The Only Way

How easy it is to fall back into old ways - our comfortable habits! After the life-changing death and resurrection of their friend Jesus, the disciples were waiting. The group had only seen Him twice, and finally Peter says, "I am going fishing."

So six of them climb into a boat with Peter, anticipating getting something done. Being productive. Doing what they knew. Enough of this waiting around. 

But "that night they caught nothing". And as dawn is breaking upon their tired, bleary eyes, a stranger calls out on the beach to try the other side of the boat. So O.K. they toss that net out one more time. Whoa - 153 fish suddenly flop in. It is so full and heavy that they can't haul it into the boat.

Suddenly John recognizes the beach stranger as the love of his life, and tells Peter, "It is the Lord". Peter jumps in and swims break-neck to his Friend. 

Assembling on the beach they realize that life has changed, after all. Their old independent ways will not work. Being with Jesus, following Jesus, doing what Jesus says is now what really matters. He has already explained that can happen through the gift of the Spirit. It is now the worthwhile way. The only way.

They are indeed forever changed. And I am forever changed. Thank you Jesus.

Replying to Jesus

Have you ever been as low as Thomas? It had been a horrific weekend for the friends. The Hope for them and their whole country had been ripped apart - murdered. There was no where else to go. So Thomas had left. (John 20:24-31)

And now these guys were actually saying their Jesus had shown up - alive. But he knew better. He was not going to be duped again. No matter who it was. He replied: "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."

Whew. And does it not blow you mind that Jesus graciously obliged and came again - just for him (and us)? As He reached out His scarred hands and pierced side, He urged Thomas and us all to believe. But then Jesus went even farther and spoke to you and me: "Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."

"My Lord and my God!" was Thomas' reply. Let it be ours also.

Peace Be With You

My, were they scared! The weekend had been unthinkable. Out the of blue, Friday night the attack had come. Thankfully they had all escaped - but the One. And this Jesus, their strong invincible leader, had been arrested, beaten, mocked, scourged, humiliated, and killed. (John 20:19-22)

What to think! Some women even said His body that they had put in the tomb was now missing. But on this Sunday evening "when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews", something happened. Everything changed!

"Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, 'Peace be with you."' What a surprise! They must have thought it too good to be true, because He showed them all His hands and His side. "The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord."

But to make sure they heard it clearly, He says it again, "Peace be to you". John goes on to say Jesus breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit". 

In the presence of Jesus there is peace. We will receive it when we are open to it.

Lord, help us to stay in Your presence and peace today.

When He Calls My Name

I love the Resurrection Story! You can just revel in the power of a Christ who conquered death one Sunday morning.

But in the John account, love steals the show. (John 20:1-18)  And because Mary (thinking Jesus is lost) is so grieved and crying, the first recorded words of the Resurrected Christ are, "Woman, why are you weeping?" Tender words. Compassionate words. Love.

I would have said, "Look at Me. I've conquered sin and death and there is no reason to cry." 

But Jesus. Jesus comes beside her, where she is and says, "Why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Then He listens to her ( "Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, 'Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.")  and makes everything clear in a word. He calls her name: "Mary."

That one word, most precious to her, draws her gaze to Him. And the light of recognition floods her. He had only called her name. 

O Lord, let us hear you calling us today. May we recognize and run to You - like Mary did. 

"But He who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To Him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out." John 10:2-3

He Understands

Jesus was intent on fulfilling the Word on the cross. John said, "After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture......". (John 19:16-30}

But there was one more thing. One thing so vital that all the torture and pain and separation from His Father could not erase it. All the immensity of His mission and nearness of the victory could not deny it. One thing that so clearly and simply decried His humanity. He said, "I am thirsty." 

Why would the "Water of Life" and the One who offered the well-woman "streams of living water" focus on thirst? It has to be that the One whose God-ness shone through all His actions was also authentically human. He even usually called Himself the Son of Man. And only after He received the liquid to His lips did He say, "It is finished".

Jesus is truly one of us! He feels and knows and understands. 

Lord, thank You for coming and becoming like us. Thank you that You understand.

Who's In Charge?

It was looking like fear reigned. Pilate said he was in charge and could decide if Jesus lived or died. But the ruling Jews had given their verdict of death and "when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid." (John 19:1-16)

The religious leaders were so afraid because if Jesus kept up the truth, they might lose their exalted place. So these priests had whipped the crowd into a fearful frenzy of condemnation, calling for cruxifiction. 

But the reality is that still, as humble, bloody and pitiful as He looked, our Lord reigned. Jesus was just fulfilling each step of plan laid out before the world was created. Fear and the enemy were walking right into their total defeat. At the cross sin and death were conquered. And now nothing is left to keep us from God's love. (Romans 8:38-39)

Praise His name. 

"If You Are ..."

I have been wondering how hard it might have been for Jesus to accept who He was as He was growing up. I noticed that Satan's temptations began and ended with "If you are the Son of God". (Luke 4) Jesus had to accept a totally unique amazing reality - like none of the other boys or people that existed. It was a lonely "Yes" to being the Son of God and the King of kings. But He embraced it.

In John 18:28-40 Jesus answers Pitate: "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth."

It is often hard for us to say that lonely "Yes". To really believe and act out of who we are. To remember how a precious, dearly loved daughter of the King of kings would respond in this situation. 

Lord, You know how hard it is. Help us to remember and live out of the truth of being Abba's child.