The Meaning of Jesus' Death and Resurrection - Intro

     After a week and a half without internet connection, I am finally back on line. In my last post I had finished writing about the events of Jesus' death and resurrection. It is time now to turn to their meaning.
     The last few days I have been reading John Piper's "The Passion of Jesus Christ: Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die" and have been tremendously blessed by it.
     Pastor Piper is a Reformed pastor and theologian who has writes passionately about the salvation we have in Jesus. While I cannot agree with every point (especially Piper's belief about our state in death and the nature of hell) my heart has been encouraged and my faith strengthened by the points he brings out.
     Like the man in Jesus' parable who discovered treasure hidden in a field he had leased to farm, Piper opens the box of priceless Gospel jewels and examines them one at a time: Forgiveness, Justification, God's Love, Jesus' Personal Love for Us, Righteousness by Faith, and forty-five more. I highly recommend it.
     As we begin to examine the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection, I want to begin with my own story.
     I grew up in a Christian home, and it was a privilege. Unlike some homes, the religious aspect of our family life was generally positive, at least in my experience. Dad had accepted Christ at the age of sixteen in a spiritually divided home (His father was a mean drunk who sometimes beat the family; his mother a devoted Adventist believer who took all four children to church regularly).
     At the age of sixteen my dad wanted to give his mother, who he described as his hero, a gift, so he asked the pastor for baptism. Dad was serious about his commitment and remained faithful to Christ until his death a few years ago. In my growing up years, Dad was the primary example of what a Christian was. He spoke often about the Bible and his love for Jesus. He read his Bible regularly, lead out in church, and (to my embarrassment) witnessed to everyone he could.
     But in spite of all that, I did not comprehend the good news of salvation until my junior year of college. Somehow, I drew the conclusion that to be saved meant to love God and obey Him the best I could. Looking back, I know the Gospel was clearly taught in my religious upbringing; I just didn't get it.     
     Consequently, I struggled, because the truth is, we are not saved by "doing the best we can." There is no spiritual power in that. We are rescued from the power of our sinful, broken humanity only when we see that we need Jesus Who died for our sin and rose for our salvation. I will be looking at this in detail in coming days.
     In the Adventist academy (high school) I attended my Bible teacher was also our athletic coach. I admired this man a lot. He took a personal interest in us and was interesting as a teacher. So when I left to attend college, I enrolled as a ministerial student. I wanted to help young people like our teacher. But I did not know Christ savingly yet. Consequently, I struggled spiritually in college. I was religious, but not saved. I struggled with the temptations common to young adults who have left home, and was often miserable in my spiritual lostness. Indeed the struggles had begun in academy where sports and friends and the attention of others held far more interest than God.
     In my junior year, a great tragedy led me to the cross and to Christ. I was the eldest of five children in our family. My brother and I were followed by three sisters. In the summer of my junior year, my dad, brother and I were working seven hours from home, in construction. One evening we received a phone call that the oldest of my sisters had been killed in a car accident.
     The next few days were filled with deep grief for our family, the comfort of many friends, and services for my sister. In my sense of loss, I turned to the Bible for reassurance. I had only read it for class, never because of personal interest; but now I had to know if the things I have believed were really true. Was there really a resurrection? Was Jesus going to return someday and raise my sister from the dead? I had to know these things for certain.
     At some point, I found myself in the book of John reading the story of Jesus' resurrection of Lazarus. I continued reading through the Passion Story, and as I read about Jesus' trial and death, it was as if a flood light was turned on in my mind. I clearly saw for the first time how much God loved the world, and how much Jesus loved sinful humanity. Jesus' love and sacrifice were so beautiful to see. God must have known that I was open for the first time. In that moment, I knew I had a choice to make, and I knelt down and prayed a simple prayer: "God, this is so beautiful. I don't know how to follow you; but if you will accept me, I will."
     This was not a very complete "sinner's prayer," but in His amazing mercy, God accepted that prayer and the intention it represented. I know now that He accepted me that day through His amazing grace. In fact, I know He was preparing me to receive Him through His Spirit who takes every opportunity to reach our hearts. I felt I had been born again, and know that that I truly had been (John 3).
     The next few weeks and months were amazing for me. I suddenly had a deep interest to know everything I could about Jesus and the Bible. I read voraciously, and God began to open His word to my understanding. Jesus' sacrifice and Second Coming meant more than anything now, and I wanted to learn all I could.
     Like the disciples after Jesus' death, there were many things I still did not understand, but the journey had begun for me, and God was close.
     When I write again, I will begin exploring the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection, from the first dawning of understanding the disciples had to the full blown confession of faith they share in their New Testament writings. These things are truly "priceless treasure" to those who are being saved. But I close today with the words of Paul to Titus which have become a favorite of mine, and my own testimony.
     "Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaved to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But--When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. . ." Titus 3:3-8

Pastor Michael Brownfield


    
    
   

Jn. 20:24-31 - Thomas Struggles with Doubt, Believes

    

     Do you ever struggle with doubt or disappointment with God? Thomas, Jesus' doubting disciple did, for several reasons which I'll explore in this blog. But Jesus also gave Thomas a solution.

     When Jesus appeared to His disciples on Resurrection Day evening, Thomas was not with them. Later, when they saw him, they excitedly told him, "We have seen the Lord!" (v. 24, 25). Rather than believing his friends, Thomas stubbornly said, "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."

     Why this demand for empirical evidence? Why not believe his fellow disciples? Why this stubborn "I will not believe, unless?"

     A week after Jesus' first appearance to His disciples, He came again, but this time Thomas is with the rest. What will Jesus say to him?

     Well, let's pause a moment. What was Jesus doing for the intervening week? What were the disciples doing? Why wouldn't they spend every day together after the joyful reunion on Resurrection evening?

     Jesus always had a reason for His actions; this time is is not explained. Was He letting the reality of everything sink in? Did the disciples need time to reflect on what had happened for their own spiritual growth? Maybe repentance for their failures needed to deepen. Possibly Jesus wanted them to just think about the meaning of His life, ministry, death, and resurrection. Perhaps He wanted to let questions form in their minds so He could instruct them further in the days ahead. Quiet time is not wasted time. God's silence is sometimes for a good purpose in our growth--even in a "Thomas's" case.

     Luke tells us that Jesus "appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the Kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). This does not mean He was with them constantly, but purposefully. He was growing their repentance, faith, and resolve.

     John tells us that when Jesus appeared that day, "the doors were locked" but "Jesus came and stood among them" (v. 26). This was a miraculous appearing and substantiated again the supernatural character of the risen Christ.

     As He appeared to them, His greeting, as always, was "Peace be with you." That is Jesus' greeting to us too. He wants us to have His peace in our hearts and lives. He wants us to live in peace because He is for us. As we saw earlier, this salutation of Jesus was about much more than merely calming the disciples' fears. He is teaching them how to live in peace by trusting the Prince of Peace.

     Jesus' next words are to Thomas, and they show that He knows everything about us. He knows our thoughts, our struggles, our failures. He knows our whispered doubts and our disappointments with God. And He loves even us in spite of these. He tries to help our weak faith. Amazing grace!

     "Then 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'" (v. 27).

     Jesus gave Thomas the evidence he had required. He accommodates our weak faith sometimes, but our trust must learn to rest on deeper things than miracles and empirical proof. Jesus' faithfulness to His word contained in the Scriptures, the self-authenticating nature of truth, the witness of His Spirit to our hearts--all these things are deeper bedrock for faith, though apologetics, evidence, and miracles have their place.

     Then Jesus had a word of loving correction for Thomas: "Stop doubting and believe" (v. 27). Whatever motivated Thomas' demand--disappointment with God because Jesus hadn't fulfilled Thomas's messianic hopes, jealousy at having been left out of Jesus' first appearance, or just plain doubt, Jesus now gives Thomas a solution: "Stop doubting and believe."

     There comes a time after enough evidence has been given, when faith becomes a choice. In fact choice is always the key element in believing. God never removes all doubt, but He gives enough evidence for us to choose to trust Him, and to trust His word.

     "Stop doubting and believe." It is not healthy to remain in the land of doubt. It is an unstable, discouraging place. We may still have questions, but God invites us to trust the big things about Him, to trust Him. With trust comes peace, relief, joy.

     "My Lord and my God!" This is enough for Thomas. In a moment, he makes his choice and leaps from dejected doubt to worship. Whatever was holding him back, He gives up and surrenders to faith.

     Jesus' response was not congratulatory, but instructive. Thomas, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (v. 29).

     Is it possible to believe only on the testimony of others? If it is not, then Christian witness is useless, and its mission is doomed. But Jesus is about to send His disciples out to witness to thousands who have never seen Him. The disciples must learn that a simple witness given in the power of the Holy Spirit--and backed up by the predictions/fulfillments of God's word, is enough for saving faith.

     Jesus was making the success of His Church's mission dependent on the testimony of transformed witnesses, not scientific fact or personal observation, per se. Truth appeals to the mind and heart, and that is enough to make a saving relationship with God. People can believe without seeing. They can sense the Holy Spirit stirring their hearts through a believer's testimony.

     Peter describes some of these believers: "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him: and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls" (1 Pet. 1:8-9).

     The Christians of India and Syria tell us, backed by ancient history and tradition, that Thomas came to them in 52 A.D. to share the Gospel. Thomas, then, travelled further outside the bounds of Palestine than the other eleven disciples. He preached to people groups who not only had never seen Jesus, but didn't know anyone who had. He share Christ with those who found it most difficult to believe and had great success even with the leading, high class Brahmin families of India, before he was martyred there.

     To me it is so wonderful that Jesus takes us where we are, with all our weaknesses and foibles, and helps us. Then He sends as encouragers and witnesses to people who struggle with the same things we have.

    

Pastor Michael Brownfield

    
    
    
    

Jn. 20:19-23 - Jesus Appears to His Disciples

     "On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!'" (v. 19)

     On the evening of Jesus' resurrection, the disciples were barricaded behind locked doors out of fear they might meet the same fate as Jesus. Their Leader had been killed and not only were they grieving the loss of their Friend and their dreams, they felt defenseless and in danger.

     If God could allow Jesus to be killed, what would happen to them? It seemed to them they were at the whim of strange, dark, and unexpected circumstances.

     Though Mary and the other women, and the two from Emmaus had come saying they had seen Jesus, the rest did not believe them (Mk. 16:1-13). Their hopes had been so thoroughly crushed and their faith so devastated, all they could think about was their loss and survival.

     Jesus' first words to the disciples were "Peace be with you!" Thoughtful Savior that He was, He wanted to calm hearts and alleviate their fear. Luke reports that when they saw Him, they were "startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost" (Lk. 24:37).

     But Jesus' statement is about more than the antidote for fear. It is the primary proclamation of the Christian faith. He would repeat these words over and over in successive appearances, just like He had in His days of ministry. You see, the Christian message offers peace to us because Jesus secured peace with God for humanity and can give each of us peace of heart when we choose to trust in what He did for us.

     "Peace be with you!" This was the song of the angels at Jesus' birth, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men" (Lk. 2:14). Jesus' Substitutionary death for our sins created an armistice between heaven and humanity. Not that God was at war with us. He loved us and provided salvation through Jesus while we were still helpless sinners and enemies toward Him (Rom. 5:6-10).

     Together, the Father and Son had created the plan by which Jesus' death would pay the just penalty for the world's sin and provide grace to anyone who turned from sin to God, through His mercy. "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross" (Col. 1:19).

     "Grace and peace be yours in abundance" (1 Pet. 1:2). This is the New Testament greeting, repeated constantly in Paul's letters. It is the Christian treasure: peace and grace (mercy and help) are ours in abundance through Jesus' death on the cross. Sins forgiven, God-accepted, covered by Jesus' perfect life, we have peace with God. As Paul says in Romans 5:1, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." Forgiven and accepted, we rejoice (fear no longer) at the prospect of living in God's presence.

     Because Jesus gave the greatest gift that could be given on the cross, His death for our sins, we have confidence that God will forgive us if we ask and give us anything we need in the Christian life. "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Rom. 8:32). "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 Jn. 1:9). That gives us peace!

     Jesus' parting promise to His disciples was, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (Jn. 14:27; 16:33)

     Peace because God is in control. Peace because everything necessary for our salvation and assistance has been provided. Peace because Jesus took our sins and offers us God's acceptance. Peace because the Holy Spirit comes into our minds and hearts with supernatural peace.

     Like the disciples in the Upper Room, we lose our peace when we forget that God is in control, that Jesus has provided everything we need for life and godliness. "Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness" (2 Pet. 1:2-3).

     After Jesus calmed their fears and offered His peace, John says "he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw (it was) the Lord" (v. 20). "Overjoyed" almost seems to tame. They must have been ecstatic, amazed, overwhelmed. Their dead Messiah was alive!

     When the disciples recovered their senses enough to listen, Jesus said again, as if they missed His intent the first time, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you" (v. 21).

     Repeating the assurance of peace, Jesus now gives His first statement of their future work. In Matthew (28:18-20), we call it the Gospel Commission, but it is the life work of the disciples, the reason they were called to follow Jesus in the first place. He called them to be with Him to witness His life and teachings, His death and resurrection, and to share this great news with the world.

     The disciples are to carry on the work of Jesus in this world. As the Father sent Him, He is now sending them--to give the message of salvation.

     "With that He breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'" (v. 22). The Holy Spirit would officially be given at Pentecost, but Jesus wanted to impress them of their need of the Spirit at His first appearance to them. Knowing this moment would be riveted in their minds forever, He promises them help and Pentecostal power, the only power they could ever work in (Zech. 4:6).

     Before His death, He had already promised the Spirit (Jn. 14-16), now He reemphasizes His promise and their need.

     "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven" (v. 23). This will be the core message of the Christian faith: forgiveness is available through Jesus' death. In these few verses, Jesus announces the disciples' work, their message, and the power they will work in. Why did Jesus live, suffer, and die? So humans could be forgiven, reconciled to God, and prepared for heaven.

     Jesus words were not giving some magical power or authority to the disciples to forgive sin. The original language is: "If you forgive anyone his sins, they have already been forgiven." Jesus' death provides the forgiveness; we disciples only announce the good news and reassure people God will forgive them based on Jesus' work on the cross.

     Their work is also ours. May peace, forgiveness, and mercy be yours as you trust in Jesus. And may you always share the good news with others.

Pastor Michael Brownfield

    

    

    

Jn. 20:3-9 - Footrace to the Tomb

    

Peter and John Race to the Tomb (Painting by Dan Burr)

     When Mary Magdalene realized on Sunday morning that Jesus' body was not in the tomb, she did what anyone in her place would do--she ran to find someone in authority, the men chosen by Jesus’ to be witnesses and leaders.
     She found Peter and John, though John refers to himself as "the other disciple, the one Jesus loved." The Greek translation is "the one Jesus kept on loving." Interpreters agree that John refers to himself in the third person out of humility, and is telling us that Jesus did not give up on him because of his failures.
     Both John and Peter were men who had faults, and it is an encouragement to us who follow Jesus that Jesus did not choose people who were perfect at the beginning. Peter failed Jesus often and John was nicknamed "Son of Thunder," along with his brother James. In the Gospels, John is pictured as quick tempered and swift to take offense.
     But Jesus welcomed anyone who wished to follow Him and they were transformed over time by His teachings, the work of the Holy Spirit in their hearts, and their association with Him.
     When Mary found Peter and John on Sunday morning, and urgently announced that Jesus' body was missing, the two men began running to the tomb. This news was as disturbing to them as it was to Mary. John reports that "Both were running, but 'the other disciple' (John) outran Peter and reached the tomb first" (v. 4), but did not go in. Then Peter arrived and entered the burial place.
     John was probably the youngest disciple, perhaps only in his late teens or early twenties, so he outpaced the older Peter. Why did John wait upon arriving at the tomb? Was he reluctant to go in without Peter present, out of respect for the elder disciple? Was he more squeamish, while Peter was braver? We don't know. But the way John tells the story with such detail shows again that the Resurrection narrative is a truthful one. Why would anyone include such insignificant details if it were made up?
     When the men looked inside, they saw "the strips of linen" that had been around Jesus' body lying on the ground, but the burial cloth that had been around his head "was folded up by itself, separate from the linen (v. 6-7).
     John does not tell us what this meant to them at the time. I am sure they were really mystified and were trying to understand what had happened to their Master’s body.  Finding burial cloths without a body must have seemed very unusual. If someone stole Jesus' body, why didn't they take it wrapped in the grave clothes? A folded head cloth shows a sense of care, orderliness, and respect rather than hurried carelessness. If someone had relocated the body to another place, why did they leave the linen strips and the folded head cloth behind?
     "The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed" (v. 8). This doesn't mean John believed Jesus had arisen because he goes on to write in his Gospel that "They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead" (v. 9). It means that he believed Mary's report about the missing body. John believed that the tomb was empty, but beyond that, everything was still a mystery.
     Little by little, the story of the Resurrection unfolds--from first discovery and mystery to the dawning realization that Jesus is truly alive. At this moment it is still dark outside and Mary, John, and Peter are still very much in the dark about what all of this means. But Jesus is about to dispel their night with the shining truth of His Resurrection!

Pastor Michael Brownfield



    
    
    

Jn. 20:10-18 - Mary, Apostle to the Apostles

    
     The story of Mary Magdalene is one of the most touching in the New Testament. And this is likely why John focuses on her experience in his Resurrection account.
     In the Gospels we meet Mary as a woman who has been delivered from seven demons (Lk. 8:2; Mk. 16:9) and as one so deeply grateful for Jesus' forgiveness and liberating ministry to her, she spends all her savings to anoint Him as King, she supposes. Only, He explains, she has actually anointed Him for His death (Lk. 7:36-50).
     After that, Mary follows Jesus as a devoted disciple helping other women who have also been delivered or healed of disease, to care for his needs.     
     Luke pictures her sitting in rapt attention at the feet of Jesus, drinking in His words as her sister Martha "slaves" in the kitchen and complains that Mary isn't helping her (Lk. 10:38). Jesus replies that Mary has chosen what is better, a devotional spirit and a hunger for truth which cannot be taken away from her. Food, clothing, and shelter can be lost, but a heart for God cannot be stolen.
     As I mentioned yesterday, Mary is a prime example of those Jesus came to help. Isaiah 61 describes how Messiah would deliver the captives of Satan and restore them to wholeness. When the Pharisees criticized His work, Jesus said the prostitutes and tax collectors, who felt their need of His grace, were entering the Kingdom before them (Mt. 21:31-32).
     Mary may have been one of those He referred to. She is always identified in the Gospels as Mary Magdalene, or Mary from Magdala, a town near the Sea of Galilee on the ancient Roman road, the Via Maris, which linked Egypt to Syria and Mesopotamia.    The population there was made up of many cultures and Roman soldiers who were garrisoned there. Like modern crossroad towns or tourist destinations, it would have been a place frequented by prostitutes and others seeking to lose themselves in pleasure. Interestingly, archeologists are currently excavating Magdala in Israel (follow at webblog: http://magdalaisrael.wordpress.com/page/2/
     Later in the Gospels, we find Mary living with her brother Lazarus and sister Martha in Bethany. Had Jesus found her Magdala, freed her and restored her to her family?
     One more powerful story of Mary is told by John, which explain her devotion to Jesus. Her brother Lazarus had died, but Jesus traveled to Bethany and raised him from the dead (Jn. 11), declaring, “I am the resurrection and the life!” No wonder Mary was a dedicated follower of Jesus!
     Mary is at the cross when Jesus is crucified, and she stays through His agony until He dies. After His death she accompanies His body with other women to the tomb and then goes home with them to prepare spices for his burial.
     Now, in John 20, she is among the first (while it is still dark) to arrive at the tomb on Sunday morning..
     When she and the other women (John mentions only Mary, but the other Gospels make it clear other women are with her), see the stone has been rolled away, and the body is gone, Mary runs back to the city to tell John and Peter, who race back to the tomb. They look in, but see only the grave cloths, the head covering folded up neatly by itself (clearly not the work of grave robbers).
     Mary cannot bear to be separated from her Savior and Friend either in life or death. After Peter and John leave, Mary lingers at the tomb, crying. The memory of His life and death overwhelming her, she weeps.
     In her grief and tears, she stoops over and looks in again at this place where she last saw her Lord. But this time sees "two angels in white seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot" (v. 12). They ask, "Woman, why are you crying?"
     "They have taken my Lord away," Mary answers, "and I don't know where they have put Him" (v. 13).
    Mary is not thinking clearly. If you have ever grieved deeply, you know the fog that settles over one’s mind. Though John mentions the men in white are angels that probably doesn’t dawn on Mary at first, just like what happened next.
     Turning, she sees another figure through her tears, who says, "Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"
     Thinking the man was the gardener, Mary answered, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him" (v. 15). At that, the unknown individual said, in a familiar tone, "Mary."
     Immediately, Mary recognizes that voice that had set her free and reassured her spiritually a thousand times. She cried out "Rabboni!" (Aramaic for Teacher) and fell in worship, clasping His feet in her hands" (see also Mt. 28:9).
     Jesus words are deeply meaningful: "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God" (v. 17).
     Mary was holding onto Jesus as if to never let Him go, but He explains He as to make a quick trip to heaven to see His Father Whom He had been separated from for so long. Then He would return again to take up ministry to His grieving disciples that afternoon.
     Through Mary, Jesus sends an encouraging message to His disciples: "My Father is also your Father. You abandoned Me and denied Me, but your sins have not caused Him to reject you; He still loves you. Do not despair and think you are discarded as too sinful for Him. Though you failed, you did not turn your back on me completely, and my death provided the grace that will cover your sins and keep you as God’s children. If you confess your sins, He will be faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:9). His love is not easily turned away.” What a heartening message for those beleaguered disciples!
     Friend, do you think your sins and failings cause God to reject you? Receive these words of Jesus as spoken to you too.
     Ancient Christian teaching called Mary "The Apostle to the Apostles." Apostle means "sent," and Mary was the first person sent by Jesus to announce His resurrection. It was her grateful devotion to Him that gave her that wonderful privilege. Because she refused to be separated from Him in life or death, Jesus revealed Himself to her first and then sent her to proclaim the good news of His resurrection.
     That is always the way the Christian message is carried. Those who receive it gratefully are the first to herald it to others, whether they are rich or poor, male or female, slave or free. Grace, gratefully received and motivated by love, makes one a witness for Christ.

Pastor Michael Brownfield

John 20 - Mary's Story of the Resurrection

     John loves to tell stories of individual people's encounters with Jesus. That is what He does all through his Gospel account--Nicodemus, Jesus’ calling of his disciples, the woman at Jacob's well, the healing of the blind man, the death and resurrection of Lazarus.  John's book is composed of one story after another, laced with Jesus' teachings or John's insights about what has happened in each story.
     Even in the Passion Story we learn about Jesus' conversation with Pilate and Thomas' struggle with faith after the Resurrection. Then we read about Peter's restoration to the Apostolate by Jesus in John 21.
     Few if any of these stories are found in the other gospels, not because they didn't happen, but because John was deeply interested in people, how they experienced Jesus personally, and how they were changed by those encounters.
     So it is understandable that in telling us about Jesus' resurrection, John would focus primarily on the experience of one person, Mary Magdalene.  It is not that others weren't present; they were. John is just letting us experience the story through Mary's eyes and heart.
     Mary is already a person of interest in John's gospel (12:1-8). She is a woman who has been deeply touched by Jesus, set free from the demons that controlled her life. She appears in chapter 12 as one who is so grateful for Jesus' forgiveness that she spends all she has to thank Him, unknowingly anointing Him for His burial beforehand. As Jesus said, "Those who have been forgiven much, love much."
     There may be another reason why John chose Mary. In a profound way, Mary represents the people who Isaiah said the Messiah would come to help, the ones who would be most open to His message, and thus most devoted to His service.
     "The Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. . .to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair" (Isa. 61:1-3).
     But Isaiah doesn't stop there. The broken people who responded to Messiah Jesus’ grace would eventually be called "oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor" (v. 3). The oak tree is one of the strongest and most impervious to disease. These sinners who had been the sport of Satan would become so strong spiritually through the grace of Christ, they would be known as “oak trees.” And miracle of miracles, they "will be called priests of the Lord. . .(and) named ministers of our God" (v. 6).
     In Mary, we meet one of these ministers of God. But then, I am getting ahead of the story. . .

Pastor Michael Brownfield

Lk. 24:13-35 - Encounter on the Road to Emmaus

     I love the account of Jesus' first post-Resurrection appearance in Luke where He appears to two lesser-known disciples who had left the Eleven and are heading to their homes in Emmaus, a small town about seven miles from Jerusalem. (Actually, this may have been Jesus' second or third appearance, since He appeared to Mary first (John 20) and possibly next to Peter (1 Cor. 15:5). However, Luke chooses to report this appearance first.)

     I love the story because these two Emmaus disciples are relative unknowns in the New Testament. Luke knows the name of only one, Cleopas. They have been with the Eleven, but they are not apostles. Yet Jesus takes time to reveal Himself to them early on Resurrection Day.
     I have mentioned before that Jesus seems to triage those who are in greatest need and appears to them first. These men are in deep grief and confusion.
     In my office, I have a picture of Jesus with these two Emmaus bound disciples. I purchased it during a time of loss in my life to remind me that Jesus really cared about me personally. From this story, we learn that Jesus comes to us, walks with us, comforts us, and reveals things that will heal our hearts and souls.
     As these two disciples walked along, they were tearfully discussing everything that had happened that Passion weekend, when Jesus caught up with them. Luke tells us "They were kept from recognizing Him" (v. 15). Mark tells us, referring to the same account, that Jesus "appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country" (Mk. 16:12).
     Jesus had a reason for hiding His identity initially. If He revealed Himself immediately, these men's grief would have flipped quickly to ecstatic joy, and they would have had a hard time hearing the Biblical evidence Jesus wanted to share with them--the evidence of the prophets that He was indeed the Messiah and that everything had happened just as God predicted in Scripture.
     Sometimes in life, Jesus' first effort is to help us focus on what His word says so our faith will be established. Sometimes He hides Himself while He points us to the Bible because God's word is the only true foundation for faith.
     Jesus entered the men's conversation by asking what they were discussing as they walked along.
     Luke says "They stood still, their faces downcast." Then Cleopas asked, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened here in these days?" How is is possible you don't know what has happened?
     "What things," Jesus asked?
     "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied, "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and the rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified Him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place" (vs. 18-21).
     These disciples express the deep longing and belief all Jesus' disciples' had cherished, that He was the long looked-for Messiah. But, they say, their hopes are dashed.
     The two go on to report incredulously that some of the women had described seeing angels and other disciples had seen the empty tomb, but they didn't know what it all meant.
     Then come, in this narrative, some of the most powerful words in the New Testament: "He said to them, 'How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scripture concerning Himself" (vs. 25-27).
     Jesus' death and resurrection had been clearly foretold, He told them, in the Hebrew Scriptures. He had tried often to explain these this, but the disciples' minds were clouded with popular beliefs that contradicted the messianic prophecies, beliefs that turned the Messiah into a powerful earthly ruler who would conquer kingdoms and lead Israel to national glory.
     So now Jesus gives Cleopas and his friend a Bible study. Beginning with the writings of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy), and continuing through the writings of the Hebrew prophets, Jesus points out the Scriptures that foretold His ministry, suffering, death, and resurrection.
     I would love to have heard that Bible study! Later the men said, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" (v. 32). Can you imagine the earnestness in Jesus' voice as He took them, perhaps, through Genesis 3:15, Deuteronomy 18:15-18, Psalm 22 and 69, Isaiah 9:6-9, 53 and 61, and Zechariah 12 and 13?
     Isaiah 53 not only predicted the manner of Jesus' death, but clearly described His resurrection too: "After the sufferings of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied" (v. 11). "Though the Lord makes His life a guilt offering, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand" (v. 10).
     Daniel said the Messiah, "the Anointed One," (v. 26) would be "cut off " (killed) in the middle of the final week (7 years) of the 70 Week Prophecy, but after His death, He would confirm the covenant with many" (9:27). In other words, He would die, then be resurrected to continue His covenant establishing work with His people.
     Cleopas and his friend had been mournfully nursing their dashed hopes, but as this Stranger helped them understand that what had happened was exactly what God predicted, they begin to feel an amazing hope.
     How long Jesus walked and talked with them, we don't know, but as they neared Emmaus, it was late in the evening, and concerned for their friend's safety, they urged Him to stay with them for the night. Luke says, "Jesus acted as if He were going farther. But they urged him strongly, 'Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.' So he went in to stay with them" (vs. 28-29).
     They brought out food for dinner, and when Jesus took the bread and broke it, "Their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and He disappeared from their sight" (v. 31).

      Imagine their shock and amazement. They have just been walking and talking with the resurrected Christ! They can't contain their excitement and joy, and in the gathering darkness, they rush back the seven miles to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples their story.
     There are many lessons in this beautiful story for us today. Jesus cares for all His followers. There are no "insignificant" disciples to Him. Never feel you are unimportant to God or Heaven. He gives equal care to all His children, and special care to those who are in greatest need.
     Jesus wants to ground our faith in His word, the Scriptures, even more than giving us the emotions of joy. An old children's song says, "Feelings come and feelings go and feelings are deceiving. Trust alone in the word of God; nothing else is worth believing." Real happiness is based on God's word. Jesus may reveal Himself to you in special ways, but never contrary to what His word teaches.
     Lastly, I wonder what would have happened if the two disciples from Emmaus had not urged Jesus to stay with them. Would they have missed the opportunity to know it was Jesus who had been talking to them? Jesus agreed to stay only when they urged Him to do so. Do we need to urge Jesus to be with us more than we do? Not because He is unwilling, but because He never forces Himself on anyone? How many blessings have we missed because we haven't been more serious about seeking God, because we haven't urged Him to stay with us?

Pastor Michael Brownfield

     

Lk. 24:1-12 - "Why look for the living among the dead?"

      As we saw earlier, the women among Jesus' followers had gone with Nicodemus and Joseph when they mournfully carried Jesus' body to Joseph's new tomb for temporary burial. It was Friday afternoon, and the Sabbath was nearing, so the ladies went home to prepare the spices for Jesus' final entombment. They had hoped to complete their sad, loving task of preparing Jesus' body, but as the Sabbath neared, they realized they could not finish. It would have to wait until Sunday morning.
     Jesus' followers kept the Sabbath as the Fourth Commandment taught. Jesus had always practiced this, and they followed His example. Jesus ignored the human, man-made traditions about the Sabbath, even flaunting them at times; but He followed God's commandments in letter and spirit. After all, He had created the Sabbath for humanity (Mk. 2:27-28; Gen. 2:1-2), and His purpose for it had not changed. In the New Covenant God's Law is not changed; it is written on the heart (Heb. 10:16), which was always His plan.
     Now it is early Sunday morning, and Luke tells us they are up early to complete their plan. "Very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb" (v.1).
     Of course they found the stone rolled away and Jesus' body gone, which greatly frightened and bewildered them. "While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them" (v. 4). Another Gospel simply said there were two men in white garments, but Luke has investigated the story carefully and interviewed the witnesses. He tells us their clothes "gleamed like lightning." They were angels!
     "In their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground. . ." (v. 5) Then the angels speak to them, and the message they give is more detailed and significant than the other Gospels: "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!"
     These words have become the Christian proclamation exclaimed at every Easter, and they contain the validating fact of our faith. Jesus not only died, but He rose from the dead!
     It is wonderful that Jesus died for our sins, but if He had remained in the grave, it would have proved Him a liar and faker. His resurrection confirms His identity as Son of God and Savior and substantiates His predictions that He would lay down His life for us and take it up again by His own power (see Jn. 10:14-18).
     That is what Paul means when he writes, "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Cor. 15:17-20).
     I love how the angels announce Jesus' resurrection to the women. In essence they say, "Why are you coming to a graveyard to look for someone who is living? Nobody goes to the cemetery to look for a walking, breathing human being. Jesus isn't dead; He is fully alive, filled with His energetic purpose and plans. Death didn't stop Him. The grave can't hold Him. He is alive!
     Then they begin the word of "re-membering," reminding them of Jesus’ words:
     "Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again'" (vs. 6-7). Remember? He told you so many times, but you didn't want to believe it. Your concepts of an earthly Messiah didn't let you believe it. But "remember" because what Jesus said was true. "Then," Luke says, "they remembered His words" (v. 8)
     They remembered, but in their surprise and shock, they still didn't fully get it. It would take many hours to fully grasp and believe He was truly alive, and many days to re-learn everything Jesus had tried to teach them about what the prophecies said.
     The women rushed back to tell the Eleven, but they didn't believe it either. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb" (v. 12).  I love Peter's enthusiasm; He is always first to jump--into the water, into conversation, even into trouble. I think that's partly why Jesus chose him. He saw a curiosity, an eagerness, a warm-heartedness, and an impulsiveness that would help Peter do great things for the Kingdom someday, when truly surrendered to Jesus.
     "Bending over, he (Peter) saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what happened" (v. 12). If someone stole the body, it is likely they would have taken it still wrapped in the linen wrappings. But why were they still there, Peter wonders.
     To jump ahead, John describes the arrangement of the burial cloths in more detail in his Gospel. He writes that Peter "saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen" (Jn. 20:6, 7). That explains Peter's curious puzzlement even better. What grave robber would stop to fold up the face cloth? Oh, thinks Peter, that would be so like Jesus to do! He was so neat and orderly in everything He did. Could He really be alive, he wonders?

Pastor Michael Brownfield

Luke 24:1-12 - Investigative Report of the Resurrection

     It has been a few days since I last wrote. My intention was to write daily, but the press of pastoral ministry doesn't always make that possible. So I have decided to write as I am able.
     Today we begin looking at Luke's account of the Resurrection. Yes, we are well past Easter now, but the Gospel records are so rich, I am going to continue to explore them with you. After all, the death and resurrection of Jesus are the greatest events in earth's history so far, followed certainly by the beginning of Earth's Judgment and the Second Coming of Jesus. Confining our thinking about Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection to a time of year isn't necessarily good anyway. We can and should think of the Cross and the Resurrection all year long, because that is where our hope lies.
     I love Luke's account of the Resurrection because it is a carefully investigated account. Luke was not part of the Twelve and therefore did not have the privilege of seeing Jesus' ministry and Passion personally. He became a disciple later, probably. So, before he wrote his Gospel, he had to research everything carefully. He interviewed eye witnesses one by one, and as a physician with highly trained skills of observation and analysis, he wrote his investigative report.
     He tells us how he researched his Gospel before writing it, in Luke 1:1-4:  "Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught" (Emphasis mine).
     Luke investigated everything about the story of Jesus very carefully from beginning to end, and only then wrote out his Gospel account. This means that when we read Luke's story of the Resurrection and the events surrounding it, we can have a high degree of certainty that he paid attention to the details and made sure that his report was orderly and certain.
     This does not mean the other Gospel accounts are less inspired; not at all. It also does not mean they are less trustworthy. Each writer emphasizes the things the Spirit impressed on their heart at the time of writing. It just means that Luke's report was constructed especially with an interest in completeness and order, because that was the purpose of his written account to Theophilus, who, though unknown outside the Biblical account, was probably an important Roman official.
     It is with that assurance that we will begin our study of Luke's Ressurection account in our next writing.

Pastor Michael Brownfield

Mk. 16:9-14 - Struggling with Doubt

     "When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.
     "Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them (disciples) while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either" (Mk. 16:9-13).
     Mark's point in these first two appearances by Jesus is the struggle with doubt and unbelief His disciples had. At first, we might not want to blame them. After all they had been through; after seeing Jesus killed the way He was, we sympathize with their struggle to believe He was really alive. But Mark's point is that we must not excuse them, and we must learn from their failure.
     When Jesus finally appeared to the eleven that afternoon as they were eating, "He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen" (Mk. 16:14).
     Why did they doubt and stubbornly refuse to believe? Because they failed to stay focused on Jesus' teachings and on God's word; because they failed to pray and gave into sleep in the Garden; because they let the trauma of the weekend overwhelm their faith; because they had forgotten all Jesus had taught them during His ministry--every evidence for faith He had given.
     Faith is a gift, but at some point it is also a choice. We have to take the evidence and assurances of faith God gives us and anchor them in our hearts. This will keep us through life's storms.
     On Resurrection morning, Jesus sent two three messengers to His disciples with the good news He was alive. The first was Mary Magdalene. Broken, sinful, cleansed Mary. The Mary delivered from the demons of immorality that had controlled her life.
     How did the disciples view her? Perhaps as an emotional, broken woman. Remember her anointing Jesus' feet and weeping at Simon's house?
     How did Jesus see her? As a precious, redeemed daughter; a child of God; a woman reclaimed from the land of the enemy and restored to sanity, purity, and nobility.
     In her great gratitude and love, she stayed by the tomb on Resurrection morning. She couldn't bear being separated from her Savior. And so she had the privilege of being the first to herald the Resurrection.
     Jesus appeared first to Mary because Mary needed Him most. This was so like Jesus. Isaiah said His mission would be to restore the broken and needy. Why wouldn't Jesus appear to Mary first? Were the eleven men offended because a woman, a woman like Mary, brought the message?
     Jesus appeared next to two lesser disciples. We know the name of only one, Cleopas. We'll tell their story another day, but were the disciples offended again because lesser disciples then they (or so they may have thought) brought the news?
     If they had remembered Jesus' teachings, if they had remembered God's word, they would have received the good news no matter who brought it.
     God doesn't always work in the way we expect or through the instruments we think He should. I read recently of two Adventist women pastors in China, Godly, humble women who pastor churches in the tens of thousands. We should celebrate that God chooses His own instruments to do amazing things through.
     Jesus' Gospel Commission in Mark (16:15-18) is given against the backdrop of the disciples' unbelief. I believe this is for two reasons. Mark wants us to see that the Resurrection story is not made up. Jesus own followers didn't believe it at first. Secondly, we all struggle with faith at one time or another. The remedy is to remember the teachings of God's word and anchor our faith there.

Pastor Michael Brownfield


   

Mk. 16:1-8 - Resurrection 2, Mark's Story

     "When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body" (Mk. 16:1).
     They have not slept much again, this second night after Jesus' death.
     When you are grieving deeply, you hardly sleep. Your heart and mind won't let you. If you are with others, you talk and weep. When you finally go to bed, you toss and turn and your mind won't shut down. Finally, sometime in the wee hours you fall into a fitful doze, but your heart wakes you again too soon.
     Your first thought might be, "Why do I feel so terrible?" Then the reality hits again, like a bad dream--only this dream is real.
     These women had not just lost a dear friend, one who had always been there for them, especially in their deepest need; they had seen Him beaten repeatedly. They had heard their trusted religious leaders cry out with the mob for His crucifixion (How could they?). They had watched in agony as Jesus allowed Himself to be flogged and then crucified, writhing in pain on the cross.
     They were not just suffering loss; they had been traumatized to the depths of their souls. Hardly having slept, they were up early to do their last and loving service for their Friend--these women who had cared for His needs: washed His clothes, prepared His meals, whatever He needed (God bless all serving women--wives, mothers, church leaders and helpers).
     Yes, they would care now for His needs one last time, by preparing His body for burial. What a sad, heart breaking chore.
     Mark's list of the women is a little different from Matthew's--and Luke’s, "who investigated everything carefully" (Lk. 1:3). John only tells us about Mary Magdalene's experience. Who can blame these men for not remembering everything exactly, or the women either?
     Interview witnesses of a traumatic crime or accident, and they will tell you their recollection; but each story may be different. The human mind under duress can't remember everything. The Bible is inspired, but inspiration is not dictation by God. Inspiring a writing, the Holy Spirit brings out a message. The details may be different, but God guides the message and the main points.
     The main points of this story are the surprise, bewilderment, and fear of the women and disciples, contrasted with the truth of the Resurrection. Real, honest, gut-level story telling. The ring of truth.
     The characters report their questions, their hesitation, their fears, and their joy. The ladies ask, "Who will roll the stone away?" It is very large and placed in a groove that slopes downward to prevent easy opening, even by strong men.
     But the stone has been rolled away! And they see a young man dressed in white sitting on the right. They were alarmed, Mark reports. You go into an open tomb where there is supposed to be a deceased loved one and instead see a young man in white clothes. A tomb is a place of death, not life. Crashing thoughts! Violated expectations!
     If I think my wife is one place in the house and she appears in another suddenly, I jump. She does too! A couple of weeks ago, I left the master bedroom for an adjoining room and returned momentarily. In that minute, my wife had come from another part of the house and entered the master bath which was dark. When I returned to the bedroom a minute later, "Someone" was moving in the dark master bath! My heart jumped, if not my body.
     In our story, the angel is attuned to the women's emotions and soothes their fears, speaking words that orient and focus them: "You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here" (Mk.16:6).
     Can you imagine their thoughts? Their bright hopes that Jesus was their Messiah had been crushed forever, one unjust sentence, one blow, one whip lash, one mocking scoff, one crucifixion nail, one agonizing breath at a time. And then, "My God, My God! Why have you forsaken Me?" And death.
     They saw the spear thrust into Jesus' side and blood and plasma flow out. They were there, these women, when Joseph from Arimathea and Nicodemus took His mangled, bloody, limp body down. They had followed them to the tomb to see where He was laid and watched as the stone grated and ground down its channel to a thudding close. Yes, Jesus was dead. They would not see Him alive again--not in this lifetime. They would make many sad trips to His tomb, but see Him alive? It didn't even cross their minds.
     "He has risen!" He has risen? How could that be? He was very dead, killed by certain means.
     "Risen?"--Oh that would be wonderful! But He was so dead just last night!
     "Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid." (Mk. 16:8)
     Do you ever wonder if Jesus really rose from the dead? This report does not sound like a lie. It has the emotional ring of truth, doesn't it? You live the story as you read it, it is so real.
     "He has risen!" This is the joyful keynote of the Christian message. Three words that say so much:
     Jesus is alive, no longer dead! The One whose life and deeds and words blessed so many. Death stopped His living, but He is alive. Now His love, His deeds may continue.
     He is living! Death steals our loved ones from us. We were made to love and live, but death interrupts our relationships. Now, if they could only find Him, they could resume their precious friendship.
     He is alive! If He is, everything He said must be true! It must be true!
     He is alive! He is Who He said He was, then: Son of God, Savior, King of all!

Pastor Michael Brownfield

Mt. 28:1-15 - Resurrection 1, Matthew's Story

     The Resurrection of Jesus is one of the most glorious and meaningful events in all of Scripture, rivaled only by the Second Coming of Jesus and the final destruction of Satan and sin and securing of God’s Kingdom rule after the Millennium.
     While we look to the cross for assurance of sins forgiven and the re-assurance of God's love, the Resurrection uniquely establishes and validates what happened at Calvary.
     Over the next few days, we will look at the four gospel accounts of Jesus’ resurrection. Our first goal will be to see what the disciples and other participants experienced. Later we will try to understand the meaning of this great event.
     Matthew's report of the Resurrection is interesting because it is difficult at first to sort the elements of his story out. Like a person who has just witnessed a traumatic event, the Matthew’s description is jumbled, making the logic hard difficult to follow.
     Did the women actually see Jesus raised and the guards fall like dead men from fear? It sounds like it at first. Reading more carefully one realizes the Resurrection must have happened as the women were on their way to the tomb, not at it.
     Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary," probably "Mary the mother of Joses," or John, (Mark 15:47) and James (Mark 16:1) are the first to arrive at the tomb after Jesus is raised.
     Mary Magdalene's devotion, so deep and loyal because of how much Jesus had done for her, will shine out throughout the Resurrection story. James and John's commitment to Jesus is reflected in the devotion of their mother who left all to help care for Jesus' needs and now comes first to the tomb with Mary of Magdala.
     I love Matthew's description of the moment of Resurrection. A violent earthquake. An angel who's "appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow." The powerful Roman guards, trained to be tough as nails and fearless in battle, shaking with terror and becoming "like dead men."
     No one can stand when God decides to act. The effort of the priestly leaders and Roman governor to make the tomb secure only serve to spotlight the weakness of human authority when confronted by the power of God.
     It is the same angel who calls Jesus from His tomb who is still present when the women arrive. He considerately calms their fears at finding an empty tomb and reminds them of Jesus' promise: "He is not here; he has risen, just as He said." Then he invites them to examine the evidence of the empty tomb and sends them on their way to announce the resurrection to the disciples.
     Matthew says the women "hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy (Mt. 28:8)." I can imagine their confused thoughts and emotions at that moment. They had seen Jesus tortured and killed, and had watched as His dead body was taken from the cross and placed in the tomb. Jesus was dead, and over the Sabbath, they had tried to come to terms with their dashed hopes and dreams. Now, in an instant, a stranger reverses all this and tells them Jesus is alive. (Mark says the angel looked like a "young man dressed in white," so he had significantly dimmed his brilliance out of respect for the women. Mk 16:5). Still, who can blame them for being afraid?
     Then Matthew reports, "Suddenly Jesus met them. 'Greetings He said.' They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him." It is clear to them that Jesus is more than a man. He is God, and they worship Him.
     Throughout the Resurrection stories, Jesus appears to various people. It seems to me that He chooses who He goes to based on their level of need. Like a first responder at the scene of an accident, Jesus triages His grieving disciples and goes first to those who need Him most.
     So He appears first to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary because they are grieving so deeply; then to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus. That is so like Jesus, isn't it, and it is reassuring to us. When we are in great need, He will come to us too. "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (Ps. 34:18). "The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything" (Phil. 4:5, 6).
     The guards have finally recovered their senses, and trembling, they flee back to Jerusalem to report everything that had happened to the chief priests. I can imagine those priests’ faces turning white as they hear the guards' emotion-filled report. One more chance to repent, but instead they concoct a lie and promise to keep the guards out of trouble: Tell everyone that "His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep."
     Like most lies, this one didn't hold together. If the guards were asleep, how did they know it was the disciples who stole the body? And why weren't the guards disciplined, or even executed, as Roman military regulations required? How did the whole detachment fall asleep in the first place, knowing the penalties for doing so? It is highly unlikely that every last soldier would doze off. Matthew is clearly answering questions about the Resurrection that existed in his day when he reports, "And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day."

Pastor Michael Brownfield


       

Mt. 28:1 - Crucifixion Sabbath

     "After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb" (Mt. 28:1).
     Luke tells us why they went--to finish preparing Jesus' body for burial (Lk. 24:1). Friday afternoon, after Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus removed His body from the cross and carried it to Joseph's new tomb, the ladies had just enough time to see where Jesus was placed and perhaps spend a few minutes grieving and weeping together. Then "they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment" (Lk. 24:56).
     The people who loved and followed Jesus kept the Bible Sabbath, the seventh day of the calendar week. Jesus had created the Sabbath (Gen. 2:1-2; Jn. 1:1-3) and wrote it into the Law which He and the Father gave on Mt. Sinai.
     When He came to this world, Jesus also kept the Sabbath (Lk. 4:16) and did His best to restore it to its original purpose by protesting the man-made restrictions that kept His people from enjoying God's plan for this special day (Mk. 2:21-3:6).
     Luke tells us the women "rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment" (Lk. 24:56). Nothing in Jesus' teaching or practice led His followers to think He was changing or abolishing the Sabbath. They followed His perfect example and kept the Sabbath in the same spirit He did, avoiding legalism, but keeping it according to the commandment (the fourth of the Ten Commandments given on Mt. Sinai: Ex. 20:8-11). This included not doing any ordinary work. That was the reason they prepared the spices for embalming, but didn't have time to do the work until Sunday morning.
     What a sad, sad Sabbath that must have been for Jesus' followers. It was a day spent in grieving and asking "Why?" I'm sure none of them slept much Friday or Saturday nights. It was not just their hoped-for Messiah who had been crucified, but their dear Friend who had helped them each so much. For them it was a Sabbath of crushed hopes, grief-stricken loss, and wondering what the future held now.
     But for heaven it was a Sabbath of tremendous rejoicing. They knew the end of the story. They had not forgotten Jesus' predictions that He would rise again. In fact, they were making preparations for it! When Jesus died, His followers grieve, but heaven exploded with cheering.
     I'll bet the Resurrection angel was waiting like a champion runner at the start line to dash to earth at God's command. His accompanying angels who were going with him to push back Satan and His angels must have been so eager for their assignment to begin.
     Heaven was also rejoicing because they knew Jesus' death had conquered Satan. Jesus' cry of victory and last breath were Satan's death knell. Christ had conquered God's foe (Col. 2:15), and now it was only a matter of time until Satan could be destroyed (Heb. 2:14; Rev. 20:10).
     While heaven celebrated in joyful praise and worship, Jesus spent the Sabbath sleeping the sleep of death in Joseph's tomb. I believe it was in God's eternal plan that Jesus died on a Friday and rested in the tomb over Sabbath. By God's arrangement Redemption was repeating the cycle of Creation.
     In Creation week, Jesus presided over bringing God's new masterpiece into existence (Jn. 1:1-3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2). When He finished (Gen. 2:2), He ceased His work by resting on the seventh day and spending a day of blissful fellowship with His new children, Adam and Eve. Then He "Blessed" the Seventh Day and "made it holy," designating it a sacred day (Gen. 2:1-3).
     In Redemption week, Jesus moved through the week very deliberately, calling attention to His forthcoming work on Calvary. Then, just before He died, He shouted "It is finished!" and breathed His last.
     The epic plan was now complete, to come to this world, reveal the Father's character, defeat the devil, and pay for humanity's sin. Now our Creator-Redeemer rested again on the same day He rested on in Creation. In saving us, He honored the Sabbath He created and set apart at Creation week, by again resting on it.
     On the First Day, He would take up His work of ministry again. But for now, He slept the restful sleep of death, waiting for His Father and glorious angels to call Him to life.

Pastor Michael Brownfield

Mt. 27:57-61 - Two Rich Leaders Bury Jesus

     Matthew tells us, "As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him" (vs. 57-58).
     John adds that "He (Joseph) was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night (Jn. 3). It is interesting how the four Gospel writers add different pieces of information, which fills out the story for us. In some cases it is difficult to reconcile their facts, but our confidence in Biblical inspiration does not rest on the authors' perfection of memory or reported detail. It is the message that is important, and differences in reporting or even occasional discrepancies of fact need not trouble us at all.
     The Bible was given in the language of men. God did not dictate the Scriptures, He moved on the hearts of the men who wrote each book, and they communicated His message in their own words, language, style, and literary mode. The Bible was written by inspired men, but everything human is imperfect. It is not God as a writer that is portrayed in Scripture, but human beings who are telling us about God. If a writer forgets, or misreports a detail or story, it does not detract from God or His message at all. God hasn't placed Himself on trial in the Bible--in its words, logic, or rhetoric. The writers were His penmen, not His pen. (See Selected Messages, Vol. 1, p. 20-21)
     Joseph and Nicodemus were both wealthy, influential men, who had secretly come to believe in Jesus. John says Joseph "was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because He feared the Jews" (Jn. 19:38). Nicodemus had believed in Jesus ever since his secret night visit recorded in John 3. From then on, he watched and followed Christ from a distance.
     Each man belonged to the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. Mark tells us that Joseph was a "prominent" member of the Council, who was waiting for the kingdom of God" (15:43). Both had used their influence to protect Jesus (Jn. 7:50-52)--until finally the Council simply went around them to get rid of Him. Joseph "had not consented to their decision and action," Luke tells us (23:51).
     Over time, the conviction had grown in each man's heart that Jesus was the Messiah. Imagine the consternation and grief they felt as they saw their leaders rejecting Jesus and plotting His death.
     What was it like for them when Jesus was crucified? Did Nicodemus remember Jesus' prediction that "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life?" (Jn. 3:14-15). As he helped to remove Jesus body from the cross, did He believe on Him as His Savior, the Lamb of God sacrificed for the sin of the world? Or as with the disciples, did it take a while for that truth to register in His mind and heart?
     Despite appearances, God is at work in human hearts, in all classes of society. These two rich and influential men came forward at the death of Jesus and did what the poor, infant church could not do. They secured Jesus' body from the governor, purchased burial spices, and laid Jesus in one of their own tombs. God always had means of providing for His church. If a church group is poor and struggling, but is following Jesus faithfully, He will provide for them when it is needed. After all, the Kingdom and the power and the glory all belong to Him.

Pastor Michael Brownfield


    

Mt. 27:54-56 - Unlikely Witnesses at the Cross

     In addition to the ancient holy people who were resurrected to declare Jesus the Messiah, Matthew lists other unlikely witnesses--the Roman centurion in charge of the crucifixion and his soldiers.
     They had watched Jesus from the time they took charge of Him for execution, and quickly noticed how different He was. Jesus was not cursing or swearing like the two other men scheduled to die that day. He did not seem angry, or afraid, or demeaned. He carried Himself with a God-like dignity, even while suffering the greatest pain.
     The soldiers heard when Jesus prayed for them as they nailed Him to His cross, "Father, forgive them; for they don't know what they are doing."
     They heard the Jewish leaders and common people mocking Jesus, but in the taunts, they pieced together Jesus' claim to be the Messiah and Son of God.
     They listened to Jesus answer the dying thief's request for salvation and provide for His grieving mother.
     They saw the supernatural darkness cover the land Jesus’ last hours of suffering. Then they heard His cry of abandonment, followed only a short time later by His shout of victory. And then immediately an earthquake.
     Suddenly, just like for the repentant thief, it all became clear--Jesus was Who He claimed to be! He was the Son of God."
     This tough commander and his men, battle hardened though they were, still had hearts open to evidence, while the religious leaders and teachers rejected it all. Scripture says, "When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, 'Surely He was the Son of God!" (Mt. 27:54).
     All through His Gospel narrative, Matthew loves to show how it is unlikely people who accept Jesus for who He is. The religious leaders reject Him, but tax collectors, Roman soldiers, prostitutes, lepers, the demon possessed, and centurions accept Him. Those who realize their need of God seem to find Him better than the religious ones who depend on their goodness and knowledge. God seems very open to the broken and unreligious.
     Another group of unlikely witnesses are the women who followed Jesus to His crucifixion. Matthew describes them: "Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons" (Mt. 27:55-56).
     In many cultures women have been degraded in one way or another, but Jesus always treated them with honor and respect. He welcomed the tired mothers who brought their children for blessing, when the disciples wanted to send them away. He forgave and restored to dignity the woman caught in adultery, used as a sexual pawn to trap Him. Women play a prominent role, not a lesser role in the Gospels.
     Creator of woman, Jesus comes also as Redeemer and liberator to her, and women sensed His deep respect and compassion for them. He let them minister to Him and for Him. He elevated them above the cultural norms of the day and they responded in gratitude and service.  
     "Many women followed Him." I've noticed through the years how often women fill the church and carry the ministries. They come in larger numbers to prayer meetings and linger for spiritual conversation while men often are absent or not connected. Is this because women feel their need more or are more used to acknowledging their need of God's help while men are more self-dependent?
     I don't know. But Jesus welcomes women and Roman centurions too. All who come to Him will be received and blessed.

Pastor Michael Brownfield