The Word This Week
Luke 24:1...
When all is lost there is nothing left to do but admit defeat.
For three years there had been an excitement never known before in the lives of those who chose to follow Jesus. They had seen things that were both unbelievable and yet reality at the same time.
Miracles…so many and so often John wrote later had he recorded them all even the books in the libraries of the world could not contain them.
Very recently, Jesus had even raised his friend Lazarus from the dead.
The teaching though, oh what teaching! With such an authority no one had ever experienced before. Such truth! Such light! There had never been any instruction like it found anywhere in the history of the world.
But above all else was His love, displayed with such grace and mercy even wicked sinners found themselves comfortable in His presence, and led to repent of their wickedness and follow Christ by His love.
Incredibly, all of this was now gone, seemingly forever. The fellowship, the friendship, the instruction, and the love – all crushed by the brutality of religion in its struggle to preserve itself from the very God they claimed to worship. In reality, they worshiped themselves. It was proven by their murderous rage against their very own Christ, Who had come to save them from themselves.
It was not to be. And now, it seemed it never would be again. One thing is certain about death, it is final and forever.
It’s easy to imagine how depressed they must have been over the situation they now found themselves in. The very religious leaders who had crucified Jesus would probably be coming for them next – to attempt to kill not only Jesus – but all His followers as well. Religion’s desire would be to eliminate any memory of His appearing from the face of the earth.
God had another plan in mind.
For those depressed and broken-hearted, in despair of all the cruelty the world is capable of demonstrating, intent only on anointing His broken body as one last sign of their massive respect for His ministry, there would be yet another demonstration of God’s great love for His children – in that He would prove even the power to conquer death and dying.
This day of days we celebrate THE most incredible event in the history of the world. It is the very day Christ is resurrected from the dead – and all His followers as well! Even death itself has now been conquered forever and ever!
Pastor Bill
When all is lost there is nothing left to do but admit defeat.
For three years there had been an excitement never known before in the lives of those who chose to follow Jesus. They had seen things that were both unbelievable and yet reality at the same time.
Miracles…so many and so often John wrote later had he recorded them all even the books in the libraries of the world could not contain them.
Very recently, Jesus had even raised his friend Lazarus from the dead.
The teaching though, oh what teaching! With such an authority no one had ever experienced before. Such truth! Such light! There had never been any instruction like it found anywhere in the history of the world.
But above all else was His love, displayed with such grace and mercy even wicked sinners found themselves comfortable in His presence, and led to repent of their wickedness and follow Christ by His love.
Incredibly, all of this was now gone, seemingly forever. The fellowship, the friendship, the instruction, and the love – all crushed by the brutality of religion in its struggle to preserve itself from the very God they claimed to worship. In reality, they worshiped themselves. It was proven by their murderous rage against their very own Christ, Who had come to save them from themselves.
It was not to be. And now, it seemed it never would be again. One thing is certain about death, it is final and forever.
It’s easy to imagine how depressed they must have been over the situation they now found themselves in. The very religious leaders who had crucified Jesus would probably be coming for them next – to attempt to kill not only Jesus – but all His followers as well. Religion’s desire would be to eliminate any memory of His appearing from the face of the earth.
God had another plan in mind.
For those depressed and broken-hearted, in despair of all the cruelty the world is capable of demonstrating, intent only on anointing His broken body as one last sign of their massive respect for His ministry, there would be yet another demonstration of God’s great love for His children – in that He would prove even the power to conquer death and dying.
This day of days we celebrate THE most incredible event in the history of the world. It is the very day Christ is resurrected from the dead – and all His followers as well! Even death itself has now been conquered forever and ever!
Pastor Bill