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Resurrection

I Also Send You

What a week it has been for those who followed Jesus and those who came to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. Three full days have passed since the masses demanded that their King should be crucified. The Romans, as prophesied in Scripture long ago, did the gruesome task and killed the Prince of Peace, not knowing that with it they would zeal their own fate as a nation.
We need to understand that Jesus work on the cross was finished just prior to giving up His Spirit into the Father’s hand. There was no more punishment to be paid for our sins. IT IS FINISHED.
Letting Jesus body hang on the cross for a longer time period or to be thrown on the garbage dump WAS SOMETHING THE HEAVENLY FATHER WOULD NEVER HAVE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN TO HIS SON. The work was done. And it is here where two disciples, secret disciples, stepped in and asked for the body of Jesus from Pilate.
Mary Magdalene is the person from whom Jesus cast out 7 demons. She was the first person mentioned to be at the tomb which was at that time already empty. When the angels asked the question: WOMEN, WHY ARE YOU WEEPING? She did not reply because of GRIEF.
Mary recognized the risen Lord when He called her by name. She recognized HIS VOICE. A typical characteristic of a sheep in relation to the shepherd. In other words, John did not write these words of God on paper that people might believe the right things, that they might be orthodox, or that their theology might be sound.
He did not call Jesus Master or Teacher or Messiah. Thomas called Him Lord, which is the same word translated from the GREEK Old Testament YAHWEH. Thomas confessed that Jesus was Yahweh, His God, standing before him in the flesh. Thomas confessed the deity of Jesus Christ. Jesus never rebuked him for it.
Listen, there is a more important purpose, a purpose beyond coming to the knowledge of the truth of Christ.
“…and that believing you may have life in His name”.
That’s exactly what Jesus said earlier, found in John 10:10b
“ I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

God’s Appointed King

Probably over one billion people on this earth will celebrate Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday over the next eight days. However, way too many do not understand the historical and spiritual significance of what truly took place over 2000 years ago in and around Jerusalem. The Apostle John is giving us many details of these days Jesus was spending with them, and all four gospels record the event described in our text.
6 days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. Needless to say, people heard about what Jesus had done and wanted to come and see this resurrected Lazarus for themselves.
When I observe what is going on in the USA today I cannot help to believe that the church in this country has been placed on a reservation. We are allowed to exist, we are allowed to practice our faith, and we are allowed to pray in our churches. But we are forbidden from moving off the reservation and into the public square to make public proclamations of faith. We are not allowed in a public event to pray in the name of Jesus. The sad part of all this is that not just secularist are howling when we dare wander off the reservation to proclaim Jesus as the ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, but most mainline denominations do the same. WHY? Because they also, like the religious leaders of Jesus’ days, enjoy peace on the reservation and they certainly do not want to become targets of the RULING GOVERNMENT. We do not want to disturb the peace and want to live in peace and enjoy prosperity even if it means that we have to live on the reservation.
Mary saved this perfume for Jesus burial, but somehow she was not willing to wait until they buried Him. She wanted to give this gift to Jesus NOW. Mary knew that she could minister to the poor tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. But Jesus would not be here always. As Lazarus was watching, the one who just a few weeks ago was rotting away in a tomb, Mary poured this costly perfume on the feet of Jesus.
I wonder how many times we are busy trying to do some humanitarian outreach in the name of Jesus, while totally ignoring to love, worship and exalt Him with our devotion.
The people’ interest in Jesus is based upon a false expectation. Jesus is God’ appointed King, and as such, he does never come to do the masses’ bidding. He came then to Jerusalem to fulfill the Father’s mission, much more glorious than any of us could ever envision.
They rejected Him, because their expectations were not met. Yet through it all, he brought salvation to all people. He became the chief cornerstone.

WHAT SIGN Do You Show Us?

Last Sunday we heard John the Baptist introduce Jesus to the Jews by proclaiming: BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD.
Every miracle, every sign Jesus performed during His entire ministry on this earth was done so with a very specific purpose. God never does anything without a specific purpose. In this case, the Apostle John is revealing to us that Jesus did this signs and miracles not for their own sake but to point to something that was SIGNificant. These signs always pointed to Jesus Himself, the only one able to represent God’s kingdom. The only one God the Father ever said: THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.
Why did God chose a wedding for His son to perform the first sign during His earthly ministry? And why did God chose to turn water into wine for thirsty guest? Why not turning water into grape juice?
WHAT SIGN?
He became the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins. He has done away with the Old Testament requirements. No animal sacrifices, no temple tax, now show bread, no altar of incense, no Holy of Holies, no ark of the covenant. He nailed it to the cross for good. He is the firstborn of many brethren. NOW THE CHURCH IS THE TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD.
What sign do you show us? For you and me, it means to be reminded that we are the newly raised temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in us, and because of that we are here to glorify God in our body and in our spirit.
Jesus’ signs pointed toward something much more SIGNificant than the sign itself, it pointed toward the glorious truth WHO HE REALLY IS, the Redeemer, the Savior of the World, the Only begotten Son of God, fully man, fully God. The KING OF GLORY.