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