Waylon Prendergast, 37, of Tampa, Florida, committed a spur-of-the-moment robbery while on his way home from a late-night drinking session. A very inebriated Mr. Prendergast forced his way into the house through an open upstairs window, filling a suitcase with cash and valuables before setting the living room on fire to cover his tracks. He then escaped through the back door and made his way home, chuckling all the way. Only as he turned the corner into his own street, however, and discovered three fire engines outside his house, he did not realize that in his drunkenness he had, in fact, burgled and ignited his own property. His comment: "I had no idea I had so many valuable possessions."
While we may not do anything quite that foolish (at least nothing that makes the national newspapers), there are times when Christians need to stop and reflect, coming to same conclusion Mr. Prendergast did: "I had no idea I had so many valuable possessions." (Source: DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD | San Diego Today)
From family and friends to material comforts (like electricity and running water), from our basic needs (like food) to luxuries other generations never dreamed of (like a personal computer or cell phone for everyone in the home), from the freedoms we enjoy to the jobs we hold…BUT MORE than all these is all we have in Jesus! Even beyond the physical blessings, there is so much that God has given us through Jesus Christ. Consider what Paul reminded us of in Ephesians 1:3.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ."
Are you living with the reality of many valuable possessions? Yet, how are so many valuable possessions possible for each of us today? It is a vital thing to rehearse often the sacrifice Jesus endured that revealed our many valuable possessions!
Fear Cripples Faith (Lk. 24:5; 36-38)
Three shocking revelations take place in this passage. First, the great stone that sealed the tomb had been rolled away to open the entrance (24:2). Second, Jesus’ body was gone (24:3)! It was buried in the tomb, but now it is gone. The third shocking revelation is communication with angels (24:4-7)! Their hearts were already beating fast having found the tomb opened (not sealed closed) and the body of Jesus was missing, but now two men in shining garments are talking to them! Matthew 28:2 tells us that there was a great earthquake, and the angel of the Lord rolled the stone back and sat on the stone. Matthew 28:3 also tells us that the countenance of the angel was like lightning, and his clothing was white as snow. This is an intimidating scene! In fact, Matthew 28:4 reveals that the guards of the tomb were so scared that they shook and became like dead men.
Did you notice in our reading that the men were overtaken with fear like “dead men,” but the women were able to hear what the angels say to them. Perhaps the fear that overtook the men was rooted in the realization of their part in killing a just man (but the Bible does not tell us that for sure)? Guilt can be a powerful motivation for fear.
The disciples struggled with fear at the time of Jesus’ arrest (Jn. 20:19).
Peter struggled with fear while walking on water (Matt. 14:29-31).
Peter struggled with fear at Jesus’ trial and denied knowing Jesus (Lk. 22:54-62)
God tells Paul in a vision not to be afraid (suggesting he was afraid) during his mission in Corinth (Acts 18:9-10).
The young preacher, Timothy, is reminded that God had not given us a spirit of fear, but He has given us a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind (II Tim. 1:7).
Fear is a common human response in the Bible and in life today! How are fears resolved in all of these situations? God reminds them of truth and truth increases their faith. Fear cripples faith, but truth bolsters faith!
Fear Questions Truth (v.11-12, 13-24, 25)
Fear was present throughout the church after the crucifixion (Jn. 20:19). The disciples were confused, maybe a little depressed, and in the middle of grieving the death of Jesus. Fear has a way of doubting truth.
Luke 24:10 says there was a large group of women who had gone to Jesus’ tomb. The women have now returned and have told the disciples what the angels said to them, but the disciples didn’t believe them (Lk. 24:11). However, it was enough to stir Peter and John to run to the tomb and see for themselves. Peter takes off, but John runs faster and gets to the tomb first. John stands at the entry of the tomb, breathing heavily, and looks inside. He sees the empty tomb and grave clothes, but no Jesus. Peter arrives at the tomb and runs right past John and goes directly into the tomb. The women were right! Jesus was not there!!
I wonder if Peter and John’s minds started racing through the things Jesus taught them, like in Matthew 16:21. This would have been the first time Jesus would told the disciples He had to go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be killed, and on the third day be raised to life again. Jesus would also speak of His death and resurrection in Matthew 17:22-23 and Matthew 20:18-19. Their minds had to be racing! Luke 24:12 tells us they are still confused and did not know what was going on.
Truth Bolsters Faith (vv. 5-6, 34)
The excitement over Christ’s missing body is growing among the disciples now. Jesus appears to two men on the road to Emmaus. One of the men may have been Simon, but not Simon Peter, according to Luke 24:32. These two men run back to the disciples and tell them Jesus is definitely alive! Then something undeniable happens. Read Luke 24:36-49. Jesus appears to the disciples in a room and says, “Peace be to you.” Can you imagine a man you thought to be dead …that you saw die with your own eyes…is now in the room talking to you?! Their response is fear and confusion. Jesus immediately calms and reassures them with pointing out truth! He shows them His scars on His hands and feet (24:39). The disciples believe they are seeing a ghost, so Jesus tells them to touch Him to show He has flesh and bones. Jesus also asks for some food to eat and enjoys a fish dinner with a side of honey (24:43)!
Truth is Jesus (Jn. 17:17) and truth is the scriptures (Jn. 14:6). Truth is your weapon against fear! Rehearse these 7 truths about Jesus to build up your faith this week:
1. Jesus took the judgment I deserve! (II Cor. 5:21; I Pet. 2:24
2. Jesus loves me more than I can imagine & died for me (John 3:16-18; I Jn. 4:10)!
3. Jesus is not dead. He lives and intercedes on my behalf! (Lk. 24; Rom. 8:26-27, 34)
4. Jesus does what He says He will do! (Die & Rise Again, and much more) (Matt. 16:21; Jn. 19; Lk. 24)
5. Jesus cannot be defeated! (Gen. 3:15; Matt. 28)
6. Jesus wants us to believe Him! He patiently gives the disciples truth to encourage their faith, and He patiently guides us to follow Him as well. (Jn. 5:24; Heb. 11:6)
7. Jesus alone calms my fears! The One who is all-powerful that death cannot hold Him…the One who loves me so much that He is ready to forgive me…the One who is completely in control and has had a plan to save my soul from the beginning of creation – He alone is able to calm my fears. (Ps. 147:5; Jer. 31:3; Rom. 8:28; Col. 1:16-18; Phil. 4:6-7; Is. 41:10; II Tim. 1:7)
At 12:55 pm the mayday call crackled through the speakers at the Flight Service Station on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. The desperate pilot of a Piper A22, a small single-engine plane, was reporting that he had run out of fuel and was preparing to ditch the aircraft in the waters of Cook Inlet.
On board were four people, two adults and two young girls, ages 11 and 12. They had departed two hours earlier from Port Alsworth, a small community on the south shore of Lake Clark, bound for Soldotna, a distance of about 150 miles. Under normal conditions it would been a routine flight; however, the combination of fierce headwinds and a failure to top off the fuel tank had created a lethal situation.
Upon hearing the plane’s tail number, the air traffic controller realized that his own daughter was one of the young passengers aboard the plane. In desperation himself, he did everything possible to assist the pilot; but suddenly the transmission was cut off. The plane had crashed into the icy waters. Four helicopters operating nearby began searching the area within minutes of the emergency call, but they found no evidence of the plane and no survivors. The aircraft had been traveling without water survival gear, leaving its four passengers with even less of a chance to make it through the ordeal. Fiercely cold Cook Inlet, with its unpredictable glacial currents, is considered among the most dangerous waters in the world. It can claim a life in minutes, and that day it claimed four.
Kirk adds these thoughts to the story: For reasons we will never know, the pilot of that doomed aircraft chose not to use the resources that were at his disposal. He did not have enough fuel. He did not have the proper survival equipment. Perhaps he had not taken the time to get the day’s weather report. Whatever the case, he did not use the resources that were available; and in this instance the consequences were fatal.
BECAUSE OF THE RESURRECTION, and Jesus’ conquering sin, death, and hell -- We have more than all the resources we could ever need – all found in Jesus! Turn your gaze to truth and find your hope in Jesus today!