After yesterday’s thought, I hope you were left with the unequivocal assurance that you belong to Jesus and you have committed yourself to complete surrender. So, now your are ready to take the first step along the road to a fulfilling life in Christ ….ABIDING IN THE SAVIOR!
Before Christ left the Upper Room, he drew that small band of men known as his disciples into a tightly formed circle (my conjecture) and began to share with them his dying words. He spoke gently, but firmly to them, as he continued to teach them and to prepare them for what the next hours and days would bring. He told them in John 15. “ I am the true Vine and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away and every branch that bears fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Abide in me as I abide in you. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15: 1-2, 4a, 5
Did you catch all that? Do you hear the words of your Savior just hours before he began his journey to the cross of Calvary? Do you fully understand all that he is trying to tell each of us as He prepares us for what lies ahead?
I believe I can best illustrate what Jesus was saying by sharing a little of my history regarding my service in the US Navy…and some interesting parallels that will help us understand this concept of abiding.
Now. I was stationed aboard an old tin can destroyer, USS Strong DD-758, a World War II relic, if ever there was one. Our ship was tethered to the pier in our home port of Charleston, SC when it wasn’t enroute overseas for a Mediterranean cruise or sailing about the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. I learned early as a seaman in the deck force that the ship needed to be in the water to do the most good…to perform its duties and function as a member of the Sixth Fleet. I also learned that though it was good for the ship to be in the water, it was extremely BAD for the water to get into the ship.
The ship had to abide in the water or it was just a large hunk of metal that had little value…it could not fulfill its true mission as a naval vessel unless it was in the water; however, it made for a very bad situation if the water got into the ship.
Now in this example, the water is two very distinct things….it is Jesus and it is the World. For each of us to reach our highest and greatest potential, we need to be like the ship and abide in the water…Jesus. If we are taken out of the water, we will be of little value; not much more than a big pile of flesh and bones, waiting for the undertaker. In the water of Jesus, we are free to sail far and wide as we accomplish the things that we were created to do; but, in the water as the World, we face serious problems if we let the world inside of us.
Trust me, you do not want to be in the middle of the ocean and hear the command to “abandon ship”….the only place you have to go is into the water…and many a sailor has drowned at sea when they left the comforts of their vessel for the dark waters of a raging storm.
So how do we keep the water out of us, yet sail unfettered in this world in which we live…we abide in Jesus and we do as he taught his disciples….GUARD YOUR HEART!
Dr. Bruce Wilkinson’s book, SECRETS OF THE VINE, offers some helpful insights to help us understand how we can guard our hearts from the drowning effects of the water of the world…so, come back soon and we will uncover these wonderful principles together.
Sailing in the loving waters of my Savior,
WPQ
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Surrender to the Savior
On my last writing, I posed the question, “ How does one go about abiding in the Lord” and how do we accomplish staying connected to “The Vine” in the tumultuous days in which we live? However, the better question to begin with is how do we know that we are indeed a “part of the Vine”
In scripture, we find my favorite story of the little man known as Zacchaeus in Luke 19, verses 1-11. Here, we see the total transformation of this tax collector as Jesus calls him down from his lofty perch and makes him his host for the evening meal. The Pharisees and others grumble that Jesus would have anything to do with such a sinner…. and Christ’s simple response, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he is also a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost!”
But notice in the verses just before Christ’s declaration of his life’s mission, Zacchaeus says, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will repay it fourfold.” It is in this declaration of this little man that we see a new heart born, filled with the love of God. It is that transformation that seals the deal and ushers Zacchaeus into a new relationship with the Lord of heaven and earth.
And the same must be true for you and me; before we can seek …before we can offer salvation…we must SURRENDER TO THE SAVIOR!!!!!
If we want to truly abide in the Son, we must first surrender our will to him…life can no longer revolve around what you or I want …it must revolve, evolve and involve the statement that Christ made on the doorstep of the home of this horrid little man that everyone despised…. we must surrender to Him so that we can seek and save those that are lost!
And Zacchaeus provides the perfect role model as he demonstrated submission to Jesus; he gave half of his wealth to the poor and sought to right the wrongs of his past. In other words, he repented and sought to live a new and better life. The same holds true for you and me. If we confess to belong to Jesus and truly seek to abide in Him, we cannot cling to our “old” ways, habits, shortcomings and idiosyncrasies…we must repent and refurbish the old life with the new indwelling of the Holy Spirit that is vital to anyone that wants to abide in Jesus.
So, today cast aside all the things that would keep you from complete surrender to Christ and begin ANEW in the freshness of the Savior…. listen for His voice, sing a new song, read His word and know that wherever you go, HE GOES…. so choose wisely!
Jesus came to seek and to save and if you will surrender your will to Him in a new and resolute way, you will be taking the first step to a new realm of personal intimacy with Jesus…. the life lived in abiding joy, peace and eternal fulfillment.
Come back soon as we continue to learn how to draw close to Him…
Living in surrender…seeking the lost for the Savior,
WPQ
In scripture, we find my favorite story of the little man known as Zacchaeus in Luke 19, verses 1-11. Here, we see the total transformation of this tax collector as Jesus calls him down from his lofty perch and makes him his host for the evening meal. The Pharisees and others grumble that Jesus would have anything to do with such a sinner…. and Christ’s simple response, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he is also a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost!”
But notice in the verses just before Christ’s declaration of his life’s mission, Zacchaeus says, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will repay it fourfold.” It is in this declaration of this little man that we see a new heart born, filled with the love of God. It is that transformation that seals the deal and ushers Zacchaeus into a new relationship with the Lord of heaven and earth.
And the same must be true for you and me; before we can seek …before we can offer salvation…we must SURRENDER TO THE SAVIOR!!!!!
If we want to truly abide in the Son, we must first surrender our will to him…life can no longer revolve around what you or I want …it must revolve, evolve and involve the statement that Christ made on the doorstep of the home of this horrid little man that everyone despised…. we must surrender to Him so that we can seek and save those that are lost!
And Zacchaeus provides the perfect role model as he demonstrated submission to Jesus; he gave half of his wealth to the poor and sought to right the wrongs of his past. In other words, he repented and sought to live a new and better life. The same holds true for you and me. If we confess to belong to Jesus and truly seek to abide in Him, we cannot cling to our “old” ways, habits, shortcomings and idiosyncrasies…we must repent and refurbish the old life with the new indwelling of the Holy Spirit that is vital to anyone that wants to abide in Jesus.
So, today cast aside all the things that would keep you from complete surrender to Christ and begin ANEW in the freshness of the Savior…. listen for His voice, sing a new song, read His word and know that wherever you go, HE GOES…. so choose wisely!
Jesus came to seek and to save and if you will surrender your will to Him in a new and resolute way, you will be taking the first step to a new realm of personal intimacy with Jesus…. the life lived in abiding joy, peace and eternal fulfillment.
Come back soon as we continue to learn how to draw close to Him…
Living in surrender…seeking the lost for the Savior,
WPQ
Monday, April 12, 2010
When the World Puts the Squeeze On….
We have all heard the old adage, “When the world hands you lemons, make lemonade!” This seems to be a strong statement of how we are to react when things don’t seem to go our way; however, I have a question that comes from a different vantage point that I would like for us to consider.
“What comes out of you when the world puts the squeeze on?” is a question that begs for an answer with a biblical bent. Now, we all know that if you squeeze fresh oranges, you get orange juice….with those little bits of pulp. If you squeeze lemons, you do indeed get the first ingredient of lemonade….LEMON JUICE. Grapes…grape juice! Apples….apple juice! Pomegranates….well, you get my drift!
But, what about when the world squeezes you and me….what kind of “juice” comes out? As Christians, we are to bear the “Fruits” of the Spirit and according to the passage in Galatians 5:22-23 that reads, “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
So when the pressures of life seem to be bearing down on you and the squeeze is on…. what “juice” comes out of you? Do you rejoice with a fellow employee that gets the promotion you wanted or do you belittle their worth with unkind words that reflect your attitude of “sour grapes”? Do you show kindness and patience when a rude driver cuts you off in traffic or do you fill the air with words that aren’t fit for use at church?
Whatever we do …wherever we go…. whatever we say…we should reflect the love and compassion of our Savior so that when the world applies pressure to our often tenuous situation …what is squeezed out of our mouth is characterized by His love, His grace and His mercy.
But how can we be sure that what comes out of us in times of intense pressure will be the fruit of the Spirit…. the simple answer is this…. we must abide in Him! Jesus told his disciples, on the night before his crucifixion, that we could do NOTHING without Him…that all of our hopes to accomplish anything for Him would meet failure …unless WE ABIDE IN HIM.
So no matter how we try to survive the real and on-going pressures of this world, we will fail… and what comes out of us WILL NOT be pleasing to our Heavenly Father, unless we learn to abide in the person of Jesus Christ.
If you’re not sure how to pull this off, yet you desperately want to have the fruits of the Spirit flowing from you when the world applies its devastating pressure; follow along over the next few weeks as we examine (from the Scriptures) how to abide in Jesus.
Abiding in Him…Enjoying the pressure,
WPQ
“What comes out of you when the world puts the squeeze on?” is a question that begs for an answer with a biblical bent. Now, we all know that if you squeeze fresh oranges, you get orange juice….with those little bits of pulp. If you squeeze lemons, you do indeed get the first ingredient of lemonade….LEMON JUICE. Grapes…grape juice! Apples….apple juice! Pomegranates….well, you get my drift!
But, what about when the world squeezes you and me….what kind of “juice” comes out? As Christians, we are to bear the “Fruits” of the Spirit and according to the passage in Galatians 5:22-23 that reads, “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
So when the pressures of life seem to be bearing down on you and the squeeze is on…. what “juice” comes out of you? Do you rejoice with a fellow employee that gets the promotion you wanted or do you belittle their worth with unkind words that reflect your attitude of “sour grapes”? Do you show kindness and patience when a rude driver cuts you off in traffic or do you fill the air with words that aren’t fit for use at church?
Whatever we do …wherever we go…. whatever we say…we should reflect the love and compassion of our Savior so that when the world applies pressure to our often tenuous situation …what is squeezed out of our mouth is characterized by His love, His grace and His mercy.
But how can we be sure that what comes out of us in times of intense pressure will be the fruit of the Spirit…. the simple answer is this…. we must abide in Him! Jesus told his disciples, on the night before his crucifixion, that we could do NOTHING without Him…that all of our hopes to accomplish anything for Him would meet failure …unless WE ABIDE IN HIM.
So no matter how we try to survive the real and on-going pressures of this world, we will fail… and what comes out of us WILL NOT be pleasing to our Heavenly Father, unless we learn to abide in the person of Jesus Christ.
If you’re not sure how to pull this off, yet you desperately want to have the fruits of the Spirit flowing from you when the world applies its devastating pressure; follow along over the next few weeks as we examine (from the Scriptures) how to abide in Jesus.
Abiding in Him…Enjoying the pressure,
WPQ
Thursday, April 8, 2010
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 three 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.
At that moment 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 would be 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 as though 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
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 three 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.
At that moment 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 would be 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 as though 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
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
The Cast of the Resurrection…Mary Magdalene
My name is Mary Magdalene and I had never been this broken-hearted. Even in the midst of my demon-possessions, when all seemed lost, I somehow managed to go on. But now, since the death of my beloved Jesus, I can’t quit crying …and sleep; well, that’s certainly out of the question.
It’s been two whole days since that horrible crucifixion. I still see him hanging there, the thorn of crowns pressed deeply into his head; his beautiful hair, matted and blood-stained. He is missing parts of his beard that were ripped out by the Roman guards as they mocked him. His back is laid open and the muscles are torn to pieces from the scourging that he endured…Oh, Jesus, why did you not die before you were lead down the Via Dolorosa to Golgotha’s Hill?
And where are your disciples, those cowards? They have all fled and are hiding from the centurion’s guard….only a few of us, the women who loved you and cared for you deeply, remain. Even the darkness that fell across the land could not hide the great sorrow that was etched in every line upon your face….the sorrow; the shame; the humiliation and degradation that you endured before this barbaric crowd. And those religious hypocrites, those Pharisees, calling out for you to come down and prove that you are the Son of God.
Have they no shame….jeering at the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world?
May God deal ever so severely with them and heap coals of fire upon their foolish heads; yet, I know that you died for them, too. How often I listened as you taught your disciples to turn the other cheek and to forgive and to love those that persecute us. Even in your dying breath I heard you plead with God to forgive them for they had no idea of what they were doing….Oh, how great a love you have shown for us.
It still makes me sick to my stomach as my mind replays the hammer’s blows as the soldiers nail you to the cross. I hear your anguished cry for mercy as it falls on deaf ears and the blows continue…CLANG…CLANG…CLANG…as the hammer drives the nail spikes through your feet and hands….please let it stop; I can’t bear to think of your precious body torn and mutilated for my sins….but you told us all this must happen if we were to belong to you.
And then, your body, now limp upon the cross, the last signs of life vanished. The guards approach to break your bones but instead, thrust their spear deep into your side as water and blood gush forth….I turn and leave with John and your mother and the other women…but we are lost and without hope.
I try and try to put these terrible images out of my mind and get some sleep…we will be going to the tomb in just a few hours to anoint your body….please Jesus, help me rest.
THE SABBATH MORN…..A Few Hours Later
It was not yet daylight when Joanna and Mary, the mother of James arrived. We gathered our herbs, expensive aloes and fresh linens and made our way through the Mount of Olives to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea…the tomb where Jesus had been laid. Along the way, we discussed how we might get the Roman guards to roll back the stone so that we could get into the tomb….otherwise. all would be for naught and we would be unable to provide Jesus with a proper burial.
When we arrived….WE COULD NOT BELIEVE OUR EYES ….THE GUARDS WERE GONE AND THE STONE WAS ROLLED AWAY….we ran full speed into the tomb, but there was no body. We were totally dismayed and wondered who could have taken our Savior’s remains when suddenly, like a bolt of lightning from the sky, the entire tomb was filled with this glorious light and two men, dressed all in dazzling white garments, stood before us.
I will never forget what they said to us as we hid our faces and bowed before them.
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? HE IS NOT HERE; HE IS RISEN, JUST AS HE SAID. Come and see the place where he lay. Now, go and tell his disciples: HE IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him”……and then, they were gone….and my heart leapt into my throat…MY LORD IS ALIVE!!!!!
What about you today? Is your Lord alive or do you worship a God that is dead and powerless? Do you know the crucified Christ as the Redeemer of the Resurrection or are you still searching for a life of meaning and purpose? Have you gone to the tomb; found the stone rolled away and heard the words of the angels….HE IS NOT HERE FOR HE IS RISEN….JESUS IS ALIVE!
Why not become a Mary Magdalene today and hurry to the tomb and find it empty;rejoice with her that your Jesus is alive …in fact, there’s more to Mary’s story in John20:10-18… take time to read this passage and you will see the personal encounter that Mary had with her Lord….the same kind of personal encounter He wants to have with you.
Then, do as Mary ….go and tell others that your Lord and Savior is alive…
FOREVERMORE!!!!
Seeking the Empty Tomb…Praising the Living Lord,
WPQ
It’s been two whole days since that horrible crucifixion. I still see him hanging there, the thorn of crowns pressed deeply into his head; his beautiful hair, matted and blood-stained. He is missing parts of his beard that were ripped out by the Roman guards as they mocked him. His back is laid open and the muscles are torn to pieces from the scourging that he endured…Oh, Jesus, why did you not die before you were lead down the Via Dolorosa to Golgotha’s Hill?
And where are your disciples, those cowards? They have all fled and are hiding from the centurion’s guard….only a few of us, the women who loved you and cared for you deeply, remain. Even the darkness that fell across the land could not hide the great sorrow that was etched in every line upon your face….the sorrow; the shame; the humiliation and degradation that you endured before this barbaric crowd. And those religious hypocrites, those Pharisees, calling out for you to come down and prove that you are the Son of God.
Have they no shame….jeering at the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world?
May God deal ever so severely with them and heap coals of fire upon their foolish heads; yet, I know that you died for them, too. How often I listened as you taught your disciples to turn the other cheek and to forgive and to love those that persecute us. Even in your dying breath I heard you plead with God to forgive them for they had no idea of what they were doing….Oh, how great a love you have shown for us.
It still makes me sick to my stomach as my mind replays the hammer’s blows as the soldiers nail you to the cross. I hear your anguished cry for mercy as it falls on deaf ears and the blows continue…CLANG…CLANG…CLANG…as the hammer drives the nail spikes through your feet and hands….please let it stop; I can’t bear to think of your precious body torn and mutilated for my sins….but you told us all this must happen if we were to belong to you.
And then, your body, now limp upon the cross, the last signs of life vanished. The guards approach to break your bones but instead, thrust their spear deep into your side as water and blood gush forth….I turn and leave with John and your mother and the other women…but we are lost and without hope.
I try and try to put these terrible images out of my mind and get some sleep…we will be going to the tomb in just a few hours to anoint your body….please Jesus, help me rest.
THE SABBATH MORN…..A Few Hours Later
It was not yet daylight when Joanna and Mary, the mother of James arrived. We gathered our herbs, expensive aloes and fresh linens and made our way through the Mount of Olives to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea…the tomb where Jesus had been laid. Along the way, we discussed how we might get the Roman guards to roll back the stone so that we could get into the tomb….otherwise. all would be for naught and we would be unable to provide Jesus with a proper burial.
When we arrived….WE COULD NOT BELIEVE OUR EYES ….THE GUARDS WERE GONE AND THE STONE WAS ROLLED AWAY….we ran full speed into the tomb, but there was no body. We were totally dismayed and wondered who could have taken our Savior’s remains when suddenly, like a bolt of lightning from the sky, the entire tomb was filled with this glorious light and two men, dressed all in dazzling white garments, stood before us.
I will never forget what they said to us as we hid our faces and bowed before them.
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? HE IS NOT HERE; HE IS RISEN, JUST AS HE SAID. Come and see the place where he lay. Now, go and tell his disciples: HE IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him”……and then, they were gone….and my heart leapt into my throat…MY LORD IS ALIVE!!!!!
What about you today? Is your Lord alive or do you worship a God that is dead and powerless? Do you know the crucified Christ as the Redeemer of the Resurrection or are you still searching for a life of meaning and purpose? Have you gone to the tomb; found the stone rolled away and heard the words of the angels….HE IS NOT HERE FOR HE IS RISEN….JESUS IS ALIVE!
Why not become a Mary Magdalene today and hurry to the tomb and find it empty;rejoice with her that your Jesus is alive …in fact, there’s more to Mary’s story in John20:10-18… take time to read this passage and you will see the personal encounter that Mary had with her Lord….the same kind of personal encounter He wants to have with you.
Then, do as Mary ….go and tell others that your Lord and Savior is alive…
FOREVERMORE!!!!
Seeking the Empty Tomb…Praising the Living Lord,
WPQ
Sunday, April 4, 2010
And Now, The Rest of the Story....
As told by Arturo, 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 Jesus had made such claims and somehow, to my astonishment, 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 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…then he commanded them to go and tell his disciples that He had risen from the dead….and in an instant this man, this angel robed in white, was gone.
I stood there frozen in my own tracks as the women peered into the tomb, 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... then, I walked inside.
I can hardly describe what I saw next….nor my astonished reaction; but the tomb was EMPTY…except for the neatly folded linen and face napkin…Jesus was 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 once shaken emotions and harried thoughts, 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
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 Jesus had made such claims and somehow, to my astonishment, 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 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…then he commanded them to go and tell his disciples that He had risen from the dead….and in an instant this man, this angel robed in white, was gone.
I stood there frozen in my own tracks as the women peered into the tomb, 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... then, I walked inside.
I can hardly describe what I saw next….nor my astonished reaction; but the tomb was EMPTY…except for the neatly folded linen and face napkin…Jesus was 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 once shaken emotions and harried thoughts, 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
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Arturo Augustus….Captain of the Guard
In all my years upon the battlefields of the world, I have never been as fearful as I was on that Sabbath morning; but, I get ahead of myself. My story really begins on Thursday evening, when I, and 24 of my best men, encircled a band of misfits in search of the Nazarene, Jesus of Galilee.
We had been lead to the Garden of Gethsemane by one of his inner circle, Judas Iscariot, with orders to arrest the man that he kissed. After a brief skirmish, one of the servant’s of the High Priest had his ear cut off …and this man, Jesus, reached out and touched his wound…and he was immediately healed. We bound him and lead him away.
In the courtyard of the High Priest, Jesus was beaten, kicked and spat upon as my men and I sat silently by…totally amused by these pitiful, rabbinical guards. After their mock trial and its shallow proceedings, Jesus was given to us to be taken to Pilate. We gathered our prisoner and made the short march across the open city square, followed closely by the High Priest and his entourage of Jewish malcontents.
At the palace of Pilate, I entered and asked permission to present the prisoner and in a short time, Pilate appeared. It was clear by his countenance that he was not happy to see this crowd and I reasoned that this matter would be over quickly. He engaged Caiaphas and upon learning that Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, the local Roman administrator of the Jews.
Herod had his fun with Jesus as he had his soldiers dress him in a royal purple robe. They spit upon him, kicked and punched him, then blindfolded him to see if he could tell them who it was that was beating him. They amused themselves for sometime; then Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.
Pilate was not happy as I marched Jesus back into the great hall, followed closely by the mob of Pharisees. One by one they brought forth witnesses that condemned Jesus for inciting the crowds with his magic and miracles and speaking out against Rome. Pilate heard the trumped up charges and then turned his attention to Jesus. He asked him many questions and gave him every opportunity to defend himself; but Jesus just stood there and offered no defense. It was clear to see that Pilate had grown weary of the whole proceeding and so he gave his verdict… he found no fault in this man but to please these peasants, he would have Jesus flogged.
He instructed me to administer his sentence…39 lashes with the cat of nine tails; a Roman device of torture that had killed many a man after only half as many lashes. My men and I took Jesus out into the courtyard and began to take turns beating him with the whip of chards of glass and bits of metal. Some how, in some way, Jesus, though mangled and bloody from this ordeal, was still alive….then once again, with his purple robe and crown of thorns, he was lead back to Pilate. The crowd became enraged that Pilate purported to release Jesus; instead they demanded that Barabbas be released and that Jesus be crucified. Pilate called for a wash basin and there, before all the gods of Rome, he washed his hands of the innocent blood of this man…then he ordered me to carry out his execution upon a Roman cross.
Now, I have followed many an order to execute a prisoner by means of crucifixion and I have hardly ever given it a second thought; but this time, I felt very uneasy as I prepared my men to obey this order. We gathered the other two prisoners set for execution that day and gave each their wooden beam to carry to the hill known as Golgotha. We flanked the prisoners on each side as we made our way through the burgeoning crowds …many still chanting, CRUCIFY HIM, CRUCIFY HIM…as the lowly carpenter of Galilee passed by. The woman, that had been at his trial, followed closely and kept crying out for us to let him go…that he had done nothing wrong…and somehow, in my heart, I knew they were right. But, I am a soldier and captain of the guard and I follow orders no matter what!
Jesus stumbled and fell…and it was clear that he could not make it on his own, so I grabbed a man from the crowd and made him carry his cross. At the summit, we placed Jesus and the other two criminals on their cross beams and began the torturous process of nailing them to the wooden cross. As captain of the guard, it was required of me to deliver the first blows; to see that the spikes were driven through the flesh and into the hardened wood. Once this was complete, I gave the order to raise the cross beams and lower them into the prepared holes…the resounding THUD and the ensuing cries of pain let me know that the dance with death had begun.
I took my place at the peak of the summit, just a few feet from the cross of Jesus. I ordered one of my men to hang the sign that read, JESUS, KING OF THE JEWS and listened to the angry response from the Pharisees. The crowd was still large for such an early morning hour and they continued to mock him and jeer at him…even my own men joined in as they called for him to save himself, if he was indeed the son of God.
I watched as my men took his garments and divided them among themselves… and because the purple robe was one piece, they cast lots to see who would become the owner of this fine linen. The day wore on and slowly, many of the accusers and the riotous crowd began to disperse…only a few of his women followers remained, along with his mother. I watched as he tenderly asked a man standing there to see to her care…and then, he uttered the unthinkable….that His Father should forgive those that had sent him to such a horrible death….. And I thought to myself, could he possibly mean me?
The next few hours are really almost a blur as the clouds began to gather and the sun seemed to be blackened from the sky…it was high noon, but for the next three hours, it seemed as dark as a starless night. The wind began to blow and torrential rains began to fall and in one defining moment, Jesus raised himself up and cried in a loud voice, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!” …. And with that cry, the earth began to shake; the sky was pitch black and the rocks upon Golgotha’s Hill were split open …and Jesus, this innocent man, breathed his last breath.
I literally shook in my sandals and I could hear my armor rattle as the son of God died on Calvary ….my men lay prostrate on the ground, daring not to move for fear that one of the cracks in the hill would open up and swallow them whole. We were all fearful and yet our orders were not complete. We were to guard the body and to make sure that each of the criminals were dead. We broke the bones of the other two, but since Jesus appeared to be dead, one of my men stuck his spear in his side and watched as water and blood gushed out. It seemed to be finished and yet, it was only beginning.
There’s more to my story….if you care to hear it.
Are you like the Roman centurion…the evidence of Christ as the Son of God is presented and you believe ….at least in your head; but the real message at Calvary has not yet touched your heart.
Arturo proclaimed, as the earth shook and Jesus died…”Surely, this man was the son of God;” but Arturo believed in many Gods and so he felt safe in making such an exclamation of fact…he had head knowledge based on what he had just experienced, but his heart was far from convinced…..
How about you? Do you believe in Jesus or ….DO YOU KNOW JESUS? The answer to that question makes all the difference….ETERNAL DIFFERENCE!!!!!
Come by Monday …after the Resurrection and hear the rest of Arturo’s story and meet the Characters of the Resurrection….you’ll be blessed as you celebrate with each of them the Risen Lord, JESUS CHRIST.
HAPPY EASTER,
WPQ
We had been lead to the Garden of Gethsemane by one of his inner circle, Judas Iscariot, with orders to arrest the man that he kissed. After a brief skirmish, one of the servant’s of the High Priest had his ear cut off …and this man, Jesus, reached out and touched his wound…and he was immediately healed. We bound him and lead him away.
In the courtyard of the High Priest, Jesus was beaten, kicked and spat upon as my men and I sat silently by…totally amused by these pitiful, rabbinical guards. After their mock trial and its shallow proceedings, Jesus was given to us to be taken to Pilate. We gathered our prisoner and made the short march across the open city square, followed closely by the High Priest and his entourage of Jewish malcontents.
At the palace of Pilate, I entered and asked permission to present the prisoner and in a short time, Pilate appeared. It was clear by his countenance that he was not happy to see this crowd and I reasoned that this matter would be over quickly. He engaged Caiaphas and upon learning that Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, the local Roman administrator of the Jews.
Herod had his fun with Jesus as he had his soldiers dress him in a royal purple robe. They spit upon him, kicked and punched him, then blindfolded him to see if he could tell them who it was that was beating him. They amused themselves for sometime; then Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.
Pilate was not happy as I marched Jesus back into the great hall, followed closely by the mob of Pharisees. One by one they brought forth witnesses that condemned Jesus for inciting the crowds with his magic and miracles and speaking out against Rome. Pilate heard the trumped up charges and then turned his attention to Jesus. He asked him many questions and gave him every opportunity to defend himself; but Jesus just stood there and offered no defense. It was clear to see that Pilate had grown weary of the whole proceeding and so he gave his verdict… he found no fault in this man but to please these peasants, he would have Jesus flogged.
He instructed me to administer his sentence…39 lashes with the cat of nine tails; a Roman device of torture that had killed many a man after only half as many lashes. My men and I took Jesus out into the courtyard and began to take turns beating him with the whip of chards of glass and bits of metal. Some how, in some way, Jesus, though mangled and bloody from this ordeal, was still alive….then once again, with his purple robe and crown of thorns, he was lead back to Pilate. The crowd became enraged that Pilate purported to release Jesus; instead they demanded that Barabbas be released and that Jesus be crucified. Pilate called for a wash basin and there, before all the gods of Rome, he washed his hands of the innocent blood of this man…then he ordered me to carry out his execution upon a Roman cross.
Now, I have followed many an order to execute a prisoner by means of crucifixion and I have hardly ever given it a second thought; but this time, I felt very uneasy as I prepared my men to obey this order. We gathered the other two prisoners set for execution that day and gave each their wooden beam to carry to the hill known as Golgotha. We flanked the prisoners on each side as we made our way through the burgeoning crowds …many still chanting, CRUCIFY HIM, CRUCIFY HIM…as the lowly carpenter of Galilee passed by. The woman, that had been at his trial, followed closely and kept crying out for us to let him go…that he had done nothing wrong…and somehow, in my heart, I knew they were right. But, I am a soldier and captain of the guard and I follow orders no matter what!
Jesus stumbled and fell…and it was clear that he could not make it on his own, so I grabbed a man from the crowd and made him carry his cross. At the summit, we placed Jesus and the other two criminals on their cross beams and began the torturous process of nailing them to the wooden cross. As captain of the guard, it was required of me to deliver the first blows; to see that the spikes were driven through the flesh and into the hardened wood. Once this was complete, I gave the order to raise the cross beams and lower them into the prepared holes…the resounding THUD and the ensuing cries of pain let me know that the dance with death had begun.
I took my place at the peak of the summit, just a few feet from the cross of Jesus. I ordered one of my men to hang the sign that read, JESUS, KING OF THE JEWS and listened to the angry response from the Pharisees. The crowd was still large for such an early morning hour and they continued to mock him and jeer at him…even my own men joined in as they called for him to save himself, if he was indeed the son of God.
I watched as my men took his garments and divided them among themselves… and because the purple robe was one piece, they cast lots to see who would become the owner of this fine linen. The day wore on and slowly, many of the accusers and the riotous crowd began to disperse…only a few of his women followers remained, along with his mother. I watched as he tenderly asked a man standing there to see to her care…and then, he uttered the unthinkable….that His Father should forgive those that had sent him to such a horrible death….. And I thought to myself, could he possibly mean me?
The next few hours are really almost a blur as the clouds began to gather and the sun seemed to be blackened from the sky…it was high noon, but for the next three hours, it seemed as dark as a starless night. The wind began to blow and torrential rains began to fall and in one defining moment, Jesus raised himself up and cried in a loud voice, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!” …. And with that cry, the earth began to shake; the sky was pitch black and the rocks upon Golgotha’s Hill were split open …and Jesus, this innocent man, breathed his last breath.
I literally shook in my sandals and I could hear my armor rattle as the son of God died on Calvary ….my men lay prostrate on the ground, daring not to move for fear that one of the cracks in the hill would open up and swallow them whole. We were all fearful and yet our orders were not complete. We were to guard the body and to make sure that each of the criminals were dead. We broke the bones of the other two, but since Jesus appeared to be dead, one of my men stuck his spear in his side and watched as water and blood gushed out. It seemed to be finished and yet, it was only beginning.
There’s more to my story….if you care to hear it.
Are you like the Roman centurion…the evidence of Christ as the Son of God is presented and you believe ….at least in your head; but the real message at Calvary has not yet touched your heart.
Arturo proclaimed, as the earth shook and Jesus died…”Surely, this man was the son of God;” but Arturo believed in many Gods and so he felt safe in making such an exclamation of fact…he had head knowledge based on what he had just experienced, but his heart was far from convinced…..
How about you? Do you believe in Jesus or ….DO YOU KNOW JESUS? The answer to that question makes all the difference….ETERNAL DIFFERENCE!!!!!
Come by Monday …after the Resurrection and hear the rest of Arturo’s story and meet the Characters of the Resurrection….you’ll be blessed as you celebrate with each of them the Risen Lord, JESUS CHRIST.
HAPPY EASTER,
WPQ
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