Chuck Larsen

Like Jesus disciples, we often look for life amongst dead works. We worry about things that God has already taken care of. We are afraid of things that we should not be afraid of and we often weep and mourn when it’s totally unnecessary. Further, we often doubt when should believe, just like his disciples did. When Mary Magdalene told Jesus’ disciples that she had seen the Risen Lord, Mark 16:11 says, “they would not believe it.”  “It” is referring to Jesus resurrection. Then Jesus appeared to the two on the road to Emmaus and these two went and told them also, but verse 13 says, “and they did not believe them.”  Them is referring to the witnesses! They just wouldn’t believe!

But they did believe! They believed in themselves. If they could see it, touch it, taste it, smell it, or rationalize it, they might believe in it. All men are believers. Everyone believes in something. When people refuse to believe the witness and testimony of eye witnesses to the resurrection, they just embrace another object upon which to place their confidence or devotion. Paul says man is inclined to reject the intuitive existence of God and turn to worship sticks and stones and beasts, etc. Unbelief in our age has become a little more sophisticated. But it’s all the same. We either believe in God or we believe in ourselves, but the truth is, we all believe in something.

The comic Steve Martin once said, “It’s so hard to believe in anything anymore . . . I guess I wouldn’t believe in anything if it weren’t for my lucky Astrology Mood Watch.” No one believes in nothing. Everyone has faith. The only differences are in the object of our faith and its intensity.

Chuck

“…believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” Acts 16:31

Like the Mary’s, we look for the living among the dead. We worry about things that God has already taken care of, and we are afraid of things we should not be afraid of. Like his disciples we also find ourselves mourning when we should be rejoicing. When Mary Magdalene saw Jesus after His resurrection, she hurried to find His disciples. Mark 16:13 says, “she went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.”  

Jesus had spoken to His disciples regarding His resurrection on several occasions but they were not listening. Well, I think they heard him, but they did not hear him. He even made it fairly specific that He would take them to be with him. He said, “I go to prepare a place for you, that where I am you may be also.” But we still find them mourning and weeping! What’s up with that? We are just like them, aren’t we! We hear Jesus’ promises, yet we still mourn. We celebrate the resurrection every year, and yet we weep over the loss of our loved ones.

Grief is a legitimate emotion and we should not deny it or reject it, but our faith in Jesus’ promises should make it short lived. We should never wallow in grief and let our sorrows overwhelm us. When we do, we illustrate a lack of faith and confidence in the one who has made everlasting promises to us. When the great Christian scientist Sir Michael Faraday was dying, some journalists questioned him about his speculations for a life after death. He purportedly replied: “Speculations! I know nothing about speculations. I’m resting on certainties. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and because He lives, I shall live also.”

Chuck

“Then she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn’t realize that it was Jesus. Woman, he said, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” John 20:14-15

We often look in all the wrong places for what we need most in life. We try to find meaning and purpose instead accepting the meaning and purpose God created for us. Like the two Mary’s we search for the “living among the dead.” We also worry a lot about things that have already been taken care of like they did. Who’s going to roll away this huge stone? Well, it’s already been taken care of. In addition we often fear things that we should not be afraid of, like they did. When they Angel appeared to them, the first thing he said was “Don’t be afraid.” This is the standard opening phrase spoken by most angels upon their first appearance to humans. We are naturally afraid when we encounter things we don’t understand.

When Jesus walked on the water on the Sea of Galilee he approached the boat where his disciples were. They were frightened. I imagine that was a pretty frightening image; Jesus walking across the waves and as though a stone path had been laid for him. As He approached his frightened disciples he shouted above the wind and the waves, the same thing he always shouts to us in the midst of the storms of life. He says, “Be of good cheer! It is I. Don’t be afraid. No matter how violent the storm in your life might be, no matter what it is you’re struggling with, Jesus says the same thing to all of us. Three of the shortest sentences in the bible: Be of Good cheer. It is I. Don’t be afraid.

The resurrection removes for you and I through our faith in the resurrected one, the fear of death. It just evaporates before the empty tomb. He assured us that there are many mansions in His kingdom and he promises to take us to be with him forever. We can all say, “O Death, where is your sting!”

Chuck

“O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting? …But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

Yesterday I mentioned that we often look for Jesus in all the wrong places. The women who came to anoint Jesus’ body was asked “why do you seek the living among the dead?”  As that story proceeds we get to ease drop on their conversation. On their way to the tomb, Mark 16:3 tells us that, “they were saying to one another, who will roll away the stone for us and from the entrance of the tomb?”

We often worry about things we shouldn’t. I don’t know about you but when I don’t have anything to worry about, I worry about that! Worry can become a bad habit. George Mueller suggested that faith and worry are antithetical. If you’re in the midst of one, you are out of the other. Worry accomplishes nothing. It’s like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere. Like the two Mary’s we often worry about things that we shouldn’t worry about. Mark 16:4 says, “when they looked up, they saw that the stone was already rolled away.” I love the last little comment, “It was very large.”

I have very “large” problems! Don’t you? I have many “large” issues to deal with, don’t you? I have  “large” relationship issues, don’t you? They are like alligators rising up to devour me! Who’s going to roll the stone away? Guess what! It’s already been taken care of. Jesus said, “…don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” In the context of that verse in Matthew chapter 6, we read, instead of worry, “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” and all the things we worry about are already taken care of.

Chuck

“The Psalmist tells us “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” Psalm 46:1-3