A Watching World - April 23, 2017 sermon

By Pastor Greg ...

One year for her birthday, a little girl was given one of those little electric cars that can be driven through the yard.  She was thrilled!  Once the battery was charged, mom and dad took the car outside, and the little girl climbed inside, checked her mirrors, and adjusted the radio.  Then she smashed the accelerator to the floor.  Bouncing across the yard, she suddenly stopped in about 10 feet, beeped the horn and yelled, "You Jerk!" In another ten feet, she did the same thing.  Mother and father were confused, so they asked their daughter what was wrong.  Why did she keep yelling "You Jerk" every time she blew the horn? “Cuz that's what you're supposed to do" she replied.  "That's how Mommy does it."

Kids.  Some days it’s like looking in a mirror.  But maybe that’s not a bad thing.  Maybe it’s good for us to look in a mirror from time to time; just to see how our actions are being perceived.

Did you know that this is one of the things the Bible does for us?  As we look at the people in there, we sometimes catch a glimpse of ourselves here.  Such is the case of a disciple named Thomas.  He is known as Doubting Thomas, but the real lesson here is to understand just whom he doubted.

 (John 20:24-29) ²⁴ One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. ²⁵ They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

²⁶ Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” ²⁸ “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” ^[1]

Although this man is known as Doubting Thomas, in truth, he did not doubt Jesus.  He doubted his friends.  In this instance, the other 10 believed because they had already seen the proof.  Thomas had not.  He was not with them when Jesus appeared the first time (John 20:19).  So, it’s not as if Thomas disbelieved the evidence; when he saw Jesus, he believed.  However, Thomas would not believe the testimony of his friends.

Kind of makes you wonder why, doesn’t it?

I think Thomas was searching his friends for some evidence that what they said was true, but he just couldn’t find it.  I believe this is what our friends and neighbors are looking for as well; they want to see evidence that what a Christian says is true.  The person who is not following Jesus wants to know that He can really change their life.  But first, they want to see the change in you.

I know, I know.  Christians are always making excuses, insisting that they are not perfect.  They tell the world to look at Jesus; He is the only One who will not disappoint.  Yet John the Apostle places this incident with Thomas before us as a mirror.  But why?  Why did John feel we needed to know this?  Was he trying to discredit Thomas, or was he trying to teach us something else?  Why is this incident so important to you and me?

The answer to this question is found in John 20:29. “Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”  Which pretty much sums up almost every Christian since Jesus ascended to heaven.

Think about it; it’s not like Jesus suddenly appears to the person still living outside of the faith.  I doubt you had the opportunity to see His hands and side.  But still, you believed.  And how is it you came to believe?  Why did you believe?  Maybe it was because you had a Bible.  John did say that “these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name”^[2] (John 20:31).  Perhaps you heard a dynamic speaker who spoke to your heart.  Or maybe it was a Sunday school teacher who helped you understand.  Maybe it was a combination of these – the Bible, the teacher who helped you understand what is written, and the preacher that challenged you to accept the truth.  However, there is probably one primary reason you believed; you saw the Truth in the life of someone else.

I don’t care how old you are; people are drawn to authentic Christians.  Well, if a person is actually thirsty and hungry for Truth.  I mean, in a world filled with lies, anger, and selfishness, the authentic Christian is like a breath of fresh air.  They are honest and truthful.  They are patient and kind.  Meeting an authentic Christian is like catching a momentary glimpse of God, and you realize that the world is not quite as bad as you imagined.

But then there are the hypocrites; those who profess to be Christians but certainly don’t act that way.  The damage these people do is sometimes irreversible.

For those of you that grew up attending church, think back a bit.  Were you not shocked the first time you saw a person from church acting just like a person of the world?  Didn’t that experience rock your faith?  Then imagine what it must do to the individual who has never been to church.

For those who started coming to church later in life, think back a bit.  How did you respond the first time you met an authentic Christian?

If you were to ask me, I’d say nothing turns a person away from Jesus more than hypocrisy; nothing opens their heart faster than authenticity. 

I have to say that this short discussion about Thomas seems to be John’s way of shaking up the Church.  It’s like he wanted the Church to realize that although Thomas had the risen Christ to overcome his doubts, the rest of the world will have to depend on the witness of believers.  If this world were going to be changed, then Christian men and women would need to become authentic.

Nothing’s changed.  How will the World believe in Jesus today?  Through authentic Christians who allow the lost to see Jesus living in them.

The Apostle Peter calls us to live properly among our unbelieving neighbors.  He warns us that these people observe our honorable behavior (1 Peter 2:12).  The Apostle Paul tells us to not copy the behavior and customs of this world (Romans 12:2).  He tells us to get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander because the world will only believe our message when we are kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving (Ephesians 4:31).  Even Jesus observes that only when the world sees Christians loving one another will it believe they are His disciples (John 13:35).

Why is this important?  Because there is a lack of love and concern for other people in this world … and no one seems to care.  Not even the Church appears to be concerned about the way Christians treat one another.  Go to your local Christian bookstore.  You’ll discover a lot of self-help books which focus on a deeper relationship with God.  But when is the last time you saw a book challenging Christians to follow their duty and responsibility to be a “light to the world” (Matthew 5:14)?

When is the last time you were concerned about your behavior and what it was saying to a watching world?

Yeah, sure, people will be blessed if they believe without seeing Jesus.  But since He is in Heaven, who is going to show Jesus to these people?  If we don’t, then what chance does that give unchurched Harry and Sally?

If you are a believer, you have a duty to be a witness for Jesus.  You represent Jesus to this world by the manner of your living, by the words you speak, by the things you do, and through your treatment others (by the way, that includes what we say and post on Facebook).  If you are a believer, YOU are Jesus to the people of this world.  If they cannot see Him in you, they will probably never see Him at all.

---

^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed., Jn 20:24–29). Carol Stream, IL.

^[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed., Jn 20:31). Carol Stream, IL.

Troubled

By Pastor Greg ...

If you permit me, I’d like to talk about how troubled I am.  No, seriously.  I have been troubled about something for a while now, and I need to get it off my chest.  It deals with airplanes and boarding and being bumped from a flight.

I think you know the incident I’m talking about.

When I first saw the video of a passenger being removed from his seat, I remember thinking that there must be more to this story than we are being told.  There has to be more.  Surely no business that wants to stay in business would treat its customers so cruelly without provocation.  There had to be more.  I wanted there to be more to the story.  I simply don’t like it when someone or some business fails.  I like to see people standing strong – doing the right thing.  I am a champion for good.  But in this particular case, it seems we were left with no choice.  A person, or perhaps a business, made a bad decision that day.

Now, I don’t want to debate how the situation was handled.  I don’t even want to debate the whole practice of “overbooking” (Hey, if you want the responsibility of keeping an airline profitable, then apply for an open CEO position).  However, what I do want to talk about is our fascination with deplorable behavior.

We are people fascinated with the despicable behavior of others.  We celebrate the bad side of people.  We learn of these situations and announce our shock ad-infinitum (over and over and over again).

Why?

Why are we drawn to stories or videos that depict society’s “vilest offender”?  Why are we so quick to label someone as the bad guy?  Doesn’t it seem odd that we learn of someone’s hideous behavior (or some business), and then huddle together around the water cooler (or around Facebook) telling stories of other people’s failures?

I think deep down inside, these stories make us feel a little better about ourselves.

Surely, we would have never treated an airline passenger this way.  We would have been courteous and understanding.  Faced with this passenger’s refusal to comply, why, we would have simply selected someone else (teaching that a person’s degree of importance increases when they protest loud enough).  And we make sure everyone knows just how riled we are about someone else’s behavior.

In our world today, we like it when someone fails.  Oh, don’t sit there with that shocked look on your face.  You know it’s true.  Our society has a fascination with failure.  Our society likes others to fail because our weaknesses don’t seem all that bad when we compare them with the failures of others.  We stand on the back of those who have fallen and announce triumphantly, “See!  I didn’t stumble.  I didn’t have a moment of weakness.”  We self-justify ourselves against the fallen, even though their life was impeccable the other 364 days of the year (Tell me, how many other similar situations did this airline handle properly?  We don’t know, do we?  We’re not interested in all the things they did right.  We only care that the gate agent and airport security handled this one situation poorly).

I am deeply troubled by the amount of self-justification I see in our world today– the tendency to measure our morality against the most wicked person we can find.  Since we don’t commit those kinds of sins (dragging a passenger off an airplane), we feel good about ourselves.  But, according to Paul, we are not safe.  We are not immune to sin, even if our morality is one or two steps better than the rest of the world.

In Galatians 6:1, Paul says, “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.” [1]  He doesn’t tell us to gloat.  He doesn’t tell us to feel good about our godliness.  He says to be compassionate and careful.  It’s Paul’s way of warning us that we too will have a bad day.

My friend, I want to see you succeed.  I want to see you overcome.  I want to see your righteousness shine like the sun in the Father's Kingdom (Matthew 13:43).  I don’t want to see you fail.  But if you do, be sure of this; I will not gloat.  Instead, I will gently and humbly help you back to your feet.

Please do the same for me.

---

^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed., Ga 6:1). Carol Stream, IL.

A New Name - April 16, 2017 sermon

By Pastor Greg:

When the 1960's ended, many hippies moved down the coast to Santa Cruz.  They got married and had children.  But they didn't name their children Melissa or Brett.  They called their children Time Warp or Spring Fever.  And eventually, Moonbeam, Love, and Precious Promise all ended up in public school.

That's when the kindergarten teachers first met Fruit Stand.  Every fall, parents applied name tags to their children, kissed them goodbye and watched them climb aboard the school bus.  So it was for Fruit Stand.  The teachers thought the boy's name was odd, but they tried to make the best of it.  "Would you like to play with the blocks, Fruit Stand?" they offered.  And later, "Fruit Stand, how about a snack?"  He accepted hesitantly.  By the end of the day, his name didn't seem much odder than Sun Ray's or Ziggy’s.

At dismissal time, the teachers led the children out to the buses.  "Fruit Stand, do you know which one is your bus?"  He didn't answer.  That wasn't strange.  He hadn't answered them all day.  Lots of children are shy on the first day of school.  It didn't matter.  The teachers had instructed the parents to write the names of their children's bus stop on the reverse side of their name tags.  The teacher simply turned over the tag. There, neatly printed, was the word "Anthony."

In biblical times a person was given a name because it meant something.  Abram, for example, means Exalted Father.  Simon means God hears.  Jesus means The Lord is Salvation.  But often times God gave a person a new name.  Abram was changed to Abraham, for example, which means Father of a Multitude.  Jacob’s name was changed to Israel which means God Fights.  Simon was changed to Peter which means Rock.  A new name was given to signify a change in a person’s life and a change in their relationship with God.  God reaches down and turns their name tag around, and calls them by a new name.

I suspect you’re probably thinking how this relates to Easter and the resurrection of Christ.  I mean, that’s what we typically talk about on Easter; how Jesus rose from the grave, about the stone being rolled away, and how He is our risen Savior.  But have you ever wondered what this resurrection was supposed to accomplish?  Certainly, the resurrection of Jesus confirmed that He is the Messiah, but I can’t shake the feeling that it is meant to do something more; something transformational.

Paul teaches that the resurrection of Jesus “is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.  Just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. ²² Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life” ^[1] (1 Corinthians 15:20-22).  In other words, just as Jesus was transformed, we too will changed; resurrected.  John the Apostle compares this day of transformation to receiving a new name (Revelation 2:17).  So the resurrection of Jesus begins a process where you and I have an opportunity to be transformed; we too can be changed.  Our lives can become different.  We can receive a new name.

  Believing in Jesus and His resurrection can change a person’s life.  Take Peter, for example.  He is transformed from the Friday morning coward we see at Jesus’ trial to the bold spokesman we see in Acts chapter two.  Something happened to Peter, and he became someone new.  On Friday, Peter denied knowing Jesus.  50 days later, he stands before his fellow Jews and says ³⁶ “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”   It’s almost as if God had reached down, turned over the name tag, and called Peter by a new name.  He became someone new.

On that day, Peter proclaimed a risen Savior.  He announced the empty tomb.  And he did this for one particular reason; so that those who gathered might be changed.  It is the same here today.  We sing of our risen Savior.  We celebrate His work upon the cross.  We announce that Jesus is Lord and Messiah.  But we do this for one very specific reason.  The same reason Peter stood and proclaimed Christ to the crowd in Jerusalem; so that you might hear and believe and know that Jesus is Lord.

These FACTS are trustworthy and true; Jesus, who claimed to be the Messiah, was nailed to a cross, died, but arose from the grave three days later, on the day we call Easter.  And just as Peter proclaimed the risen Christ, people have been making the same announcement; the same proclamation every Easter Sunday.  Generations of people have heard this, and been changed.  For nearly 2,000 years, people have responded to this Easter proclamation; they leave an old life behind and become someone new.  God reached down, turned over their nametag, and called them by their new name.

What we proclaim to you today is nothing new.  It is a celebration that has been happening year after year since that day long ago when Peter first spoke of these things.  Yes, Easter is a day of rejoicing for the Christian, but it is also a day of proclaiming; a day to announce to everyone that each word and promise spoken by Jesus is faithful and true.  For it was on this day that God proved to this world that Jesus indeed is Lord and Messiah by drawing Him out of the grave.  And like those who first heard this news, I pray these words pierce your heart as well.  May this be the day that you are changed.  May this be the day that God reaches down, turns the badge over, and calls you by your new name.  Let this be the day you are known as Christian; a person who belongs to Christ.

Because of the resurrection of Jesus, you can leave that old life of sadness behind, and find a new life filled with joy. Anger is replaced with peace.  A lifetimes of regret is given a new name.  To receive this, we do as Peter first proclaimed.

“Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles - all who have been called by the Lord our God.”  (Acts 2:38-39).

Do this, and God will grant you your new name:

Redeemed

Ransomed

Saved

Reborn

Born Again

Christ-like

Christian.

---

^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed., 1 Co 15:21–22). Carol Stream, IL.

Son of Man - April 9th, 2017 sermon

By Pastor Greg

A motorist was about two hours from San Diego when he was flagged down by a man whose truck had broken down. The truck driver walked up to the car and asked, "Are you going to San Diego?"  "Sure am," answered the man, "Do you need a lift?" "Not for me. I'll be spending the next three hours fixing my truck. My problem is I've got two chimpanzees in the back that must be taken to the San Diego Zoo. They're a bit stressed already so I don't want to keep them on the road all day. Could you possibly take them to the zoo for me? I'll give you $100 for your trouble."  "I'd be happy to," said the motorist. So, the two chimpanzees were ushered into the back seat of the man's car and carefully strapped into their seat belts, and off they went. 

Five hours later, the truck driver finally reached San Diego when suddenly noticed the motorist walking down the street, holding hands with the two chimps.   Quickly he pulled off the road and ran over to the man. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, "I gave you $100 to take these chimpanzees to the zoo!"   "Yes, I know you did," said the man. "But we had money left over so now we're going to Sea World."

Poor guy.  He didn’t have a clue.  Kind of reminds me of the people who shouted for joy when Jesus rode into Jerusalem.
 

Today is Palm Sunday.  It’s called this because it was on this day Jesus rode into Jerusalem, headed for the cross.  In the Gospel of Mark, we read, ⁸ And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ¹⁰Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”^[1] (Mark 11:8-10).  However, no one in the crowd that day knew Jesus would be crucified.  They didn’t have a clue.  They had no idea that in 5 short days, Jesus would be hanging from a cross.  If they had known this, they would not have shouted “Hosanna” or waived palm branches in celebration.  But Jesus knew what awaited Him at the end of the week, and so did Satan.

If you are familiar with the Palm Sunday story, it seems the path to the cross was cleared of any obstacle.  Jesus heads to the cross unhindered.  And one can almost picture Satan and his minions celebrating in the spiritual world; gladly ushering Jesus to His death.

Because the path to the cross was cleared for Jesus, it’s obvious Satan had no idea how the Lord’s death would signify his defeat.  Had Satan known what he would lose because of Jesus’ death, he would have blocked the Lord every step along the way.  Satan felt he was winning a victory, but he didn’t have a clue. He was merely biting at Jesus’ feet; soon, the Lord would crush his head (compare Genesis 3:15).  That Palm Sunday, things were happening in the unseen world, but the apostles didn't have a clue.

If you’re like most Christians, you don’t realize what is happening in the unseen world.  We don’t have a clue.  You and I cannot see what’s happening right now between the angels of God and the demons of Satan.  And what we may not realize is that these spiritual battles affect those of us in this world.

For example, let me tell you a story about Daniel.  He’s that guy from the Old Testament who was thrown in the Lion’s Den.  Well, one day, Daniel has this vision about events certain to happen in the future – times of war and great hardship.  And this glimpse into the spiritual world was enough to drive Daniel to his knees.

In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future—times of war and great hardship.

² When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks. ³ All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.

⁴ On April 23, as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River, ⁵ I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. ⁶ His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people.

⁷ Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. ⁸ So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. ⁹ Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground.

¹⁰ Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. ¹¹ And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.

¹² Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. ¹³ But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.”

¹⁵ While he was speaking to me, I looked down at the ground, unable to say a word. ¹⁶ Then the one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me, “I am filled with anguish because of the vision I have seen, my lord, and I am very weak. ¹⁷ How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe.”

¹⁸ Then the one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returning. ¹⁹ “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!” ^[2] (Daniel 10:1-19).

A major spiritual battle was taking place.  God had sent an angel to explain this vision, but the demon who controlled the king of Persia was trying to keep Daniel from understanding future events.

Daniel didn’t know this. He had no idea what was happening in the spiritual world.  For three weeks Daniel’s life was a wreck, and he had no idea why.  He had no idea why God had not answered.

Only later did the apostles understand the spiritual victory Jesus accomplished on the cross.  Later, John understood this (1 John 4:4).  So did Paul (Ephesians 6:12).  But at the crucifixion, they wept.  At that moment, they had no idea what was happening in the spiritual world.

Have you ever found yourself there?  Have you ever felt like the forces of darkness are working overtime in your life?  Do feel troubled about things, yet don’t quite understand why?  Maybe there are things happening in the spiritual world right now; things that are affecting your life today.  Maybe Satan is working against you, trying to keep your heart troubled and your mind confused.

In those troubled days, may I remind you what this angel told Daniel?  This messenger of God reminds Daniel that he was very precious to God (Daniel 10:11, 18).  And those words for Daniel are meant for you and me as well.  You and I are precious to God.  Things may not be going right in our life, but we are precious to God.  Our life might feel like a train wreck, but we are precious to God.   We know this because at just the proper time Jesus walked into Jerusalem to win the spiritual battle for you and for me.

I tell you all of this so you might be aware of the spiritual battle which took place on Palm Sunday.  Palm Sunday is a day of triumph because it marks the beginning of Satan’s defeat.  On Palm Sunday, Jesus begins a spiritual battle for the eternal soul of every man, woman, and child.  As Satan tried to lay claim to our soul, Jesus goes to the cross.  He fought the battle which ransomed our souls.

---

^[1] The New King James Version. (1982). (Mk 11:8–10). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed., Da 10:1–19). Carol Stream, IL.

Waiting on the Lord - April 2, 2017 sermon

By Pastor Greg

A kindergarten student needed help with his boots, so his teacher bent over to help.  Oddly, they were very difficult to get on the boy’s feet.  She worked up a sweat.  Just as the second boot slid into place, they boy said, "Teacher, they're on the wrong feet." She looked and, sure enough, they were.  It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on.  She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on, this time on the right feet.  He then announced, "These aren't my boots."

She bit her tongue and once again struggled to help him pull the boots off.  He then said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear them."

She didn't know if she should laugh or cry. Still, she mustered up the grace to wrestle the boots on his feet again. Prepared to send the boy outdoors, she asked, "Now, where are your mittens?" He said, "I stuffed them in the toes of my boots..."

Don’t patient people like that amaze you?  How do they stay so calm? They seem to have an inner strength that enables them to wait patiently for other people … and to wait for the Lord. 

Now that’s an interesting topic; waiting for the Lord.  Ask your friends how easy it is for them to wait on the Lord.  Ask yourself that question.  How anxious do you get when the Lord makes you wait?  Would you even wait on God?  Or would you do like Abraham and Sarah and try to solve the problem on your own (see Genesis 16:2).

Waiting is difficult, especially waiting on God.  But those who wait will receive the strength they need … just like Mary Magdalene.

(John 20:1-18) Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. ² She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

³ Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. ⁴ They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷ while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. ⁸ Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed—⁹ for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ Then they went home.

¹¹ Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. ¹² She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. ¹³ “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.

“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

¹⁴ She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. ¹⁵ “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”  ¹⁶ “Mary!” Jesus said.

She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).  ¹⁷ “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message. ^[1]

Doesn’t it seem a bit odd that Peter and John would simply go back home at this point?  John doesn’t say they went back home to tell the remaining disciples what they had learned.  He simply says they went home while pointing out that Mary Magdalene stayed behind.  And he does this to draw our attention to the one who waited; to the one whose grief was turned to joy.

Did you happen to notice Mary’s grief?  As Peter and John brushed past her, she stood there weeping (verse 11), still thinking that the body of Jesus had been moved.  However, as the tears dripped from her face, she saw the risen Lord.  In her moment of grief, she saw her Savior.  Because she waited, her sorrow was turned to joy.  And I can’t help but wonder if Peter and John could have witnessed this if they had simply waited.  It seems that they walked away a bit too early.

Have you ever walked away too early?  Did you give up on God just a moment too soon?  What if you were one tear away from your grief being turned to joy?  What if you were one last heartbreak away from having your prayer answered?  What if you are giving up on God too soon?

Many people have a big problem waiting for the Lord.  Many are impatient; expecting God to answer prayers yesterday.  Is that you?  Do you cry out like King David, “How long must I endure this?” (Psalm 119:84).  But what if waiting is exactly what the Lord wants you to do?

A long time ago, Isaiah reminded Israel that “Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary”^[2] (Isaiah 40:31).  There’s that word again.  “Wait” says Isaiah, and he seems to imply that waiting gives us strength.  However, there are far too many people whose strength is not renewed because they will not wait.

What does it mean to “wait on the Lord?”  It means we trust His Love and we trust His promises.  When we remain steadfast in spite of circumstances, our faith is strengthened and our commitment to the Lord grows stronger.  How would we grow in our faith if the Lord gave us everything we asked for right away?  How would we become stronger if God never placed us in circumstances that try our faith?  Truly, our commitment to God is tested when He turns to us and says “not yet;” when He asks us to wait.  And when we wait patiently for the Lord to show up amid our problems, we confess that we trust His promises and His character.  Waiting demonstrates trust.

At the end of some national tragedy in ancient Israel, the Psalmist reminded the people that, ²⁰ “We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. ²¹ In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. ²² Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone” ^[3] (Psalm 33:20-22).  Like Mary, perhaps many people of Israel stood by and wept; were about to give up hope.  But then, at just the right moment, God showed up … and the people rejoiced.  Likewise, at just the right moment, Jesus appeared to Mary, and she rejoiced.  I believe the same thing continues to happen today.  As we weep and worry; as we grow faint because of our problems, at just the right moment, the Lord will step in and make things right.

We just need to learn to wait for that moment.

---

^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed., Jn 20:1–18). Carol Stream, IL.

^[2] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Is 40:31). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

^[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed., Ps 33:20–22). Carol Stream, IL.