Saturday, April 15, 2006
The Hope of Glory & the End of the Story The Resurrection of Our Lord
Read: Mark 16:1-8
"He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.” (Mk. 16:6)
As we conclude this devotional study on the Lord's gracious presence, we
rejoice to declare His absence—His absence from the tomb. The women have
come to the tomb to prepare Jesus' body for burial, but He's not there. He's risen
from the dead. To rise from the dead, He's conquered death once for all—for
all time and for all people. He isn't going to die again, but lives forever.
When the women first hear the news, they're afraid and silent. But Jesus is
still risen, and He still lives forever!
The presence of God is woven into the story of His people throughout
history; but while the Bible ends with Revelation 22, the story continues. Where
death is conquered, only life remains. Where death is no more, there is no more
end. Remember: all that Jesus does, He does for you. He was crucified for you,
to redeem you from sin. He rose again to conquer death for you. He ascended
into heaven so that you might be taken to heaven, too; and because He lives
forever, so do you. That's the end of the story.
There are two great temptations to distract you from heaven. One is to
delight so much in the things of this world that you care nothing for what lies
hereafter; this is the plight of our society today, and its hype of pleasurable life
is really a culture of death. The other temptation is to be so crushed by the
effects of sin on this dying world as to simply give up in despair. Like the
women at the tomb, you will at times be silent and afraid. As one who spends a
fair amount of time visiting the ill, the disturbed, the dying and the imprisoned, I
seem to have mislaid my rose-colored glasses. I'm really quite happy if the Lord
returns in glory today. I give thanks to the Lord for the hope of heaven and the
assurance of eternal life.
I remember a phone call I received from a fellow pastor when things were
going poorly in my first parish, where some had literally demanded that I stop
preaching the Word of God. The outlook was grim, and I related the situation to
this pastor and said, “The end of the story is going to be ugly.” He replied, “No!
You know the end of the story, and it begins with the resurrection of the dead.
In the meantime, you've got a couple chapters to endure.” So do you. Your
afflictions may be far different from mine, but the devil, the world and your own
sinful flesh are going to do their evil best to beat the Life out of you. Such
chapters come, and they can get pretty long.
But they're not the end of the story; nor, despite their boasts, are they the
main theme. Here is the theme of history: your Savior is with you. Having
become flesh to live, die, rise and ascend, He comes to give these to you. He's
joined you to His death and resurrection in Baptism, when He put His name on
you. The Word-made-flesh still speaks His life-giving, wonder-working Word
to forgive your sins. He feeds you His Supper for forgiveness, to strengthen and
preserve you in the one true faith until...life everlasting!
That's the end of the story. And it's only the beginning.
The Lord be with you. Amen ¶ 4/15/2006 10:53:00 PM
Read: Mark 16:1-8
"He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.” (Mk. 16:6)
As we conclude this devotional study on the Lord's gracious presence, we
rejoice to declare His absence—His absence from the tomb. The women have
come to the tomb to prepare Jesus' body for burial, but He's not there. He's risen
from the dead. To rise from the dead, He's conquered death once for all—for
all time and for all people. He isn't going to die again, but lives forever.
When the women first hear the news, they're afraid and silent. But Jesus is
still risen, and He still lives forever!
The presence of God is woven into the story of His people throughout
history; but while the Bible ends with Revelation 22, the story continues. Where
death is conquered, only life remains. Where death is no more, there is no more
end. Remember: all that Jesus does, He does for you. He was crucified for you,
to redeem you from sin. He rose again to conquer death for you. He ascended
into heaven so that you might be taken to heaven, too; and because He lives
forever, so do you. That's the end of the story.
There are two great temptations to distract you from heaven. One is to
delight so much in the things of this world that you care nothing for what lies
hereafter; this is the plight of our society today, and its hype of pleasurable life
is really a culture of death. The other temptation is to be so crushed by the
effects of sin on this dying world as to simply give up in despair. Like the
women at the tomb, you will at times be silent and afraid. As one who spends a
fair amount of time visiting the ill, the disturbed, the dying and the imprisoned, I
seem to have mislaid my rose-colored glasses. I'm really quite happy if the Lord
returns in glory today. I give thanks to the Lord for the hope of heaven and the
assurance of eternal life.
I remember a phone call I received from a fellow pastor when things were
going poorly in my first parish, where some had literally demanded that I stop
preaching the Word of God. The outlook was grim, and I related the situation to
this pastor and said, “The end of the story is going to be ugly.” He replied, “No!
You know the end of the story, and it begins with the resurrection of the dead.
In the meantime, you've got a couple chapters to endure.” So do you. Your
afflictions may be far different from mine, but the devil, the world and your own
sinful flesh are going to do their evil best to beat the Life out of you. Such
chapters come, and they can get pretty long.
But they're not the end of the story; nor, despite their boasts, are they the
main theme. Here is the theme of history: your Savior is with you. Having
become flesh to live, die, rise and ascend, He comes to give these to you. He's
joined you to His death and resurrection in Baptism, when He put His name on
you. The Word-made-flesh still speaks His life-giving, wonder-working Word
to forgive your sins. He feeds you His Supper for forgiveness, to strengthen and
preserve you in the one true faith until...life everlasting!
That's the end of the story. And it's only the beginning.
The Lord be with you. Amen ¶ 4/15/2006 10:53:00 PM
