Life This Side of Heaven

Matthew tells us that that when the women saw our risen Savior, alive before them, “They clasped His feet and worshipped Him.” With all that was taking place this detail may sound incidental but it’s not. It tells us a lot about what it means that you and I have a risen Savior, how we worship Him, and even gives us a glimpse of something to which you and I can now look forward.

“Why are you crying?” What a remarkable question! It’s the first thing that our risen Savior said as He greeted Mary on Easter morning. Tears are an important part of this narrative. However, this first question finds its focus with the follow-up question that came next, "Who is it you are looking for?” Episode Art: Giuseppe Calì, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Happy Easter! Yesterday, in church, you and I also heard the wonderful news. Unlike the disciples, we have the blessing of knowing what the disciples would soon discover. Jesus had risen from the dead. Nevertheless, staring into the empty tomb, they didn’t fully appreciate the magnitude of what it meant that the tomb was empty. But, as remarkable as it may sound, neither do a many Christians today. And they're missing out on tremendous comfort that our Savior wants us all to have. It's makes all the difference when you visit the cemetery. With sins forgiven and death defeated we have everlasting life with God right now. But there's more, much more! And Jesus wants you to know it.

Last Christmas, we celebrated the birth of our Savior. We rejoice to confess that “For us, and for our salvation He came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man.” In other words, Jesus, the royal Son of God, put on the uniform of our flesh and blood and joined our ranks. And in all the events that followed, culminating with His crucifixion for us on Good Friday, you see not only the reason for it and what He accomplished, but also His unmistakable love for you.

False claims, that Jesus never said He is God, get repeated in the media every year in the lead up to Easter. Coincidence? I don’t think so. You can be sure the adversary wants you to believe this is all just one big April Fool’s joke. But, if Jesus was just another man, another prophet, you can be sure that no one, let alone the ruling council before whom Jesus appeared, wouldn’t have been worked up about it. And if Jesus was just another wise teacher then there would no reason to celebrate Easter at all this coming weekend. But the great joy that’s ours is that God Himself has come down from heaven, to redeem us from our sins and bring us eternal life. Episode Art from VideoBible.com as distributed under Creative Commons via FreeBibleImages.com)

Can you tell the difference between a parade and a protest? That question may sound silly. Even small children can tell one from the other. Were there some among the crowd who misunderstood this truth? Sure, just as there are those today who seek to co-op the message of the Gospel and turn it into little more than a political statement. But this was a festal parade! This was worship. And on this day, we join with that happy throng that greeted Jesus knowing that God had sent Him to rescue them from their sins.

It’s an unexpected scene that comes at the end of a movie … the very end. It comes after all of the credits have rolled. All of a sudden, the screen lights up and there’s one more scene. And in that scene is the set up for a future story line, a sequel, an eye-opening glimpse of what’s coming next. With the raising of Lazarus, God gave Martha, and us, a joyous glimpse of what's to come.

In a criminal trial, the jury is charged with determining a defendant's guilt or innocence beyond a reasonable doubt. It’s the kind of trial made famous by such characters as Perry Mason on TV. It’s the type of trial where the judge then asks the foreman of the jury, “Have you reached a verdict?” Here in Romans, a verdict is about to be read. However, in this case, we’re not seated on the jury. We’re the one whose life hangs in the balance. But before we get to that, let’s back up and review the case. Episode Art: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Having shown Ezekiel a vision of a valley filled with bones, God explained, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’" And then He asked, "Can these bones live?" And when you and are crushed with guilt for things that we’ve said or done our redemption comes down to a matter of will. However, it's not your will or mine that brings it about. It's God who describes for us His gracious and merciful will.

If sin was something that simply overshadows our life, we could fix it. We could revise our plans, pick ourselves up, make adjustments and move on. It's a whole different matter, though, if you find yourself in the cemetery. And that’s Paul’s point. Take another look at the beautiful phrase, a gracious invitation, that the apostle uses to describe the light and life God has given to us in His Son.

It’s always fun sharing this account, of Jesus’ healing the blind man, with small children. Once you get to the part where Jesus made some mud with saliva, they immediately recoil, scrunch their faces and exclaim, “Ewwww!” And, I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that some of you may be thinking the same thing. So, why did Jesus spit onto the dust, make mud and rub it the man’s eyes? Episode Art: Francesco de Mura, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

If you've ever stood in the delivery room at the moment of childbirth, you'll recall that the one giving birth cried out. And shortly after, the one who is born cries out. Here in Isaiah, God uses this colorful image to describe His promise to restore righteousness and bring salvation to His fallen and sinful people. And with joy, you and I know behold the result.

Chances are good that you and I often struggle under guilt, shame and depression deep within. And no matter how hard we try to keep it buried, it tends to well up to the surface and show itself in our lives in tears, pain and grief. Jesus assures you that His mercy is ever deeper. It flows into our lives through faith in the salvation He has accomplished for us at the cross. It lifts us up, spills over and never runs out.

When we're facing struggles, it's encouraging to hear a friend say, “Hang in there. There’s light at the end of the tunnel.” It’s a means of encouraging hope. But there’s still that little voice of doubt that tends to linger. What if things don’t get better? What if they get worse? What if that light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train? Here in Romans, Paul extols God's gift to us of hope. But it’s not just wishful thinking. It’s the joy of knowing the One who is with us right now, in the midst of even our darkest days, and having His assurance of what awaits us.

Like the Israelites, we’re on our way to the Promised Land. I just doesn’t feel that way sometimes. And when the events in our lives get rough we may wonder if God hears our prayers or is even aware of our distress. In a medical crisis, family trouble, or difficulties at work, we may throw up our hands and ask “Is the Lord among us or not?”

There’s a growing number of people who look around the mess we've made of this world, condemn humankind and wish that there were no people at all. If anyone has reason to feel that way it should be God. So here's what makes these well-known words of our Savior, then so astonishing. God, who has every right to hate this world, doesn’t. In fact, He assures us that God loves this world. He assures you that God loves you.

Have you ever taken a shower and found that the hot and cold taps were reversed? Sometimes this happens when the supply lines are reversed. Here in Romans, Paul takes great care in revealing the source of our righteousness. He’s particularly careful to make sure we know what to expect when it comes to our works and to faith in Christ.