So, maybe it's a little cliche to blog about Jesus' death and resurrection around Resurrection Sunday. After all, just about every blog I've viewed this week is talking about it. But then again, it needs to be talked about sometime right? Which is really the only problem with the whole thing. The death and resurrection is the Gospel and we should not be talking about it sometime, but rather all the time. Not that I am anywhere near being perfect here. No way. In fact, it's been my frequent prayer that God would show me at least some of the deeper significance of these two events because I have this unreasonable idea that I don't know enough about it in order to accurately and adequately describe it to some one else.
Now, I know that's probably pretty silly, and you know that it is silly. After all, I understand enough to get saved myself right? Right! So...that ought to be enough to share it with some one else right? Wrong. At least, for me it's wrong. I'm not really sure how to explain this odd idea, so I don't think I'll try. Suffice it to say that God is at the very least removing, slowly, all vestiges of this errant philosophy in direct answer to my aforesaid prayer. Am I making sense here? I don't think so. Alas, my currently fizzled brains do not have the energy to make it any clearer. Bear with them please. I know somehow you will all muddle through.
But really, God has been showing me bit by bit some of the deeper personal significance of the cross and resurrection.
For instance, a few weeks ago, I was staring out the kitchen window....Ahem, washing the dishes I mean, when a random thought triggered by who-knows-what crossed my mind. I remembered something I'd heard from my parents quite often as a child. The basic idea was that whenever I was sick or in pain, my parents would say something like: "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. You know, if I could I'd have...(fill in the blank) gotten that ear infection instead of you." Or else it might be something like: "I really want to spare you from this pain if I possibly could." Now of course, it's really not physically possible for our parents, in most cases, to spare us from say, a cold. Once I've got the germs, I've got them, and my parents can't really do anything about it except give me a cough drop and hope I get better soon. But it's the thought that counts right? Right!
However, as these remembrances filled my then-un-fizzled brain. (Yes, I am suffering from a cold right now!), I also thought this: My parents can't exactly always spare me from pain and suffering, but there is Someone who can! "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should have Everlasting life." Guess what!? Our sin is painful. Our sin causes us suffering. And that's nothing compared to the pain and suffering of our well-deserved punishment. But guess what else!?!? Our God is a wonderful Parent who not only desires to spare us from pain and suffering, but is also One who is in a position to do so! Wow. That's awesome! So, "even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." In doing so, He gave us the option to accept His substitution. The substitution He made to spare us from pain and suffering.
But wait! There's more!
While reading Matthew 27 last night. I came across two interesting, little noticed verses. In one of them was one key word: "After." It's so easy to miss, but it can't possibly be a word that was merely translated differently in one version. It's in every single English version on BibleGateway.com. Matthew 27:50-53 reads: "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. (died) And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves AFTER his resurrection, and went into the holy city, (Jerusalem) and appeared unto many."
I included verses 50 and 51 for context. As far as I can tell, the context for verse 52, when the graves were opened, is verse 50. The graves were opened when Jesus died. Scripture says Jesus was in the grave for three days. And THEN, the resurrected saints came out of the graves. Those people were alive three days before they came out. The only conclusion I can see from this is a powerful confirmation that Jesus' death, while powerful, was not complete. Jesus not only had to die, but He also had to conquer death itself. And He did! Hallelujah! He is Risen!Happy Resurrection Sunday!
Hallelujah, indeed!
ReplyDeleteNice insight!