A THANKFUL HEART

As I continue my daily walk with Jesus, I am still constantly amazed by His grace and His boundless provision. Even after more than 68 years, following where Jesus has lead me in this life, I still find reasons to question His directions. I mean, all in all, my life has been pretty amazing as I look back and see the "bread crumbs" I have scattered along life's journey. Some are there to remind me from whence I came and some may have been scattered to help me find my road back home to Jesus...but of this much I am assured...JESUS HAS NEVER LEFT ME TO FLOUNDER IN MY MISERY OR LONELINESS WITHOUT REACHING OUT HIS HAND OF MERCY TO PICK ME UP, DUST ME OFF, AND PUT ME BACK ON THE RIGHT PATH OF OBEDIENCE AND A LIFE, ABUNDANT IN HIM.

 So, the question is always this....When we look back on the abundant times that God has led us and the wonderful outcomes that He has provided, why in Heaven's name do we try to take over the position of GUIDE AND TRAIL BLAZER? I must admit I struggle to answer that question....but let me try.

 I believe that even though scripture says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come." 2 COR. 5:17 (CSB)....We still do battle with our old nature which ALWAYS wants to put us in charge of our lives....where we go, what we do and how we get there. Unfortunately, this flies in the face of this new relationship with Christ as He seeks to make us that NEW CREATION IN HIM...all the while trying to help us get rid of our old nature as we grow into the new creation of who God has ordained us to be...and that my friend is more like Jesus everyday.

 So how do we get that done? I think that answer can be very complex or equally very simple...and you get to be the one to decide that answer for yourself. If you trust that your relationship with Jesus is growing, then turning more and more of life's decisions over to Him for His input and consultation becomes second nature...YOU DO IT WITHOUT STOPPING TO THINK IF THIS IS RIGHT FOR ME OR WHAT THE OUTCOME MIGHT BE?  For God ALWAYS has your GOOD and His GLORY at the heart of any matter that life brings your way; however, God may not always be totally interested in your comfort.... but HE IS ALWAYS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER....WHY? Because you are supposed to look a little more like Jesus EVERY DAY!!!

 OR...you can decide to let God tackle the BIG problems while you handle everything else. R IGHT?  I think, personally, that's a very selfish way to live. I mean, God saved you by His Mercy and over whelming Grace and He now claims you as His child...and I don't know a single, good, loving parent that lets a child decide what's best for them and then only steps in to clean up their mess....or stands on the sidelines until a BIG problem arises?

 So, know this....God doesn't just want the "leftovers" in your life...He wants to be included in all of it; the little things as well as those "whales" that threaten to swamp your boat! When you think of what Christ did on the cross, you will come to this great understanding of the relationship that God wants with you...for He has gone to a home that you do not know; to prepare a place you cannot see; so on a day that cannot be known, He will emerge  through parting clouds to bring you a peace and a comfort that you cannot even imagine...for it is His plan to rescue you from a darkness that you will NEVER KNOW because He loves you with a love that cannot be measured.

His Child....Waiting on THAT day,

 WPQ

 

Poem for the day....

 I am a child of Heaven

And one day I know not when;

I'll stand before my Savior,

My comfort and my best friend.

 

All around me, love ones will gather;

To welcome me to this place.

At last to see my Savior and

To be held in His warm embrace.

 

 Then I shall know that on that day

As the angels are gathered there;

The Lord of Hosts will welcome those

Who prayed that special prayer.

 

The prayer that asked the Father,

Who sent His Son to ransom all

To thank Him for His gift of grace

That saved us from the Fall.

 

And so as His children enter in

Surely songs of praise will ring...

Hosannas to Him in the Highest;

Forever... our LORD and KING!!!

 

W. Patrick Queen  ©  April 2024

 

R U a Doubting Thomas?

It has been a little over two weeks, for those of us that claim Jesus as our Savior, since we celebrated His victory over the devil and death....the moment He was raised from the dead and walked out of that tomb, THE DEVIL WAS DOOMED AND DEATH NO LONGER HOLDS ANY POWER OVER US AS BELIEVERS!

Now, many people take a wait-and-see attitude toward Christ. In fact, the first time Jesus appeared to His disciples, they had sequestered themselves in a locked room, probably with no windows and only one way in and one way out... A BOLTED AND LOCKED DOOR...keeping them safely inside from the angry Jews that were surely seeking to find them and wrap up this whole, sordid business concerning the man they had Pilate crucify.  But, on that evening of the first day of the week, as they gathered together, there Jesus stood in the midst of them, greeting them saying, "Peace be with you!" How comforting these words must have been, coming from the heart of the one whom they loved who had been taken from them; now standing, front and center, for all to see....ALL BUT THOMAS!

I always have wondered, where and why was Thomas not with them? Was he not afraid of the angry, judgmental Jews? Was he so afraid to leave his location that he just hunkered down wherever he had chosen to hide? Or was this just an integral part of God's plan for believers yet to come? 

When the other disciples shared the Good News with Thomas, that even though all the doors were locked, JESUS HAD APPEARED TO THEM and breathed on them the Holy Spirit....and then, HE WAS GONE. But such good news was not what Thomas needed to hear. So, Thomas made his infamous statement, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.” John 20:25 (CSB)

About a week later, the disciples were still in hiding and Thomas is with them when Jesus once again appears in their locked room, standing before them....and He says to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” And Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have now seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  John 20:27-29 (CSB) 

In these spoken words of Jesus, He did not ridicule nor belittle His disciples for us unbelief; but He did praise those who would believe, even though they had NEVER seen. 

So where do you stand on this "Jesus thing"? Are you one of those people that follow the hard and fast line of...SEEING IS BELIEVING! Or are you a person of FAITH....ONE WHO BELIEVES WITHOUT EVIDENCE OR SOMETIMES, EVEN IN SPITE OF THE SO-CALLED EVIDENCE? 

There are many people that believe there is a God. Even the devil and his demons believe there is a GOD. Believing there is a God and believing in the ONE, TRUE GOD are as different as night from day. The GOD of the Universe is a HOLY, RIGHTEOUS BEING....one who loves His creation and sent His Son, Jesus, to die for the sins of ALL mankind; but there is one catch. Jesus has done all the work; bled, died and rose again to claim His victory over sin, evil and the devil....the catch?

YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT HE DID ALL THIS FOR YOU EVEN THOUGH YOU CANNOT SEE IT....YOU MUST TAKE THE LEAP OF FAITH AND CLAIM GOD'S PLAN OF SALVATION FOR YOURSELF. YOUR GODLY PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS CAN'T PASS IT ON AS PART OF YOUR LEGACY. SITTING ON A CHURCH PEW FOR DECADES WILL NOT OPEN THE LOCKED DOOR OF HEAVEN FOR YOU. DOING MORE GOOD THAN BAD IN YOUR LIFETIME WILL NOT PROVIDE THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM....ONLY ONE THING ASSURES YOU OF YOUR HEVENLY HOME WITH JESUS....

YOU BELIEVE THAT HE PAID THE PRICE FOR YOU AND THAT HIS BLOOD SHED FOR YOU IS SUFFICENT TO MAKE YOU RIGHTEOUS IN GOD'S EYES...THE WORK IS DONE; THE PRICE HAS BEEN PAID....YOU MUST DECIDE....DO IT GOD'S WAY OR HIT THE HIGHWAY TO HELL. The choice is always YOURS! God will not decide this for you; however, He has said through His Son Jesus who said, "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME!" John 14:6  (CSB)

So, are you still a member of the Doubting Thomas fan club, waiting for Jesus to make a holy appearance to you one night, in your bedroom, before it's too late? That is probably going to be a loooooonnnnngggg wait! Or you can cast aside that life mantra that "seeing" is the only wait to be sure that something is real...you can't see gravity, but I doubt that ANYONE is willing to jump off a twenty story building and hope for the best; just because they are not sure gravity may exist, since they've never seen it.

I do, however, encourage you to take a leap....a leap of FAITH in Jesus....the one who gave His life so that you could have an abundant life here and an eternal life there; in Heaven, with Him, His Father and the ever indwelling power of His Holy Spirit. I hope you will make that decision today and wrap up the question of your eternal future and the better life you could be living with Jesus, in this life, as He walks with you as your Savior, Guide and Eternal Friend. Trust me...IT'S THE BEST DECISION YOU WILL EVER MAKE...JUST TAKE THE LEAP!

A Faithful Follower....Leaping with Jesus Everyday,

WPQ

Poem for the day....

If you are not sure were life's taking you

And you want to know the way....

Just put your faith in Jesus' hands

To follow Him each day.

For He has already walked the road

That's filled with life's disasters.

And He can steer you clear of them,

For He alone is the our Master.

He is the Master of the Universe

He alone makes the world revolve;

And when you commit your life to Him

Your problems He will resolve.

So don't wait until your dying breath

Just take the leap of faith today!

Then your life will be, lived  abundantly...

As you walk with Him each day! 

WPQ  April 2024

Sign of the Times

Signs are every where these days and you can’t always believe what you read. Check out the following examples:

In an office: TOILET OUT OF ORDER, PLEASE USE THE FLOOR BELOW!

In a Laundromat: AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES; PLEASE REMOVE YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT!

Outside a second hand shop: WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING- BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?

Notice in a health food shop window: CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS!

Spotted in a Safari park: ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR!

Notice in a farmer’s field: THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES!

On a repair shop window: WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING!!! (Please knock hard on the door- the bell doesn’t work).

Sign at Elks Lodge: JUST BECAUSE YOU 'RE OFFENDED DOESN'T MEAN YOUR RIGHT!

Sign on a BIG PILE of Snow: SNOWMAN INSIDE....SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED!

Sign at Local Church: TOO HOT TO CHANGE SIGN; SIN BAD, JESUS GOOD; DETAILS INSIDE!

Signs, signs and more signs ….they are everywhere; cluttering up the roadsides with their messages to eat here, buy this or that and go here or there for a better deal. We are bombarded with signs that too often are set before us just to lead us down the wrong path; a path that leads to destruction. Yes, our adversary, the Devil, wants us to heed the signs and to do what they request, even if they don’t seem to make perfect sense. He tells us that just a little of this will be okay or we can compromise our values in this particular situation since its not really going to harm anyone or lie after lie after lie. And before we know it, we have lost our way because we paid attention to the wrong signs.

God’s word has something to say about signs. In Deuteronomy 6:5-9, God says to love Him with all our heart, body mind and soul and to take this command to heart. Then He says, “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets before your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” So whether we are coming or going, there should be a sign for all to see that we belong to HIM.

Do you have his word written on your heart? What sign hangs on your doorpost or your gate that reminds you and tells others that you serve a risen Lord? What signs are you heeding in your daily walk with Jesus…and maybe even more importantly, is your life a sign of what God can and will do when someone surrenders completely to Him?

I just thought we should think about this today and determine to be a sign of the times…..that Jesus died to set men free and one day…very, very soon, He’s coming back to take us home before the Great Tribulation. Now, that’s one sign I can’t wait to see!

And here's a sign we should all carry....WANT A NEW LIFE? ASK ME HOW!!!!!

Lord, Make me the SIGN that points others to YOU,

WPQ

ANOINTED TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!

At the ripe old age of twelve, I remember the Sunday I went forward at my church, hearing the call of the Holy Spirit to dedicate my life to becoming a preacher of God's Word. At age 16, I along with another young man at my church who was going to become a preacher, we received the blessing of our pastor to start Youth Church each Wednesday evening at our church, Midwood Baptist in Charlotte, NC. We were so blessed to have an active youth group and wonderful leaders that encouraged us. I remember my first Wednesday night sermon that dealt with the Parable of the Talents...I was a wreck leading up to that night, stepping behind the pulpit for the first time. But the calming work of the Holy Spirit filled my trembling body and somehow calmed my nerves so that I could share what God had laid on my heart...and I have been doing that now for over 60 years, in person and in the written word. As I think of Jesus and His first sermon, I wonder if He felt as I did? Probably NOT....for He already had the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in His live, so....

When Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth in the early days of his ministry, he did what all Jews did on the Sabbath... he went to the synagogue. But that day was unlike any other when he was handed the scroll of Isaiah and he read the prophecy about himself, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty  to the captives and recovering sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."  Luke 4:18-19 And with every eye in the place on him, he rolled up the scroll and sat down...but not before telling the attendees that "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

At this point in His new-fledgling ministry, Christ let the hometown folks know what He was all about, in no uncertain terms...but better than that, He told them who was in charge. With the Spirit of the Most High anointing Him, he would be conducting himself accordingly.

Which leads me to my questions...what is your ministry and who is in charge? For us as followers of Jesus, we too have been anointed with the same Spirit and set apart to accomplish the same work....to proclaim the good news that the bonds of sin and the death that follows have been broken and that Jesus saves....and He saves eternally!

We can proclaim to those held captive by a drug habit or a sexual perversion that they are no longer bound, but through Christ there is release and forgiveness. Anyone who is enslaved to work and status can find love, rest and acceptance through the Spirit that comes to indwell in the heart of a new believer.  Those blinded by the allure of sin and its temporal pleasure can find everlasting joy at the feet of the Savior and forevermore there is freedom in the forgiveness and redemptive power in the shed blood of Jesus...there is a new life that awaits in the power of the Holy Spirit. We each have been anointed to share our good news and to tell others that we are His children...warts and all....not because of anything that we have or might do, but all because of what Jesus did for us while we wallowed in our own sin and destruction. We are filled with His Spirit, anointed to share and proclaim...and even more, we are empowered to be more like our Savior by resisting the wiles of the devil and living as one anointed to preach.

The message is simple....the congregation is enormous....and the time is short! We must get busy while it is light, for the darkness is coming when no man can work. Take time to day to speak the name of Jesus to someone in darkness and share with them, Jesus...The Light of the World.

Anointed....preaching...sharing what He has done for me,

WPQ

 

WHAT IS YOUR HEART'S TEMPERATURE?

I don't know about you, but when I was a child and was running a fever, my mom always knew where to find our good, old, trusty thermometer. It was in a safe place in my parents bathroom, in a plastic cup, in the cabinet under their sink. So at the Queen's household, if you were having to deal with a fever and wanted to know how sick you might truly be, you headed for my parent's bathroom to retrieve the instrument that worked perfectly, EVERY TIME! Just place the little end under your tongue, wait a couple of minutes, remove and read the results....and that was the difficult part. Trying to hold the thermometer in just the right position so you could see the mercury and line up the top part of the mercury with the numbers on the thermometer.  Exasperating, right?

In my younger days, I was not really good at reading the results and had to rely on my parents to help; however, as I entered my teen years, I was a master thermometer reader. But when my wife and I became parents for our little girl, we upped our game and bought a digital thermometer. Now that's living! No more guesswork, no more twisting the thermometer to just the right angle and then trying to get a quick peek before the mercury seemed to disappear before your eyes....we just put it under our daughter's tongue, waited for the beep, then read the numbers. Easy, breezy, right?

Which brings me to today's question...how do you take the temperature of your heart for Jesus? What instrument can you use to get the results and then, how do you interpret those results? The answer I think is really quite simple...OPEN GOD'S WORD AND READ WHAT JESUS HAS TO SAY ABOUT THIS SUBJECT. In Matthew 24:12,  God's Word speaks of the first temperature; "More and more people everywhere will be doing very bad things. Because of this, many people will no longer love each other in the way that they did before." (Easy English Bible)  Here Jesus is telling us that when hearts grow cold, do bad things and fail to love as before, then evil hearts abound. Cold, rebellious hearts lead us to the opposite of warm familial affection. Gone is our brotherly love for family and friends as we back stab our loved ones and turn away from those who need us most. Matthew 24:10 says a cold heart is one filled with betrayal; “Then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.” (NIV)  If your heart is cold, you will become an instrument of lawlessness and there will be no room in your heart for Jesus.

The second temperature, I believe is the one that Jesus hated most....the temperature of being lukewarm. Scripture says,  "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16)  Unfortunately, this is the temperature of too many believers in the church in this modern era. They are so caught up in the things of the world that their love for Christ is neither HOT nor COLD...just LUKEWARM. AND THAT'S A REAL PROBLEM FOR OUR LORD. The problem, the way I see it, is that the lukewarm Christian is too hard to distinguish from most of the world's population that neither love and worship Jesus nor despise, hate and work against the teachings of Jesus...in other words, they just don't care about Jesus enough to take a stand. Ever taken a lukewarm shower? Was it GOOD, BAD or just WASTED WATER?

And our last temperature to consider...A HEART ON FIRE; a heart burning for Jesus. After the Resurrection, as Jesus is making His way on the road to Emmaus, He meets two travelers who are returning from Jerusalem.  It is after He breaks bread with them that their eyes were opened, and  they said, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking to us along the road and while he was explaining the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32  EHV) It is this 'burning" temperature that Jesus wants, no requires, from those that would profess their love, loyalty and dedication to Him as their Lord and Savior. And a love like this is always followed by....

ACTION!

And the remaining Scripture in Luke  bears this out. "And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them." (Luke 24:33 NASB)

So, what is your heart's temperature....COLD; LUKEWARM OR ON FIRE FOR THE LORD?

If you are not sure, then I suggest that you look closely at your actions to determine you temperature....NOTHING to do with God...must be approaching FRIGID; LITTLE to do with God...must be LUKEWARM....CAN'T DO ENOUGH FOR GOD....YOUR HEART IS ON FIRE....SO DON'T LET THE WILES OF THE DEVIL PUT OUT THAT FLAME....JUST KEEP BURNING BRIGHTLY FOR THE LORD AND HE WILL HONOR YOU IN ALL YOU DO FOR HIM!!!

On fire for the Lord....Lighting up others as I go,

WPQ

Poem for the day...

When I was just a lad of six

Seated on my father's knee;

He told me of His Jesus

And the love He had for me.

 

He told me that my Father

Who lives in Heaven above;

Had sent His only Son to die

So that He could show His love.

 

And so I called on Jesus

To come and live in me;

So that I could tell all others

And live a life that sets me free.

 

And so the greatest joy I know;

It's my only heart's desire,

That I will live for Jesus

With a heart that burns like fire!

 

WPQ  ©  April 2024

 

 

Marvelous Monday...Jesus is ALIVE!!!

 This is a reprint from my book, THE JOURNEY OF JESUS, As Told by Those He Touched Along the Way, by W. Patrick Queen

The Road Home….

It had been three days since that horrible crucifixion. My brother, Cleopas and I had been in Jerusalem for the Passover Days; in fact, we had been part of the crowd that welcomed Jesus as we laid down our cloaks and spread palm branches before him. I still remember the shouts of “Hosanna to the King” as the welcoming throng of worshippers ushered Jesus into the Temple courts…and now, just a week later; he is dead and buried….killed as a common criminal…crucified upon a cruel cross.

We had stood along the twisting road that leads to Golgotha and watched as the soldiers beat him and spat upon him as he struggled to carry his cross. I wanted to help but my brother pulled me back into the crowd and in a moment, Jesus and the Roman guards disappeared into the angry mob that kept shouting “ Crucify him, Crucify him!”

It was now about midday as we began our trip back home. We left the East gate of the city and started the seven mile journey that would take us to Emmaus and the comforts of family and home. We had barely cleared the shadow of the city when our thoughts and speech turned to the events of the past days….Jesus, the beloved teacher, healer and prophet had been killed; his disciples seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth and only a handful of the women who followed him remained behind, brokenhearted and uncontrollable in their anguish. As we were discussing these events, we were joined by a man who asked us what matters of such great importance could have us so preoccupied. My brother looked at him in amazement and asked him if he was a visitor to Jerusalem….surely he must have heard of the tragic death of the man from Galilee name Jesus. We told him how the chief priests and the Pharisees and other religious rulers had Jesus put to death and how our hopes that this man was the redeemer of Israel had died with him….we shared with him the amazing story, told to us just hours before, of the return of the grieving women who went to the tomb to anoint his body and found it empty. They spoke of angels, arrayed in dazzling white, who told them that Jesus had risen and was alive and was going on to Galilee to meet the disciples. In fact, we ran with some of them to the tomb and although we did not go in, we saw the look of utter amazement on the faces of Peter, James and John.

And then the stranger spoke…. “How foolish you are and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken of the Christ and how he must suffer all these things and then enter his glory.” And then, as we continued our journey, he explained to us all that was written in the scriptures regarding the Christ, starting with Moses and all the Prophets….our hearts seemed to be set afire as we listened to and hung on his every word as the Scriptures seemed to come alive on the road home. Before we knew it, we had reached Emmaus and it was late in the day…the stranger was set to go on, but my brother and I insisted that he join us for a meal and spend the night. We gathered everyone at the table and as we passed the bread, the stranger took a piece and as he blessed it and gave thanks….a miracle happened….like scales falling from the eyes of a blind man….our eyes were OPENED WIDE AND WE SAW JESUS….and in a twinkling of an eye, He vanished from our sight….the Messiah had truly RISEN and we, two followers from Emmaus, had seen the risen Lord…the Savior of Israel.

We got up from the table immediately and although it was almost dark, we quickly returned to Jerusalem …it seemed that we ran all the way. When we got to the home of Simon, we rushed in and shared with the Eleven and all those present how we had seen the Lord and all the many things he had taught us that day…the day that our lives we changed on the road home.

Are you like these two men on the road to Emmaus …headed home and discussing the things that have occurred but not making an eternal connection to the events of the Resurrection? They pondered and were perplexed by the outcome of Jesus …a good man who was a healer and a prophet but somehow they missed his true identity….until on the road home he opened the word of God and introduced them to the Savior…word by word he told them about himself and how all things must be fulfilled as told by the prophets….and then, the veil was lifted from their eyes and they saw Jesus as he was and is and will always be…the Savior of mankind. Jesus has done the work….paid the debt….given His all… for us all; but you must open your eyes and see him as the brothers from Emmaus did….as the RISEN LORD. Are you blinded by the charlatans of this world and fooled by cheap imitations or are you truly searching for the Savior? If so, OPEN GOD’S WORD….THE HOLY BIBLE….and there you will meet your maker, creator and savior of mankind….JESUS.

You need to know him personally before it is time for you to take your road home …the road that leads to eternity with him or FOREVER separation from the God who loves you and gave his only Son to redeem you…I trust I’ll see you in heaven because of your relationship with Jesus ….for He is the Way, the Truth and the Light…and HE IS RISEN!

On the road home… to meet my Savior,

WPQ

Arturo …The Guard of the Tomb

 This is a reprint from my book, THE JOURNEY OF JESUS, As Told by Those He Touched  Along the Way, by W. Patrick Queen

Arturo …The Guard of the Tomb

At last this horrible crucifixion was over, so I gathered my men and began the march back to the guard’s barracks. It had been a harrowing night and day leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus…and now we all deserved some much needed rest…but alas, that was not to be.

We had barely made our way back to the Palace walls when I was summoned by Pilate. He had been petitioned by a man, a follower of Jesus by the name of Joseph, of the village of Arimathea, to have the body of Jesus released to him for a quick and hasty burial before the start of the Jewish Sabbath. So, I gathered a small detachment of my men and headed with him back to the Hill. We arrived and quickly took the body of Jesus down and wrapped him in some linen sheets for his transport to the tomb….at last we were done with this man…whoever he was….son of God or innocent dupe….he was no longer my concern…or at least that’s what I thought. We marched back to the garrison and I set the guards for the rest of our duty and then, I went to bed. I was dogged tired yet, I could not sleep. I could not get the face nor the words of this man Jesus out of my mind; “Father, forgive them” and “It is finished”….what was finished and how could a mortal man endure such pain and agony and ask that his executors be forgiven?

I finally seemed to drift into an uncomfortable and fitful sleep when I was abruptly awakened by one of my men; seems I was being summoned to Pilate’s court again. I dressed hastily and hurried to the courtyard where I was ushered into the presence of my liege. Pilate was surrounded by the same yammering mob of Pharisees that had clamored for the death of Jesus and now they wanted a Roman guarded posted to keep out his disciples…they were afraid that his disciples would steal his body within the next three days and make claims that Jesus had risen from the dead. They listed several times that they say Jesus had made such claims and somehow,  they had convinced Pilate that such a commotion would be bad for him and the keeping of the peace during the Passover days. Pilate gave me my orders and instructed me to go with 11 of my men to post a full watch over the tomb…that meant 24 hours of guarding a dead man…and for what…..to appease a group of malcontents that hated our very existence in their land….but, I had my orders.

I posted the first watch and then went over to the hillside there in the garden. I found a grassy knoll that peered across the valley of Kidron and settled in for the hours that lay ahead. I checked on the guards periodically and made sure that the tomb was secure and that the seal had not been broken. Now, all that could be done was to spend another night and the three days would have passed….and then, maybe, I would be finished with this Jesus once and for all. I set the mid-watch and fell asleep for what seemed like only minutes when, I was awakened to the violent shaking of the ground …it reminded me of that day…just days before at Calvary when the ground shook and was split open. There was a bright light and I saw standing before me, a man or some angelic being, clothed all in white. I turned away for I feared that he had come to take my life. I threw myself on the ground and felt it tremble underneath my shaking body…it was hard to tell who was shaking more; me or the ground. I dared not look up in fear that I might be blinded by such a fearsome light.

Now, I have been in many great and ferocious battles in my life…and I have been frightened many times before; but never in my life have I been this terrified of what was about to happen. Was I about to die at the hand of this man robed in white or was there some escape from this doom that was set before me? I lay perfectly still, hoping that this being might think me already dead….I kept my head still and lay motionless, afraid to look around. I could sense that my men had deserted their post and fled in terror at the first sight of this creature. I was all alone…awaiting my eventual doom….but as I lay there, still and lifeless, I heard voices ….women’s voices.

I decided to risk it all; so, I slowly rose to my feet and looked up. The great stone that my men and I had rolled into the mouth of the tomb was now rolled away…and sitting upon it was the same man of white brilliance. He spoke softly to a small band of women…the same women that had been at the foot of the cross of Jesus …I heard him say that Jesus was not there….that He had risen and was alive and was going before them and would see them in Galilee…and then he commanded them to go and tell his disciples that He had risen from the dead….and then, the man, robed in white, was gone.

I stood there motionless, as the women peered into the tomb and then rushed by me as they hurried from the garden. I inched slowly toward the tomb, the huge stone rolled over twenty feet from the mouth of the grave, and then, I walked inside. I can hardly describe what I saw next….nor my astonished reaction….the tomb was empty…except for the neatly folded linen and face napkin…Jesus was indeed…GONE!

As a soldier, I knew what this meant….I had failed my assigned duties and I would pay dearly for my dereliction of duty (and so would my men); but, as a mortal man who was in complete control of my intelligent faculties, I knew a miracle had taken place. My men and I had guarded this tomb with our lives and no one had breached our security…BUT THE TOMB WAS EMPTY…and I had seen with my own eyes, the stone rolled away and a being, not of this realm, seated upon it….and he proclaimed, in no uncertain terms that Jesus was alive…I was left with the same conclusion that I remember saying at the time of his death…..

Truly, this man was the son of God!

Today, you are faced with the same unequivocal evidence that the Roman centurion saw as he stood before the cross of Jesus and then later, as he peered into Christ’s empty tomb….Truly, this man…this Jesus so despised by the maddening throng….this man of sorrows… is the son of God.

Now, we may never know, this side of heaven, if that centurion’s declaration of Jesus as the Son of God sealed his place in God’s eternal home, but today,  you can know for yourself….if you will accept his blood shed for your remission of sin and if you will peer into that empty tomb and believe that Christ has been raised from the dead….then, Easter is your time of thanksgiving and eternal celebration….Jesus said many times, “He who has ears, let him hear.”

Are you listening today for the voice of the risen Savior....Pleading, O sinner, come home?

Declaring the Risen Lord….Savior and Friend,

 WPQ