The Empty Tomb

Beyond the Present Time
Resurrection Hope
The Lord Has Risen Indeed!

Luke 24:1-12

The Message

Looking for the Living One in a Cemetery

24 ^1-3 At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn’t find the body of the Master Jesus.

^4-8 They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, “Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?” Then they remembered Jesus’ words.
^9-11 They left the tomb and broke the news of all this to the Eleven and the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them kept telling these things to the apostles, but the apostles didn’t believe a word of it, thought they were making it all up.
¹² But Peter jumped to his feet and ran to the tomb. He stooped to look in and saw a few grave clothes, that’s all. He walked away puzzled, shaking his head.

For Reflection

Why did the high priests want Jesus killed? Of what were they so afraid that they needed to kill Christ? Of what are we so afraid that we deny our indebtedness to God for the gift of his son?

 

Pray

prayers of praise. Thank God for taking human form to show us the way to citizenship in the Kingdom of God. Pray that you will wait and abide with the Living Lord.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

Beyond the Present Time
Resurrection Hope
The Lord Has Risen Indeed!

Luke 23:32-38

The Message

³² Two others, both criminals, were taken along with him for execution.
³³ When they got to the place called Skull Hill, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right, the other on his left.
^34-35 Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing.”
Dividing up his clothes, they threw dice for them. The people stood there staring at Jesus, and the ringleaders made faces, taunting, “He saved others. Let’s see him save himself! The Messiah of God—ha! The Chosen—ha!”
^36-37 The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him, making a game of it. They toasted him with sour wine: “So you’re King of the Jews! Save yourself!”
³⁸ Printed over him was a sign: this is the king of the Jews.

 

Reflect

Taunting, teasing, brutalizing, dehumanizing, these soldiers exemplified those who respond the demands of the common culture of their times. Are they different from us? You answer. When was the last time you heard others speak unkindly. When have you heard others criticize another person or even laugh at them? Jesus lived and died so that we could avoid the common culturally acceptable but unloving responses.

Pray
That you will speak and act in ways that will attract others to God and the Way. Pray that others will respond to the Gospel message of peace and right relationships among people.

The Death of Jesus

Beyond the Present Time
Resurrection Hope
The Lord Has Risen Indeed!

Luke 23:44-49

The Message

^44-46 By now it was noon. The whole earth became dark, the darkness lasting three hours—a total blackout. The Temple curtain split right down the middle. Jesus called loudly, “Father, I place my life in your hands!” Then he breathed his last.

⁴⁷ When the captain there saw what happened, he honored God: “This man was innocent! A good man, and innocent!”

^48-49 All who had come around as spectators to watch the show, when they saw what actually happened, were overcome with grief and headed home. Those who knew Jesus well, along with the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a respectful distance and kept vigil.
 

For Reflection

Spectators. Fickle, at once both convinced that He was a threat imminent enough to be killed and filled with grief in the realization of His truth. Each heads home, still a spectator. And, the faithful stand and wait keeping vigil. Which are you spectator or vigilant?

 

Pray

that you will be full in faith. Pray that you will be fully committed to the Christ who is always with you; Pray for the spectators that they may find authentic faith.

The Trial before Pilate

Luke 23:13-25

The Message

^13-16 Then Pilate called in the high priests, rulers, and the others and said, “You brought this man to me as a disturber of the peace. I examined him in front of all of you and found there was nothing to your charge. And neither did Herod, for he has sent him back here with a clean bill of health. It’s clear that he’s done nothing wrong, let alone anything deserving death. I’m going to warn him to watch his step and let him go.”
^18-20 At that, the crowd went wild: “Kill him! Give us Barabbas!” (Barabbas had been thrown in prison for starting a riot in the city and for murder.) Pilate still wanted to let Jesus go, and so spoke out again.
²¹ But they kept shouting back, “Crucify! Crucify him!”
²² He tried a third time. “But for what crime? I’ve found nothing in him deserving death. I’m going to warn him to watch his step and let him go.”
^23-25 But they kept at it, a shouting mob, demanding that he be crucified. And finally they shouted him down. Pilate caved in and gave them what they wanted. He released the man thrown in prison for rioting and murder, and gave them Jesus to do whatever they wanted.

For Reflection

Why did the high priests want Jesus killed? Of what were they so afraid that they needed to kill Christ? Of what are we so afraid that we deny our indebtedness to God for the gift of his son?

 

Pray

in gratitude for the gift of Jesus Christ. Pray that you will have the courage to follow in the way of Christ in obedience ato God's call to His kingdom. Pray for those who reject the wisdom of Christ's vision of a counter culture. Pray for those who do not know the peace brought by obedience to the Holy Spirit.

Examine Yourselves

Beyond the Present Time
Resurrection Hope
The Lord's Supper

1 Corinthians 11:23-32The Message

23-26 Let me go over with you again exactly what goes on in the Lord’s Supper and why it is so centrally important. I received my instructions from the Master himself and passed them on to you. The Master, Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, took bread. Having given thanks, he broke it and said,

This is my body, broken for you.
Do this to remember me.

After supper, he did the same thing with the cup:

This cup is my blood, my new covenant with you.
Each time you drink this cup, remember me.

What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt.
27-28 Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master irreverently is like part of the crowd that jeered and spit on him at his death. Is that the kind of “remembrance” you want to be part of? Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe.
29-32 If you give no thought (or worse, don’t care) about the broken body of the Master when you eat and drink, you’re running the risk of serious consequences. That’s why so many of you even now are listless and sick, and others have gone to an early grave. If we get this straight now, we won’t have to be straightened out later on. Better to be confronted by the Master now than to face a fiery confrontation later.
 

For Reflection

Some times I think that my faith journey has been a series of baptisms and communions a constant series of cleansing and renewal events leading me closer and closer to the intentions God has for my life. I sometimes think of the mystery of communion where the consecrated wine is transformed into the literal blood of Christ flowing through my body. What wondrous love has God for you and me.

 

Pray

That you will let the blood of Christ flow through and renew you.  Pray that your action will be justify the grace of God that gives you an infinite number of chances to grow into righteousness.

Showing Contempt for the Church

Beyond the Present Time
Resurrection Hope
The Lord's Supper

1 Corinthians 11:17-22The Message

17-19 Regarding this next item, I’m not at all pleased. I am getting the picture that when you meet together it brings out your worst side instead of your best! First, I get this report on your divisiveness, competing with and criticizing each other. I’m reluctant to believe it, but there it is. The best that can be said for it is that the testing process will bring truth into the open and confirm it.
20-22 And then I find that you bring your divisions to worship—you come together, and instead of eating the Lord’s Supper, you bring in a lot of food from the outside and make pigs of yourselves. Some are left out, and go home hungry. Others have to be carried out, too drunk to walk. I can’t believe it! Don’t you have your own homes to eat and drink in? Why would you stoop to desecrating God’s church? Why would you actually shame God’s poor? I never would have believed you would stoop to this. And I’m not going to stand by and say nothing.
 

For Reflection

Paul scolds those whose behavior does not exemplify the new faith that they have adopted. Divisiveness and competition for the most right thinking is not unknown in today's churches, both internally and between domination's.

 

 Perhaps Paul was right, at least where exchanging dialog produces mutual understanding about those things which differentiate faith points of view. But sometimes divisiveness leads to polarizing positions which inhibits the practice of loving relationships not only among those with whom we disagree. Such downward spirals of bolstering one's own opinion results in being closed to God's instruction.

 

Pray

for the church. Pray that the church's action follows the expression of Christ's love and compassion for humankind. Pray for each other. Pray that each of us who are committed to Christ's way grow in grace through the discussion of faith issues. Pray that we, who are committed to the practice of Christianity, remain alert to grow from the challenges of following God's call for justice and compassion.

Partaking of the Lord's Table

Beyond the Present Time
Resurection Hope
The Lord's Supper

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

The Message

¹⁴ So, my very dear friends, when you see people reducing God to something they can use or control, get out of their company as fast as you can.
^15-18 I assume I’m addressing believers now who are mature. Draw your own conclusions: When we drink the cup of blessing, aren’t we taking into ourselves the blood, the very life, of Christ? And isn’t it the same with the loaf of bread we break and eat? Don’t we take into ourselves the body, the very life, of Christ? Because there is one loaf, our many-ness becomes one-ness—Christ doesn’t become fragmented in us. Rather, we become unified in him. We don’t reduce Christ to what we are; he raises us to what he is. That’s basically what happened even in old Israel—those who ate the sacrifices offered on God’s altar entered into God’s action at the altar.
^19-22 Do you see the difference? Sacrifices offered to idols are offered to nothing, for what’s the idol but a nothing? Or worse than nothing, a minus, a demon! I don’t want you to become part of something that reduces you to less than yourself. And you can’t have it both ways, banqueting with the Master one day and slumming with demons the next. Besides, the Master won’t put up with it. He wants us—all or nothing. Do you think you can get off with anything less?
 

For Reflection

What is holding you back? From the beginning of recorded time, God has lead the way. God prepares the way for us. God will make sure that all is made well -- even those troubles we encounter for the sake of the Kingdom. He promises that we do not have to confirm to the worldly to survive. We only have to be obedient to Him.

So, what are you waiting for? Give it all over to God. Trust in Him alone. Have confidence in his promise of a full and complete life.

 

Pray

for the courage to be fully obedient and involved in the realization of the kingdom of God. Pray for the courage to follow His guide in Jesus Christ.