What seemed like a crushing defeat turned out very differently for Jesus’ followers. Death is not the finality of our existence.

For the first followers of Jesus his death seemed like a crushing defeat … how could the dream go so wrong? The Sunday, however, was very different. Their fear turned to bewilderment and then to joy as they realized that Jesus has risen. Jesus appeared to some who were walking on the road to Emmaus. They did not recognize him as he spoke to them about all the things in the Scriptures concerning the resurrection … but they realized it was him when he broke the bread.

The disciple Thomas wasn’t with the disciples at the first appearance of Jesus and so he doubted. Later Jesus appeared to all the disciples and told Thomas to put his fingers through the holes in his hands saying ‘stop doubting and believe’. Thomas replies ‘my Lord and my God’.

For some people the Easter story finishes with Jesus’ death. They see only a good example. This is not what the Gospel writers tell us. Who before or since could lay down his life and take it up again? The ‘good news’ of Good Friday is that Jesus took the punishment for our sins. The resurrection is proof of forgiveness for all who believe. Death is not the finality of our existence.

 

 

Easter is a time when the gospel of grace comes clearly into view.

People tend to think about relationships only on a horizontal level. It is easy to become preoccupied with those around us in the various interactions we have in the home, in social activities and in the school or workplace. This passage, however, speaks about the most important relationship of our lives and one about which most are either unconcerned or are misinformed.

The apostle John records Jesus’ words for us which raise 2 questions about our relationship to God. How well do we really know him? How do we get to know him better? Jesus uses his relationship to the Father to describe his relationship with his disciples. He says “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’. And also ‘Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father’.

Jesus goes on to make a number of promises to his disciples. These include that they will work his works, that their prayers will be answered, that he will give them life in Himself. He then goes on to tell about his authority in making these promises … that it is from the Father and from the evidence of the miraculous works he has done. The priority in our lives needs to be relationship with God. This comes through Jesus Christ and what he accomplished at the cross. He is the one who leads us away from sin and self.

 

 

A hope that will never disappoint can only be found in the Saviour

Drought, bushfires, hail, coronavirus …. When will this all stop? Where do people find their security? The Christian hope is a sure and certain hope which is built on a person … Jesus Christ. Christians are a people who live by faith and not by fear. In this passage, the writer points us to the greatness and faithfulness of God. Abraham is given as an example and we see in his son Isaac, who was given back ‘from the dead’ a picture of what was accomplished through Jesus as the cross.

What have we fled from? We need to flee from God’s righteous anger against sin and a hopeless, futile life to find a refuge in Jesus. We need to take God at his promise … ‘believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved’. He will never disappoint us because it is impossible for Him to lie.

The Christian hope is like an anchor in a storm tossed world … Jesus is our hope as we come before the very presence of God. With this anchor death will not be the last word in our lives. If we are trusting in Jesus we do not need to be afraid.

 

 

 

A hope that will never disappoint can only be found in the Saviour

In this passage we find that Christian hope is founded on Jesus … what he has accomplished for every believer through dying for our sins and rising again from the dead.  This hope is found in a real person, the God man, which makes us realize that this world is not perfect but sin affected.

Christian hope is sure and secure. We find this in biblical examples, including those from the Old Testament such as Abraham, of whom Jesus said that He saw His day and rejoiced. Another Old Testament example is Job, who, in the midst of his profound sufferings, said ‘I know my redeemer lives’.

In New Testament times we have, even more clearly, the reality in Jesus Christ. After His resurrection He appeared to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. The Scripture says ‘those who hope in God will not be disappointed’ … those who hope in Jesus will not be ruled by fear or uncertainty.

 

 

 

 

  Where we focus has a direct relationship with our appreciation of life

During the American Civil War two opposing leaders met because they realized that conflict would be horrific. One of the leaders deceived the other as to the size and capability of his army. In doing this he tricked the other side into surrender. Deceptions these days are all around us so we need to understand they are part of the world we face.

In this passage we find that Asaph was deceived by the world when he saw that those people seemed to have very few troubles. He didn’t see clearly, however, that it was all a deception. Those who were only focusing on this world would one day be brought to account for their lives and the result would be devastating.

Asaph had forgotten that he was in a priceless relationship with his creator God by faith and that this meant he need have no fear of future accountability to God. We are told that ‘when he came into the sanctuary of God then he perceived their end.’ For believers today Jesus Christ is the sanctuary (Vs17). In him, by faith, past, present and future sin is all forgiven and we are set free … ‘death has lost it’s sting’. We need never be envious of those who seem to be at ease in this world.

 

There are different kinds of fruit but only one type lasts forever.

There is a type of fruit called spiritual which belongs only to God’s people. Believers love God because of his first love towards them. Love is the first of the fruits that the apostle mentions in this passage, all of which come through the cross. The second fruit is joy. This needs to be contrasted with happiness … one is short-lived but the other is ongoing and independent of circumstances. The next fruit is patience which is directed towards other people.

Patience is followed by kindness and the sense of it here is connected with being useful to others. It can lead others to repentance for wrong. The next fruit is goodness and here care is needed because the word is used in many different ways throughout the world. It is not a means of justifying ourselves but a disposition which looks to the source of true goodness in God and then seeks to live that out.

Faithfulness means to avoid being driven by success and, as with all the other fruits which include gentleness and self-control, is produced by abiding in the vine, a reference to Jesus. He was crucified so that those who are united to him by faith can produce these beautiful fruits for His kingdom. Not every believer will be producing all these fruits in abundance at all times. They will be affected by trials of various kinds and the strength of faith with which each person is endued.

 

A true apostle shows what it means to be authentic and humble

Our job applications tend to paint us in a light which is better than we are and they rarely present our weaknesses. In this passage, however, we find the apostle Paul talking about his weaknesses in not taking advantage of anyone. He also talks about what has happened to him … not success by worldly standards eg. ‘beaten with rods’ and ‘pelted with stones’ and all for the message of the cross.

What should a Christian resume look like today … struggles with anxiety which drive the believer closer to God. There is also being in pain and needing to rest but, once again, in weakness looking to God’s strength. This is important because it should lead God’s people to consider whether these weaknesses are causing them to glorify God.

The life of a Christian should point to the centrality of Jesus Christ. This life should be directed towards the building up of others … not as an opportunity to whine and to whinge …. not a pity party. In defending himself against the false apostles, the true apostle, Paul, writing this letter, gives us an example of how we should approach our problems by being authentic and humble.

 

 

Saving grace changes everyone and everything for good.

In the passage we see that the barrier between Jew and Gentile is broken down. The message of grace in Jesus Christ unites and reconciles people from all kinds of different backgrounds. We are to value what God has done to bring about a new humanity. We are told that ‘…. in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.’ No longer does a person have to become a Jew in order to be near God.

The ‘building’ of a new humanity is what God Himself is doing and in which He dwells ….. God’s household. Jesus is the cornerstone of this building and everything in the building is set in reference to Him. Dividing walls such as language, cultural backgrounds, nationality, race, age, gender and fear are no longer able to separate people who have embraced the gospel.

 

 

 

The victory of an ancient king points forward to the greatest victory of all time

The Israelites were weeping because they feared having to surrender to the Ammonites who had besieged their city. King Saul hears about their situation. He comes to fight against the Ammonites and wins a great victory over them which frees the city.

The key to understanding this story is in the last 2 verses of 1Samuel Ch11. The prophet Samuel takes the people to the city of Gilgal to ‘renew the kingdom’. We are then told that they offered sacrifices to the Lord and rejoiced. This is a reminder of the victory that Jesus has won for His people over the enemy called ‘sin’ ……  the wrong things that we think, say and do. He won this victory through the sacrifice of Himself on the cross.

 

 

 

Two different kings … two different outcomes for the people they lead

The reign of King Saul stands in contrast to the reign of King Jesus. In this passage the disobedience of Saul in relation to the unimaginable cruelty of the Amelikites is seen to result in trouble for himself and also for the people of Israel. He led them into sin by not following fully what He had been told to do. This grieved God and Saul was removed from being King over Israel.

Jesus was very different. He obeyed His Father completely even at great personal cost ….. His death on the cross. His death, however, paid the ransom for the sins of His people …… their disobedience cost Him His life.  All those who trust in what He has done have their sins forgiven and become part of God’s family. Just as He obeyed God and followed what He said, so too do His people follow Him. They unselfishly enter into the service of  King Jesus who leads His people in the way of life. He has been exalted to sitting at the Father’s right hand in Heaven where He reigns forever more.