Hope!

If we have a hope in Christ only in this life, then we deserve to be pitied more than anyone else. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead. He’s the first crop of the harvest of those who have died. Since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came through one too. In the same way that everyone dies in Adam, so also everyone will be given life in Christ. Each event will happen in the right order: Christ, the first crop of the harvest, then those who belong to Christ at his coming, and then the end, when Christ hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he brings every form of rule, every authority and power to an end. It is necessary for him to rule until he puts all enemies under his feet. Death is the last enemy to be brought to an end, since he has brought everything under control under his feet. When it says that everything has been brought under his control, this clearly means everything except for the one who placed everything under his control. But when all things have been brought under his control, then the Son himself will also be under the control of the one who gave him control over everything so that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:19-28, CEB)

“Rebellions are built on hope.” A quote from Rogue One. Something we all need to see and remember. Hope is not just a name, but should be the foundation of our lives.

Our hope is in Jesus. It is something that we can not see or prove, but rely on beyond the shadow of a doubt.

Death is not the end, for Paul told the Corinthians in chapter 13, these three remain: faith, hope, and love. And while many say that is a chapter about romantic love, I say it is about the end of the world, and when everything else falls away, faith, hope, and love remain. Hope is our life.

In the darkness when you can not see the way, there is hope. Hope keeps us moving forward.

Never lose hope, and know that hope will take you to the kingdom.

First…

So if the message that is preached says that Christ has been raised from the dead, then how can some of you say, “There’s no resurrection of the dead”? If there’s no resurrection of the dead, then Christ hasn’t been raised either. If Christ hasn’t been raised, then our preaching is useless and your faith is useless. We are found to be false witnesses about God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, when he didn’t raise him if it’s the case that the dead aren’t raised. If the dead aren’t raised, then Christ hasn’t been raised either. If Christ hasn’t been raised, then your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins, and what’s more, those who have died in Christ are gone forever. If we have a hope in Christ only in this life, then we deserve to be pitied more than anyone else. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead. He’s the first crop of the harvest of those who have died. (1 Corinthians 15:12-20, CEB)

I have a question about this: Is Jesus the first crop of the harvest of those who have died?

I mean, I get what Paul is saying, but did not Lazarus die, and Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead? So technically, Jesus is not the first to be raised from the dead.

Now, there were many miracles, and Paul may not have heard all of the gospel stories, given that most of Paul’s epistles were written before the gospels, so there are a lot of things to consider.

I guess the real question is: does it matter whether Jesus is the first to be raised from the dead? In my opinion, it is not; He was raised, and God did not leave Him in the tomb. He was executed and then raised to life again.

God raised Jesus. End of story, or actually the beginning.

Doubt?

It was still the first day of the week. That evening, while the disciples were behind closed doors because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities, Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they were filled with joy. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you don’t forgive them, they aren’t forgiven.” Thomas, the one called Didymus, one of the Twelve, wasn’t with the disciples when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We’ve seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger in the wounds left by the nails, and put my hand into his side, I won’t believe.” After eight days his disciples were again in a house and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus entered and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand into my side. No more disbelief. Believe!” Thomas responded to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus replied, “Do you believe because you see me? Happy are those who don’t see and yet believe.” Then Jesus did many other miraculous signs in his disciples’ presence, signs that aren’t recorded in this scroll. But these things are written so that you will believe that Jesus is the Christ, God’s Son, and that believing, you will have life in his name. (John 20:19-31, CEB)

This passage has been named “Doubting Thomas”. Thomas gets a bad wrap here.

The disciples, the 10 of them, are locked in a room for fear of what would happen to them as they had just witnessed Jesus being executed. Jesus appears and says, “Peace be with you.” But then he had to show them His hands and His side before they knew it was Him. And when the 10 find Thomas, where was he by the way? When they find Thomas and tell him they had seen Jesus, Thomas asks for no more than what the 10 got, but because of this, he is labeled a doubter. As if doubt is the opposite of faith.

I doubt all the time. In fact, as I type this devotion, I am doubting my call and where I belong in this world. Doubt is something that comes to all humanity and is not the opposite of faith. Doubt drives us to find answers and seek further. Doubt moves us to question and seek answers. Doubt is not the opposite of faith; certainty is.

Thomas asked to see the wounds, which the 10 got, and needed to see it was Jesus. Thomas wanted and asked for nothing more than what the ones telling him they had seen Jesus got.

Do not shame a follower for doubting or questioning. Walk with them and help them see the light when the darkness is all they see.

The sound of your name

Mary stood outside near the tomb, crying. As she cried, she bent down to look into the tomb. She saw two angels dressed in white, seated where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and one at the foot. The angels asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” She replied, “They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they’ve put him.” As soon as she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabbouni” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold on to me, for I haven’t yet gone up to my Father. Go to my brothers and sisters and tell them, ‘I’m going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene left and announced to the disciples, “I’ve seen the Lord.” Then she told them what he said to her. It was still the first day of the week. That evening, while the disciples were behind closed doors because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities, Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they were filled with joy. (John 20:11-20, CEB)

This passage always gets me.

Why does Mary not see Jesus and know Him? She looks at Him and hears Him speak to her. She is distraught and overcome with anguish and loss. The teacher she had been with for many years, a person she dearly loved, was executed, and now, when she comes to finish His burial preparations, He is gone.

Jesus talks to her and asks her why she is crying and who she is looking for. She can not see him or hear the sound of his voice due to her anguish, pain, and loss. She is mired in her own world. We all get this way, and then Jesus said, “Mary.”

With the gentleness and love he had shown her so many times before, she heard Him.

The sound of your name, from the lips of a person who loves you dearly, is the sound like no other. It calms the anguish and stills the fears.

It is a sound that reminds you of life and love.

Listen, and you will hear Him call you by name.

There is grace for that!

Brothers and sisters, I want to call your attention to the good news that I preached to you, which you also received and in which you stand. You are being saved through it if you hold on to the message I preached to you, unless somehow you believed it for nothing. I passed on to you as most important what I also received: Christ died for our sins in line with the scriptures, he was buried, and he rose on the third day in line with the scriptures. He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve, and then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at once—most of them are still alive to this day, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me, as if I were born at the wrong time. I’m the least important of the apostles. I don’t deserve to be called an apostle, because I harassed God’s church. I am what I am by God’s grace, and God’s grace hasn’t been for nothing. In fact, I have worked harder than all the others—that is, it wasn’t me but the grace of God that is with me. So then, whether you heard the message from me or them, this is what we preach and this is what you have believed. (1 Corinthians 15:1-11, CEB)

I am what I am by God’s grace.

Better words have never been spoken, written, or typed.

I am what I am by God’s grace.

God’s grace is what saves us all and is the cornerstone. None of us makes it on our own.

Regardless of our pasts, we are all covered by grace and accepted because of that.

I am what I am by God’s grace

Pray

Keep on praying and guard your prayers with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray for us also. Pray that God would open a door for the word so we can preach the secret plan of Christ—which is why I’m in chains. Pray that I might be able to make it as clear as I ought to when I preach. Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. (Colossians 4:2-5, CEB)

Pray always.

Pray for your leaders (even those you do not care for).

Pray for those who speak truth.

Pray that God would open doors.

In all things, pray.

Who went?

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb. Look, there was a great earthquake, for an angel from the Lord came down from heaven. Coming to the stone, he rolled it away and sat on it. Now his face was like lightning and his clothes as white as snow. The guards were so terrified of him that they shook with fear and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He isn’t here, because he’s been raised from the dead, just as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him. Now hurry, go and tell his disciples, ‘He’s been raised from the dead. He’s going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.’ I’ve given the message to you.” With great fear and excitement, they hurried away from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples. But Jesus met them and greeted them. They came and grabbed his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go and tell my brothers that I am going into Galilee. They will see me there.” (Matthew 28:1-10, CEB)

We keep hearing that Jesus died alone, and was alone in His suffering and at the tomb.

But was He?

The story here tells us that Mary Magdalene and Mary went to the tomb the morning after the Sabbath. They went to mourn. They went to be with Him.

He was not alone. The women were there all the time.

We need to listen to the women and see their witness.

All humanity is in the likeness of God, and all are included. None are less than. You only make them that way. Stop denying God and live into the body that is the richness that God created.

put on love

Therefore, as God’s choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Be tolerant with each other and, if someone has a complaint against anyone, forgive each other. As the Lord forgave you, so also forgive each other. And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. The peace of Christ must control your hearts—a peace into which you were called in one body. And be thankful people. The word of Christ must live in you richly. Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12-17, CEB)

Put on love:
Be compassionate.
Deal in kindness.
Be humble.
Be gentle.
Practice patience.
Forgive as Jesus did.
Live in unity.

When we put on love, we will bring peace.

Self centered

So put to death the parts of your life that belong to the earth, such as sexual immorality, moral corruption, lust, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). The wrath of God is coming upon disobedient people because of these things. You used to live this way, when you were alive to these things. But now set aside these things, such as anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene language. Don’t lie to each other. Take off the old human nature with its practices and put on the new nature, which is renewed in knowledge by conforming to the image of the one who created it. In this image there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all things and in all people. (Colossians 3:5-11, CEB)

I always get worried when we get passages that talk about sexual immorality because the power struggle was/is to say that this is about homosexuality. And it is not. The final part of this passage, which harkens back to Galatians 3:28 and is Paul’s discussion on circumcision and who is in and who is out, says that all are included, no matter what.

All of the things that bring the wrath of God are self-centeredness. It is the unholy trinity of me, myself, and I. When we focus only on ourselves and not the body, we deny God and bring on Their wrath.

DO not be self-centered.

Love as Jesus did and know that all are included.

Easter

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb. Look, there was a great earthquake, for an angel from the Lord came down from heaven. Coming to the stone, he rolled it away and sat on it. Now his face was like lightning and his clothes as white as snow. The guards were so terrified of him that they shook with fear and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He isn’t here, because he’s been raised from the dead, just as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him. Now hurry, go and tell his disciples, ‘He’s been raised from the dead. He’s going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.’ I’ve given the message to you.” With great fear and excitement, they hurried away from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples. But Jesus met them and greeted them. They came and grabbed his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go and tell my brothers that I am going into Galilee. They will see me there.” (Matthew 28:1-10, CEB)

He is not here. He has been raised from the dead, just as he said.

Go and tell my followers I am going to Galilee. They will see me there!

Do not fear. Know that the promises are true anfd God is always with us!

Alleluia, He is Risen!