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It was Saturday morning. It was Sabbath day, and every good Jew would find them their way to the temple to offer up sacrifice, to worship, to spend time with their God.
I wonder what the followers of Jesus did on this sabbath day. Most sabbaths in the last three years they would be in the temple or listening to Jesus teach. But now he was gone.
I’m sure they were full of emotion. Fear that they were the next ones to be crucified. Confusion as to what happened. Loss of hope. For some there was guilt for abandoning him. For all of them and overwhelming sense of grief.
Yet, well, their hope seemed a locked behind a stone in a dark, cold tomb. They didn’t realize that in God‘s silence He was working.
We aren’t exactly sure what Jesus did during the time that he was in the tomb, but we know that God was working. Death was being destroyed.
Peter tells us, Jesus was preaching to those who had gone on before. Most importantly, a battle raged between death and life, forgiveness, and sin, Satan and God himself.
It’s Saturday, but Sunday’s coming.
You may be doubting God’s working in your life right now.
You may be full of confusion and grief and doubt and anger and guilt in a whole plethora of other emotions.
Remember this, hold tight to your faith. Because in the darkness of the tomb, God was working. And in the darkness of your life right now, God is working.
This may be your Saturday. But remember, God is working and Sunday’s coming.
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Hebrews 10:23
Hope is easy when what we are hoping for is out of our hands. Some will say, ‘I hope my team wins’, or ‘I hope this relationship works out’, or ‘I hope it doesn’t rain this weekend’.
Those are valid hopes but in reality those hopes are built on things that are either completely or partially out of our control.
Hope that is secure is built on trust and trust is a process of growing. It doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Is like a muscle that is often developed through hardship and, in some cases, uncertainty.
Trust is easier when we understand the make-up of the person or thing that we want to trust in. We can trust more easily when we know the intent of the person we are putting out trust in. For example, we can trust people, even in failure, if we are completely convinced of their intentions.
Trust is easier when we can trust in the ability of the person being trusted.
Lastly, the level of trust one has is dependent on the integrity of the person or thing being trusted. A broken and cracked chair doesn’t offer the same level of trust as a new chair.
The writer of Hebrews talks about the hope we have because we can trust God. When we believe his intentions are graceful and merciful; when we know in our hearts he has the ability to protect and guide us, when we understand his working because of our close walk with him, when we act based on his integrity, then hope is easy (er) during the confusing and discouraging times of life.
We live in hopeless times. We live in times when trust in people, government and media can attack our security and peace. Put your hope in the promises of God, not the fickle plans of mankind.
Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Matthew 16:15
The atheist doubts His existence. The skeptic doubts his deity and judges Him according to those who claim to follow him. Some see him as a man of love.
Who do YOU say he is? What will you do with Jesus? Our response determines our outlook on life. Our response determines how we respond to issues of race, gender and sexual orientation, abuse, verbal and physical attacks and a whole lot more.
When Jesus asked his followers that question there was a lot of speculation as to who this teacher was. The Greeks saw him as a Hebrew lunatic. The Jewish leaders saw him as a heretic. The people of Israel were unsure of who he was but were enamored by his signs and miracles. Yet the question remained and still does today.
Who do YOU say He is? Not who does science says He is. Not who does culture say He is. Who do YOU say he is.
The greatest danger for the unbeliever is to not see Jesus as the great Messiah promised centuries ago. The one who forgives sins, offers strength during the difficult times of life and promises eternal life with God after this life on earth is over.
For the believer though, there is a different danger, one of familiarity. There’s an old saying, ‘Familiarity breeds contempt’ and for the believer there is some truth to that. Not that we hold contempt against Jesus, but that we become so familiar with him that we fail to fully grasp who he is and what it means for us on a daily basis.
We may visit him on Sunday and sing His songs. We may even take time for daily study and offer up a few short prayers. While we celebrate his love and forgiveness, familiarity may cause us to fully grasp what it means to follow him.
There are many verses in the Bible that give us descriptors of who Jesus is. Isaiah 9:6 should be one we carry with us throughout the year.
Jesus is our Mighty God. As Mighty God, He is the supreme ruler of the universe and in ultimate control of everything your future holds.
As your Everlasting Father, He is intimately connected to you. A good father gives his children every opportunity to succeed. He’s proud of you and supports you in every stage of life. Even the best earthly father fails, or dies. Not this one. He’s the daddy you can count on. Every. Single. Day.
Jesus is your Wonderful Counselor. As your wonderful counselor he understands your deepest frustrations, fears and failures. Rather than judge, he guides.
Lastly, Jesus is your Prince of Peace. As ruler of peace He is the source of peace in the midst of your struggle. He is the peace in the face of your grief. He is the peace as you pick up the pieces of your failure.
Who is Jesus to you? Remember these four aspects of his identity as you go about your day.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 