,” we shout. “HE’S RISEN INDEED!”

The cornerstone of our Christian creed

And coming once, he’ll come again

God’s promised victory over sin

“It’s finished,” his final words on the cross

Our redemption sealed. Our salvation bought.

Now he reigns eternally

…what both God and man wanted him to be…

“A KING WHO RULES IN MAJESTY!”

Thank You, LORD! Love, Lola