When our “normal” is disrupted, we can become rattled, disoriented, and fearful. You may be experiencing these emotions and many others during this “shelter in place” time in history. We can tend to lose sight of our ONE constant in life - - Jesus. Today, more than perhaps ever before in our lives, we need to be dwelling on truth. God is STILL sovereign. The stone WAS rolled away and the resurrection is a historical fact. Jesus IS ALIVE! God is still sovereign.
There are a few moments in everyone’s life that change everything. They are pivotal. It can be on a personal level, such as a parent or relative dying, or perhaps a move, or even when God first shined the light of His truth into your heart and life. It can also be global, such as 9/11 or Pearl Harbor. Or now. We are living in and experiencing something that will be remembered in the history books and in all of our lives. God is doing something. He wants to do something in you and in me. Pastor Adam urged us not to miss what God might be doing. Maybe it's through the Covid-19 or perhaps it’s through focusing on the resurrection and the true meaning of Easter this year. Just as Jesus asked the disciples prior to the crucifixion if they could stay awake with him, perhaps He is asking that of you at this time in history. Are you awake?
INVITATION: The resurrection of Jesus is something that changed everything. It is continuing to change history. Pastor Adam outlined four types of crowds that were around during that week between Palm Sunday and Easter. The same types of crowds are around today as we celebrate Easter in 2020 and also as we experience Covid-19. Are you open to what Jesus might be saying, doing or inviting you into? Which crowd are you in regarding the resurrection? Which crowd are you in regarding what God might be up to in the here and now as history unfolds?
CROWD #1: The “what’s in it for me” crowd:
MONDAY: Mark 15:6-15: The week between Palm Sunday and Easter is when Jesus was arrested, beaten and tried. And he never fought back. More than likely, the same people who celebrated him on Palm Sunday decided they were not seeing what THEY wanted in a Messiah, so were yelling “crucify him, crucify him" a few days later. They initially thought they might want this Jesus person on their side, but perhaps he wasn’t living up to their expectations. He wasn’t the type of Messiah they expected. Could this be you when it comes to life with Jesus? This approach is bound to leave you frustrated with God. Does that describe what you are experiencing right now? Pastor Adam pointed out that God WILL allow you to be disappointed in Him. What do you think about a God like that? Do you think there could be benefit in being disappointed in God? Do you think it might even help you on your faith journey?
Jesus didn’t die just to bless your life and circumstances. Cancer still spreads. Jobs are still lost. Viruses still show up and affect the entire world. Jesus died to change us from the inside out. To provide a way of freedom from slavery to sin and a bridge to a perfect and just God. Jesus isn’t something you just “try on for size.” He is someone you surrender to. Have you fully surrendered your life to Jesus or are you still waiting to see what might be in it for you?
CROWD #2: The “I’m smarter than this situation” crowd:
TUESDAY: Mark 14:60-65: At his trial Jesus, beaten and bedraggled, proclaims himself the Christ. Such a declaration must have seemed ridiculous to those gathered - that the man whom they are about to execute is the Messiah. They probably ALL thought they were smarter than the situation which was at hand. Are you called to proclaim Jesus to people to whom that reality might seem foreign or even ridiculous? In what ways might God want you to communicate divine truth? Do YOU stay open to receive divine truth?
WEDNESDAY: I Corinthians 8:1: We are all guilty of making Jesus into our “own image” and thinking we are more in control than we really are. One thing this virus situation has made abundantly clear is how NOT in control we really are. Are you guilty of making Jesus in your own image? Have you “updated” the gospel and the truth of God to suit your 2020 ideas and desires? Has any knowledge about God and Jesus caused you to become “puffed up”in any way? Do you presume you know enough about God to make Jesus in your own image and to your own specifications? How has this quarantine situation helped you reevaluate your relationship with Jesus and the way you live your life and spend your time?
CROWD #3: The “extras in the scene” crowd:
THURSDAY: There are no scriptures for today. Today we talk about the “extras” that were in and around during the week between Palm Sunday and the resurrection of Jesus. The friends. The family. The townspeople. Those for whom the Messiah really had no impact or effect. Thus, there are no scriptures referring to these people who must have been around on the fringes. Perhaps they showed up for the food. Or to make grandma happy. The “holiday crowd.” Perhaps the Easter & Christmas only folks. They just showed up as “extras” but are completely unchanged and unaffected by any of the events or people.
You, too, can walk away from this Easter season and the resurrection of Jesus, as well as this Corona virus situation unaffected and unchanged. Or, you can wonder, seek and search to be on the alert to what God might be up to. Are you watching? Are you praying? Are you tending to your heart and soul? Maybe THIS Easter is a good time to put some spiritual practices into place as you move forward from this unique time and place in history. Make this a momentous time in your life with God and not just a momentous time in history because of a virus. Sin IS a virus that has affected all of humanity. Have you nailed it to the cross with Jesus?
CROWD #4: The “smaller” crowd:
FRIDAY: Mark 16:1-8: This is the crowd committed to following Jesus and doing whatever He asks of them. Many ended up laying down their lives for the cause of Christ. Surrender. It is not a culturally popular word or action. Yet it is what God asks of us. How do you feel about surrendering to Jesus? Jesus backed up ALL he said He was going to do. Jesus is still keeping his promises today. Are you ready to surrender to that type of person with all the life changes He requires of His followers? Something much bigger than yourself?
SATURDAY: Matthew 28:6: He is not here; he has risen, JUST AS HE SAID. Do you believe the words of Jesus from Scripture? Do you believe what Jesus speaks into your heart and life today? How might the experience of the resurrection - or perhaps the Covid Virus - change how you listen and respond to Jesus in your life?