The Tomb is Sealed

Matt. 61:66 So they went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

All day Saturday after Jesus was taken off the cross, He laid in the tomb. He was pronounce dead on the cross when the spear pierces His side. Now behind the sealed sepulcher laid the Son of God, His heart no longer beating, but His Spirit descended the depth of hell to retrieved the keys of life and death. In the hearts of those that followed Him, all hope was gone. He who they thought would be their Savior, and deliver them from the bondage of Rome wept with sorrow. They heard Him say that in 3 days He would rise from the dead, but they believed not. We are not much different. When things go wrong and hope fades away we despair for the day and tomorrow will just bring more sorrow. The tomb has been sealed and God is gone. Where is He when life is hard and there seems to be no where to turn. He might as well be sealed away in the sepulcher. It’s Saturday, and Sunday seems so far away. 

Good Friday

Heb. 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

We are not made holy through any thing that we do. He commands us to abstain from all appearance of evil, yet it is not living a sinless life that make us holy. God says, “Be ye holy as I am Holy”. “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect”. This standard of living is impossible for man to reach. We can only be made perfect through the cross. Jesus who offered up Himself as the supreme sacrifice for sin, took our sin, it was nailed to the cross and we bear it no longer. Through the blood of Christ we can now be made whole and sanctified. We are made clean and can now come boldly to the throne of God and make our request known to Him. Once and for all, the blood was shed, no need for any other sacrifice. Today is Good Friday, good because the price has been paid and we no longer have to sacrifice animals for sin offerings. Good because we now can be made holy and pure, not of any works we can do, but through faith in the cross that Jesus died for us to set us free from the bondage of sin and has written the law of God in our hearts. His commandments are still required, but they are not what makes us holy.

Behold the Cross

Luke 23:48 And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.

Behold and see what God has done! Gave His son to die on the cross to save the likes of you and me. Gaze upon the cross, and behold the things that sin will cause people to do. The heart of man is wicked and destructive. Anything that reveals the sinful nature of man causes man to revile in hatred against that which condemns their heart. Behold Him there hanging on the cross between two sinners, the Holy one of God who healed the blind, fed the thousands, made men to walk, and loved sinners regardless of their social statues. Behold how He breathes words of forgiveness to those who put Him on the cross. “Forgive them, Lord for they know not what they do”. Behold Jesus, as He looks toward heaven and exclaims, “It is finished”. The ultimate price was paid, Jesus, the God-man who came to earth and lived among us to show us how to live. Gave His life, paid the penalty for our sins that we may behold eternity and see Him someday face to face.

Casting Seed

Mark 4:26, 27 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;..the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

Casting seed is to spread the seed of the gospel. We often have no idea how God will use our efforts to affect or influence someone to God. We share the Gospel seed and trust God that He will use it to bring glory to Him. Sometimes it is years later that we may see what God has done with that seed, or we may never see the seed grow in our lifetime. But the kingdom of God is made up people who have been influenced by the word on God spoken, written, seen, or lived. God wants us to be seed droppers. Be ready to share what God can do and how His grace is able to make a difference in the life of anyone who will turn to Him. Be ready in season and out of season to cast the seed whenever you can.

Walking On Water

Matt 14:29  And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

Walking on water is not possible. The laws of nature defy the possibility that humans can literally walk on the surface of the water. The laws of nature do not apply to God. He created the laws that govern our universe, He can alter those laws at will. With men, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. When God asks us to do the impossible it would be natural for fear to grip our hearts. We who fear the unknown and things that seem impossible to do know a God that does things that are impossible. Have any mountains that are in the way? Have any rivers that are over flowing the banks you need to cross? Have any seas that need parted? I don’t know if I will ever need to walk on water, but I need Him to work out some impossibilities that I cannot do in my own strength or ability. Taking the first step in believing Him, and keeping my trust in the one who can make miracles happen is what God requires of me. With God, all things are possible.

In His Time

Ecc. 3:1, 11  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: He hath made every thing beautiful in his time…

Solomon essentially is saying that life happens and there will be good things and bad things that will happen in life. Understanding that it all happens for a purpose. We may never see the reason for the times that we walk in the shadow of darkness and everything around us seems to be going wrong. The rain falls on the just and unjust, and we may wonder why it seems to always rain where we are. Will the sun ever come out behind the cloud and shine again? To every thing in life there is a season and purpose. God, who holds the world in His hand has allowed for seasons of blessings, but also times of testing. We wake each morning not knowing what the day may bring. We eat, we work, and we hope to share time with those we love. But in this life there will be sorrow, and sorrow knows no stranger. We must live each day trusting that Jesus will walk with us and be with us with each step we take. Times are uncertain, but He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. He will not change. His mercy and love is timeless. 

I Will Not Fear

Ps. 18:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

The wicked hearts of men are able to kill the body. They are able to afflict suffering beyond imagination. Those that hated Jesus spit, whipped, pierced, and hung Him on a cross to die. Jesus said,  “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The reality is that in this earthly life, sin respects no one. It is natural to fear people who have no conscience and are bent on doing harm to anyone who gets in their way of selfish desires. We are reminded that we should not live in fear of such evil for the Lord is on our side. I don’t claim to understand the evil of our day and why God allows such wickedness to prevail. Even toward those who are serving God, life can be quickly taken away as a result of evil doers. No man can destroy or kill the life one has in Christ. If Christ be in us, who can be against us. I will not fear for He is with me no matter what man can do.