The way we face matters. 1 John 3.
The early church was frustrated because it's experience of sin did not match its expectation of righteousness. It's still a problem today!
John wrote to assure them (and us) of God's love and progress in us, even if what we are is not what we will be someday.
He is the propitiation for our sins! (1 John 2:2)
That's a mouthful, but it's important.
Today, we ask what it takes to be a good person. What qualities make us "good"? The Bible teaches that the bar is imposisbly high, but in the resurrection of Jesus, God has made a way to prevent and repair sin, and remain in fellowship with God.
Thomas demanded proof of the resurrection. In John 20, Jesus appears to his disciples, but Thomas was out, and didn't want to take their word for it.
People still demand proof. As Jesus had comapssion for Thomas, He still has compassion, and leaves us evidence of his ongoing, living, presence in the lives of HIs people.
The Journey from the Tomb.
As Mary and Mary walked to the tomb - it had been a long night. Their joy had turned to sorrow and they were full of questions about what might come next. But thier disbelief turned to understanding, which turned to faith, and into purpose as the Risen Lord met them. All believers take the same journey from death into life!
God does not stop saving His people!
On the Great Vigil of Easter, we hear the stories of God's mighty acts of salvation, all leading to His greatest salvation: the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the defeat of sin, and the overcoming of death itself.
All of scripture is intended to teach us about God's character, and his character is one of rescue and salvation.
What story are you telling? The crowds on Palm Sunday knew what Jesus was doing, and so they knew what He was supposed to do when he arrived. But, He didn't fulfill their expectations. He was telling a different story.
Uncomfortable Decisions
In John 12, some Greeks wanted to see Jesus. For Philip, this was uncomfortable. For Jesus, this was a signal that the time had come for the completion of his mission. Moving on to suffer and die was not comfortable, but it was also not a hard choice. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross.
As He accomplished His mission of salvation, He made it possible for us to also make uncomfortable decisions.
The feeding of the 5000 may be the most well-known of Jesus' miracles. In John 6, Jesus takes his following from a mega-church to a home church with one hard teaching, and we can see four different types of followers, who were seeking different things from Jesus. The invitation for all of us is to acknowledge our current place, and seek deeper things.
In John 2, Jesus cleanses the Temple. The center of Jewish life, faith, history, and hope was intended to be a place of worship and prayer. When Jesus arrived for the passover, it was a busy market.
As Jesus clears the moneychangers and salespeople out of the Temple, he shows us about real faith and the real temple.
Muck.
We want to avoid it. Peter wanted to avoid it. Just when the disciples realized exactly who Jesus was, he started to talk to them about the road of pain, suffering, rejection, and death. They were about to head to Jersusalem, where Jesus would accomplish salvation for God's people. But the road was not an easy one.