He Is Risen Pt. 1

Everything in the Old Testament points to God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection. These events fulfilled many prophecies, and affected many real people who lived through them. This blog article explores the circumstances surrounding the crucifixion as seen through the eyes of Mary Magdalene.

Night had fallen. Everything was quiet. It seemed strange, after all the commotion yesterday. What wasn’t quiet was my heart. Oh no, my heart screamed in agony. He was gone. Dead. There wasn’t anything I could do to change it. I was alone.

I had watched as the chief priests wrongfully brought charges against Him (Luke 23:2). I couldn’t do anything, couldn’t say anything amidst the tumultuous roar of men hurling insults and accusations against Him. He had saved me from seven demons who had commandeered my body, forcing me to behave in ways I still shuddered to think about (Mark 16:9). And there He was before me, His life hanging in the balance, and I couldn’t help Him. He didn’t even defend Himself (Mark 15:3)!

How could a city that celebrated Him on Sunday (Matthew 21:8-11), kill the same man on Friday? How could anyone believe that such a compassionate teacher deserved death? How could some of the same people He had healed, the same people who had followed Him, turn on Him? My thoughts whirled at a dizzying pace.

I thought He was the Son of God. He said He was our King…but He didn’t wear a crown, not until they shoved the thorns on His head in mockery (Matthew 27:29). He claimed to be “the resurrection and the life,” but how could this be if He was dead (John 11:25)? He taught using the scriptures of our forefathers, with more authority than the scribes ever did (Mark 1:22). I trusted Him.

He said, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1). Ha! How could my heart not be troubled? My world has been turned upside down by His death. Yet, I still trust Him. I still believe in Him. His death doesn’t make sense to me, at least, not yet.

When He died, the sun darkened (Luke 23:45). The very ground beneath us shook (Matthew 27:51). The four-inch-thick veil in the temple separating the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place split from top to bottom (Mark 15:38). He had healed sicknesses (Matthew 8:3). He had performed miracles (Mark 6:40-42). He had forgiven sins (Luke 7:48). That couldn’t have been mere man on the cross.

The sun will rise in just a few more hours. Then, my agonizing wait for Sabbath to end would be over. Mary, mother of James, and I have planned to go anoint His body with spices, the body of the One who “came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). I hope against hope that morning will provide some answers.

Come back next week for Part II!

To read the complete accounts of the Crucifixion, please see:
Matthew 27
Mark 15
Luke 23
John 19

Leaving a Legacy

A person’s last words before he or she dies are monumental. As Joshua neared death at the age of 110, he spoke to the Israelites. Having led them for the last 28 years, Joshua still gave them direction even at the end of his life. His advice? “…choose you this day whom ye will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).

Joshua was a successful leader. He received orders from God and passed them on to the Israelites, who enacted them. In Exodus 19:5, God made a promise to the Israelites: “…if ye shall obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people…” Throughout the book of Joshua, we are told of many battles the Lord enabled the Israelites to win because they obeyed Him.

Both the Israelites and God kept their covenant with each other.

Under Joshua’s leadership, Israel now had a home. Their arrival fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 17:8: “And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” This home, though a blessing from God, was surrounded by other people groups who served idols and false gods. So right before he died, Joshua challenged the Israelites to choose to serve God.

“Choosing,” as Joshua says, isn’t passive. It is an action, not a happy accident. Jesus says, “He that is not with me is against me…” (Luke 11:23). In Revelation 3:15-16, Jesus tells John to write to the church of Laodicea, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” If we don’t actively make the decision to serve God, then Christ views us as His adversaries.

If we choose to serve God, then we need to serve Him alone. Mark 3:25 tells us, “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Joshua made it clear that his household would be united in serving God. Even at the end of his long life, that was the desire of his heart. Joshua’s example leaves behind a legacy of faith and obedience from which we can learn.

We can either serve God or chase the things of this world. What legacy are you going to leave behind?

This week’s blog was inspired by March 18th’s reading from Through the Bible in a Year, a Bible reading guide offered free of charge by Family Radio.

God's Workmanship

In 1994, the Craft & Hobby association deemed March “National Craft Month.” Their intent was to help others rediscover the joy of crafting and its many benefits.¹

 Creativity originated with God. God CREATED the world. He designed the universe, the plants, and the animals. Then, He created man. “And God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…’” (Genesis 1:26). For everything else, God spoke and it came into being. When God fashioned man from the ground, He breathed into him the “breath of life” (Genesis 2:7), setting man apart from all other creation. He put a part of Himself in him. Ergo, we reflect some of God’s characteristics. This includes God’s creativity (although some may have a stronger portion than others).

 The Bible records many instances of mankind reflecting God’s creativity. God filled Bezaleel the son of Uri “with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship” to help create the tabernacle (Exodus 31:2-3). When King Saul desired to listen to a “cunning harp player” to sooth his nerves, David was brought to him (1 Samuel 16). 2 Chronicles 2 tells of a man skilled in metallurgy, carpentry, and engraving. The Proverbs 31 woman “maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple” (Proverbs 31:22). Creativity isn’t limited to knitting a tea cozy or sewing a quilt, it includes music, architecture, and all manner of craftsmanship.

Isaiah 64:8 says, “But now, O Lord, Thou art our father; we are the clay, and Thou our potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand.” Notice that this verse isn’t in past tense; it’s present. God didn’t just create our physical beings, He wants to continue to shape us and mold our character so we grow to be more like Him. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

 When we engage in creativity ourselves, whether through an art form or fixing a car engine, God is glorified that we are using the gifts He gave us. Colossians 3:23 says, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men….”

Take joy in your own creativity, glorifying the Lord in all that you do!

¹CraftPR. “March is National Craft Month.” Craft and Hobby Association. 2 March 2011. 3 February 2016