Easter devotion: Fact or Fantasy? - Matthew 27:64

Matthew 27:64            “So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

 

This last deception will be worse than the first.

Do we realize that if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then all of our faith is a tragic lie and inhumane deception? Millions of people will have lived and died for their faith in Christ, but if He was not resurrected, then their lives and deaths will have been in vain. In my opinion, to actually be a Christian is to put all of your belief eggs in that one basket of faith; to be a disciple of Christ means that you truly have to believe that He rose from the dead.

The relevance of our faith all comes down to that one fact in history. If the resurrection never occurred, then Christians could be called the most stupid people in the whole universe. However, if the resurrection did occur, then the converse is actually true - Christians are the smartest people who have ever existed because their faith in Jesus will prove to be the most successful and eternally rewarding belief that has ever been given to humanity.

So, the question of faith seems to be this: either Jesus was deluded and Christianity is the biggest deception in history, or Jesus rose again and our mission is to broadcast that Good News to our families, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, neighbors, and even strangers. The choice about what we do with the Resurrection is ours; the challenge of its truth comes solely from God.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, as Christians we believe that You are the Savior of the world because You died for our sins and rose from the dead. We thank You for Your mercy and forgiveness. We praise You for Your glorious resurrection and heavenly ascension. We eagerly anticipate Your Coming again. In Your Holy Name, we expectantly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment about today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Christ drawings. It’s called “The Baptism” and is a crayon drawing of Christ being baptized in the Jordan with the Holy Spirit descending upon Him. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6924951609_4fc7a8a94e_b.jpg

Presbyterian Devotions: Back to The Future

Lectionary verse: Psalm 25:7 Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.

Most of the psalms in the Bible are written by David, Israel’s greatest king. Usually, they have been written during his moments of great strength, faith, and creativity. It’s as if the vitality of David made him want to write some wonderful songs. And, if you think of it, most songwriters compose their best songs, lyrics, and tunes when they are between the ages of 25 – 45.

Today’s sacred poem is a bit different. I think that it’s written by an elderly David who is reflecting upon his life, his past mistakes, and deepest regrets. He’s looking back on some of his rash choices and poor decisions in his long life. And like anyone else who happens to be an elderly citizen, he wishes that things had been different and hopes that God will be merciful. You see, David is preparing for his final finals – he knows that one day soon, he will be face to face with God.

I don’t know about you, but when I look back at my own crazy past I want to give myself a good shaking down - especially when I was a teenager and in my early twenties. In my mind’s eye, I see myself saying and doing foolish and despicable things, or what David so eloquently calls ‘the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways.’ I wish that I could go back to the past and alter things, but I can’t. And if, at the end of my life, anyone asks me “would you change anything?” I would have to answer with a resounding “yes!”

David’s problem with his past causes him concern for his eternal future. He wants God to forget about the many mistakes and wicked deeds that even he, the greatest Israelite King, had committed. He’s begging God to set aside all of those sinful times that contaminated his faith, his family, and his friendships. In other words, David is looking for a mulligan, as far as his life is concerned. He wants God to bend the rules, show some mercy, and apply some grace so that he can die and rest peacefully.

You see David did not have the wonderful opportunity to cast his sins upon Christ’s Cross to be redeemed, and although he made many sacrifices in the Holy Temple each year, the king still carried the burden of a sinful past. Today, we are more fortunate because we can directly, sincerely, and humbly appeal to Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. We can go back beyond our own sinful past to centuries before we were born and hang our mistakes, our guilt, and our regrets on a tree called Calvary.

We can also come to a Table full of mercy, forgiveness, and peace, instead of an altar streaming with blood, terror, and fear. If David knew then what we know today, then his anxiety and angst, troubles and tribulation over his youthful sins and rebellious ways would have been swept away by the blood of our precious Savior, Jesus Christ.

So, when we read today’s psalm and Gospel lesson, let’s give thanks to God that we live in a merciful time, where the Good News of salvation can be given to every sinner, just like ourselves, who personally comes to Jesus, seeks His mercy, and receives God grace. We go back to the past in order to move on to the eternal future where faith sets us free from fear, hope handles all our doubts, and love cleanses our sins forever.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. He regularily writes a devotional blog called Heaven's Highway.

The illustration was drawn by John. It is called "Lenten Prayer." You can see more of John's liturgical art at his webpage Stushie's Art.