TIME FOR A COME BACK
DAY 70: The New Testament passage for today is a familiar one. Of all the Bible scriptures, it is those that describe the death and resurrection of Jesus that create in my mind a scene as familiar as if it were my own memory. From entering the city on the donkey, to the arrest in Gethsemane, to the brutality of the crucifixion, I breathlessly "relive" it all as it unfolds in the living Words of scripture. And every time I am moved by the reality of it. I How could I not be?
My greatest insight is always the same when my focus is the cross: Oh, what a sinner am I! New and fresh I am humiliated to think that Christ endured all for me- as I am. Yet, even in my shame, I am overwhelmed by His love. Reading it again, I pondered on that, letting the images form in my mind of the mob, the whip, the thorns, the robe, and my Savior's words rasped to the mob: "forgive them." The weight of it crushes any illusions that I have that it is I who found God.
The Passion of Christ declares for all time that God found me, pursued me, bought me, and won me at such a price that I could never conceive.
The grandeur of that reality almost made me overlook the very first evidence after Jesus death that He is indeed the pursuer. Mark 16 opens on the morning of Jesus resurrection. The women who had followed Jesus in life, arrived at the tomb to serve Him in death. They went to put spices on His body.
4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.
Change of plans. Jesus did not require embalming spices. "He has risen!" So this was no time for standing and gawking; they were sent on an errand.
7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
Wait. Did you catch that? Go tell his disciples.... and PETER?? Rewind. I think there is a problem. Just a couple of days ago it seemed Peter had resigned from Jesus' band of men. Three times he was given the chance to stand up and be counted and three times while Jesus was being interrogated, Peter denied he even knew his Master Jesus.
It was such a disgrace for the disciple who had just before made the bold declaration that he would die with Jesus. What were Peter's exact words from Mark 14? "Everyone else may dessert you, I never will. . . Not even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you." That is what he had said when Jesus told him that before that night was even over, Peter would fail him.
Now, when the pain is over and Jesus' triumph is at hand, God through the angel's directions, singles out Peter. Why hadn't he just said, "the disciples?" If Peter was still with them he would be included. No, the angles' instruction were clear: GO TELL PETER... Peter who denied me...
to be among the first to see Him, rejoice with Him, hear from Jesus himself of the forgiveness that His death had bought - for Peter. I am overwhelmed by this generous pursuit of God to the one who folded to cowardice.The truth is that Jesus forgave Peter BEFORE Peter ever failed Him. He knew Peter's weakness. He knew Peter better than Peter knew himself. And Jesus forgave the sin of denial before it was even committed. That IS the point of the cross!
Peter would not have to slink back to Jesus in shame, or beg to be taken back. He was personally invited to come. Jesus pursued him. As I think of the cross, it is the perfect inauguration of the risen Savior's redeeming work: Peter the Proud, Peter the Loud, Peter the Fearful, Peter the Faltering, is sought after by Jesus the Risen.
It is this little nugget that I will carry with me from today's reading because I know what it is to fail my Savior. Yet He forgives before I sin, and He calls my name to come back and meet Him.
SO I will say it again:
Day 70 of 365
Numbers 16:41-50
Numbers 17
Numbers 18
Mark 16
Psalm 55:1-23
Proverbs 11:7
My greatest insight is always the same when my focus is the cross: Oh, what a sinner am I! New and fresh I am humiliated to think that Christ endured all for me- as I am. Yet, even in my shame, I am overwhelmed by His love. Reading it again, I pondered on that, letting the images form in my mind of the mob, the whip, the thorns, the robe, and my Savior's words rasped to the mob: "forgive them." The weight of it crushes any illusions that I have that it is I who found God.
The Passion of Christ declares for all time that God found me, pursued me, bought me, and won me at such a price that I could never conceive.
The grandeur of that reality almost made me overlook the very first evidence after Jesus death that He is indeed the pursuer. Mark 16 opens on the morning of Jesus resurrection. The women who had followed Jesus in life, arrived at the tomb to serve Him in death. They went to put spices on His body.
4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.
Change of plans. Jesus did not require embalming spices. "He has risen!" So this was no time for standing and gawking; they were sent on an errand.
7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
Wait. Did you catch that? Go tell his disciples.... and PETER?? Rewind. I think there is a problem. Just a couple of days ago it seemed Peter had resigned from Jesus' band of men. Three times he was given the chance to stand up and be counted and three times while Jesus was being interrogated, Peter denied he even knew his Master Jesus.
It was such a disgrace for the disciple who had just before made the bold declaration that he would die with Jesus. What were Peter's exact words from Mark 14? "Everyone else may dessert you, I never will. . . Not even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you." That is what he had said when Jesus told him that before that night was even over, Peter would fail him.
Now, when the pain is over and Jesus' triumph is at hand, God through the angel's directions, singles out Peter. Why hadn't he just said, "the disciples?" If Peter was still with them he would be included. No, the angles' instruction were clear: GO TELL PETER... Peter who denied me...
Jesus wanted Peter to COME BACK,
to be among the first to see Him, rejoice with Him, hear from Jesus himself of the forgiveness that His death had bought - for Peter. I am overwhelmed by this generous pursuit of God to the one who folded to cowardice.The truth is that Jesus forgave Peter BEFORE Peter ever failed Him. He knew Peter's weakness. He knew Peter better than Peter knew himself. And Jesus forgave the sin of denial before it was even committed. That IS the point of the cross!
Peter would not have to slink back to Jesus in shame, or beg to be taken back. He was personally invited to come. Jesus pursued him. As I think of the cross, it is the perfect inauguration of the risen Savior's redeeming work: Peter the Proud, Peter the Loud, Peter the Fearful, Peter the Faltering, is sought after by Jesus the Risen.
It is this little nugget that I will carry with me from today's reading because I know what it is to fail my Savior. Yet He forgives before I sin, and He calls my name to come back and meet Him.
SO I will say it again:
The Passion of Christ declares for all time that God found me, pursued
me, bought me, and won me at such a price that I could never conceive...and He did it for me just as I am.
Day 70 of 365
Numbers 16:41-50
Numbers 17
Numbers 18
Mark 16
Psalm 55:1-23
Proverbs 11:7
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