April 3, 2021

The Journey to Easter: Four Silent Saturday Lessons in Waiting Well as Leaders

The Silent Saturday between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday seems to be skipped over. I don’t believe I have  heard a pastor preach about the waiting and the deafening silence of Holy Saturday. We want to skip over the agony and pain of Friday to quicken the miracle and joy of Jesus’ Resurrection, the event that defines us as Christians.

Now is the time to talk about it, talk about how to wait well in the silence. Last year we were all waiting at Easter quarantined  inside our homes during the worldwide COVID-19 Pandemic. Each of us is waiting on something or someone. 

Jesus was still and silent, after His agonizing crucifixion the afternoon before, with

Darkness falling over the whole earth;

the curtain of the temple tearing in half from top to bottom;

the earth shaking;

rocks splitting;

tombs opening;

dead bodies of the saints waking up and coming out of their tombs. (Matthew 27: 51-53)

The whole world was shaken. Sound familiar?

Jesus’ bloody body had been taken off the cross, wrapped in a clean linen shroud and embalmed with spices, “as is the burial custom of the Jews.” (John 19:40) Jesus’ body was laid in the new tomb of the rich man Joseph of Arimathea, which was positioned in a garden. (John 19: 40-42)

Even the minor detail of Jesus being laid in a rich man’s tomb in a garden fulfilled a 700-year-old+ prophecy:

“And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.” –Isaiah 53:9

Matthew is the only Gospel to mention much activity on the day after crucifixion.

“The next day, that is after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, ‘Sir, we remember how that imposter said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise. Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead, and the last fraud will be worse than the first.’ Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.’ So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.” –Matthew 28:62-66 ESV

What lessons can we learn from Jesus and the activities around His silence on Holy, Silent Saturday?

  1. When you are in God’s Will, there will always be nay-sayers. It’s not surprising that the chief Priests and Pharisees weren’t silent and continued to bash Jesus, even calling Him an “imposter.” I love that Pilate said make it as secure “as you can.” Deep down he knew no big stone or guard of soldiers could keep Jesus from rising on the third day.
  2. When Jesus seems silent and we wait, Jesus is still at work. Waiting is hard. Jesus is working as we wait. Keep persevering. “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:13-14 ESV.
  3. Experience peace and rest after the agony and before the miracle. I heard once the night is darkest right before the sunrise. Darkness and stillness precedes the miracle. The Gospel of Luke mentions rest after the crucifixion and right before the Resurrection passage that “On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandments.” –Luke 23:56
  4. Prevent analysis paralysis. In the silence we can be tempted to question and doubt God and ourselves. Is God mad at me? What did I do wrong? Why doesn’t God do something about this? In the silence and waiting is where trust in God is strengthened. Faith is stretched. Miracles are coming. Wait well, friend.

I’m thankful God saw fit to insert a Saturday between our Easter Fridays and Sundays. May we enjoy the silence. The miracle of Resurrection is only a day away.

Reflection:

–How do we respond to the waiting in our lives?

–Are we waiting well?

Renew:

–“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” –Isaiah 40:31

March 31, 2021

The Journey to Easter: “What is Truth?” and Jesus

It was before 9am that “Good Friday” morning when Jesus was brought to Pontius Pilate. Pilate’s wife knew Jesus was innocent.

“‘What is truth?’ Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, ‘I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release the king of the Jews?’ They shouted back, ‘No, not him! Give us Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.” –John 18:38-40 NIV

Pilate’s three-word question of “What is truth?” is a question I find myself asking over and over. As we experience the different issues in our country, much of the outcomes are based on opinion versus Truth.  We are living today what Jesus did then. And Jesus is “the way, the Truth, and the Life.” John 14:6.

Pilate thought Jesus would go free. Guess what Barabbas means in Aramaic? “Son of Abba.” Barabbas means “Son of the Father.”

Friend, each of us is a son (or daughter) of the Father. That means all of us. We are Barabbas. Like Barabbas, Jesus was our substitute. He died for you. He died for me.

Sadly, some of the same people who waved palms of the crowd singing “Hosanna!” were the same peer pressured crowd who cried “Crucify!” on Good Friday morning, resulting in the pierced palms of Jesus’ hands. May we not be as fickle in how we treat people.

Pilate then handed the badly beaten and scourged Jesus over to be crucified. Jesus began the agonizing climb to Calvary or Golgotha, the Place of the Skull.

“Here they crucified him, and with him two others–one on each side and Jesus in the middle. Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: ‘JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS…’ (John 19:18-19 NIV).

The criminal on one side of Jesus threw insults at Him asking if He were Christ, why didn’t He save Himself and them? The other criminal feared God and rebuked the other criminal, saying Jesus had not done anything wrong. The criminal humbly said,

“Jesus, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom.’ Jesus answered  him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise. ‘ “ (Luke 23:42-43 NIV).

As the excellent Leader Jesus is with profound discernment, He appreciated the thief’s humility and extended amazing, matchless grace and love to the thief. He gave Him the gift of eternal life, moments before they both breathed their last breaths on this earth.

Like the two thieves, one on each side of Jesus, we are given a choice. Perhaps that’s why there were two criminals being crucified beside Him– not one, not five, but two–because of THE choice.

To accept Jesus as our King of King and Lord of Lords or not.

To ask Jesus to remember you in His Kingdom or not.

To hurl insults at Jesus or honor Jesus with humble praises.

Have you humbly asked for Jesus to remember you as His and to join Him in the paradise of eternal life? Friend, if not, there’s a simple prayer at the bottom to pray and make the most important decision of your life.

“…Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, He bowed his head and gave up His spirit.” –John 30b NIV

The Greek word “Tetelestai” means “It is finished.” During New Testament times the word “Tetelestai” would have been stamped or written on business documents or receipts to indicate that a bill had been “Paid in Full.” The connection between this common business transaction stamp and the Ultimate Transaction Jesus accomplished on the cross was conveyed crystal clear in the Gospel of John with Jesus’ words.

Sweet friend, you are so loved. Jesus extended tremendous grace and love to us all. He paid a sin debt He did not owe because we owed a sin debt we could not pay.

Friday’s here, but Sunday’s comin’! Happy Resurrection Day!

Recharge:

If you would like to welcome Jesus as the King of your life, pray with me this simple prayer:

Dear God, I need You. I am humbly calling out to You. I’m tired of doing things my own way.

Help me to start doing things Your way. I invite You into my life to be my Lord and my Savior.

Fill the emptiness in me with your Holy Spirit and make me whole.

Lord, help me to trust You. Help me to love You.

Help me to live for You. Help me to understand Your grace, mercy and peace.

Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen. 

Congratulations! Send me an email to danya.jordan777@gmail.com, and I’ll send you a free devotional book to encourage you in your new faith journey! 🙂

Reflect:

–What influence does a crowd make on decisions? Is the majority always right?

–Ask the question “What is truth?” daily. Remember that Jesus is the Truth and His Word is Truth.

–How are we like Barabbas?

–Which crucified criminal beside Jesus do you relate to?

–How have you received Jesus’ amazing grace and love recently?

Renew:

–Please read Psalm 22 and compare it to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John story of Jesus death and resurrection.

–“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before Him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and He rules over the nations…They will proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn–for He has done it.” –Psalm 22: 27, 28, 31  (written hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection).

–“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” –Isaiah 53:5-6 (written 700+ years before Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection).

–“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a Lamb without blemish or defect.” –1 Peter 1:18-19

 

April 19, 2020

Resurrection Reflections–Fear, Great Joy, Doubt, Women, Angels, & Folded Napkins

On this first week after Resurrection Sunday, five different Resurrection Reflections keep coming to my heart. As we still quarantine from COVID-19, we are all going through different emotions. May these lessons encourage each of us.

1.God shakes things up in tough times and miraculous times. On the third day morning after Jesus was crucified, Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” discovered the miracle of Jesus’ Resurrection. They not only discovered the tomb empty, they experienced a great earthquake. “And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.” Matthew 28:2 ESV. They were shaken, just as we have been shaken with the COVID-19 pandemic. Three days before they had also experienced an earthquake on Good Friday after Jesus was crucified (Matthew 27:51). Shaking happens during the tough times as well as during miraculous times.

2.It is normal to experience fear, great joy and doubt. The first thing the Angel said to the women was not to be afraid. It’s normal to feel afraid. That’s why It is said throughout the Bible, hundreds of times, “do not be afraid.”Then the angel confirmed what the women already knew. “He is not here, for He has risen! (Matt 28:6 ESV) The angel told them to “Go quickly and tell the disciples that he has risen from the dead.” (Matt 28:7 ESV).

The next verse struck me more than ever because of what we are all experiencing with the pandemic. “So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.” (Matt 28:8) Friends, it is OK to experience fear and great joy at the same time. The women, like each of us, were fulfilling their purpose. It’s OK to move forward in fear and great joy. Keep going.

A few verses later is The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, our high calling as Christians. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” Whether we are going and telling disciples or going and making disciples, keep going. It’s what we were made to do.

Friend, Keep going, even when our knees shake.
Keep going, even when our world shakes.
Let’s keep going and telling, keep going and making with fear and great joy. We were made for this.

3. God often uses Women and Angels as His Messengers. Throughout the Old and New Testament, including the Resurrection, the Lord uses women and angels to deliver important messengers. I found it particularly amazing how God used angels here. Not only does God use women to discover Jesus’ tomb empty, He uses angels to roll the stone away, sit on it, and tell the women what to do. “But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’… –John 20:11-14 ESV. 

Let’s look at another amazing place where angels were used. When Moses’ foreman Bezalel was building the ark of the covenant, “He made a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half was its length, and a cubit and a half was its breadth. And he made two cherubim of gold. He made them of hammered work on the two ends of the mercy seat, one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat he made the cherubim on its two ends.” –Exodus 37:6-8 ESV. 

Jesus’ empty tomb is our Mercy Seat with angels on both ends, just as Moses followed God’s commands 3000 years before!

4. Even after the miracle, we sometimes don’t recognize Jesus. On that Sunday afternoon of the Resurrection, Jesus was walking about seven miles from Jerusalem. He saw two of the disciples, probably Peter and John, although they didn’t recognize Him. Being the good Teacher He is, Jesus asked them about their conversation, and the two disciples told them all about Jesus of Nazareth. They STILL didn’t recognize Him. They invited him to stay with them. It wasn’t until they ate dinner together, “And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him… They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?'” –Luke 24: 31-32 ESV. How often do we find ourselves in God’s presence and don’t recognize the miracle we are experiencing until later? Be encouraged, friend. May our senses be heightened to recognize God’s presence and appreciate the beautiful miracles and people around us in real time.
5. Jesus’ empty tomb left another hint that He will return again. There is a verse in John 20 that has perplexed me, so I researched more. “Then Simon Peter came, following him (John), and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself” –John 20: 6-7

Was that important? Absolutely! In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, it is helpful for us to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the master and servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating.

The servant would not dare touch the table until the master was finished. Now if the master was finished eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers and mouth, then his beard, and wad up the napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. In those days, the wadded napkin meant, “I’m finished.”  This is like what Jesus said from the cross.

But if the master got up from the table, folded his napkin and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the folded napkin meant, “I’m coming back!” 

I asked my Messianic Jewish Scholar Steve J. of this Hebrew tradition’s validity aligned with the folded napkin: “I have heard that before, and think it has merit. Although the Gospel of John was written with a Gentile audience in mind…the fact it is mentioned at all in John beckons the question as to why, since we presume there is no wasted scripture.”

Let us be reminded daily during this post-Resurrection season, Jesus Christ is “Not Finished.” He is coming back for us as Believers who have accepted Him as Lord and Savior. Be encouraged, friend, and let’s do our best to spread the Good News of Jesus and His Word.  May we live every day as Resurrection Sunday knowing Jesus will return for us one day.

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