1 Timothy 1:1 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope…
4 types of responses to the resurrection illustrated on Easter morning
1. The women, stage one – Luke 24:1-4 (before interacting with the angels)
2. The women, stage two – Luke 24:5-10 (after interacting with the angels)
3. The men – Luke 24:11
4. Peter – Luke 24:12
I. Rejection – The Resurrection Is Non-Sense (v. 11)
Matthew 27:55-56 - Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him. Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Matthew 26:56 - But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets. Then all the disciples left Him and fled.
John 19:26-27 - When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.
John 19:40-42 - So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
Matthew 27:62-66 - Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’ Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.
Matthew 28:2 - And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.
Matthew 28:11-15 - …some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.” And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.
Luke 24:2-3 - And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
Luke 24:10 - Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.
Luke 24:11 - But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.
Matthew 16:21 - From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.
Matthew 17:22-23 - And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved.
Matthew 20:17-19 - As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”
Laros – totally devoid of anything worthwhile, idle talk
Plummer – a word used to describe the delirious talk of the very sick
Acts 4:2 - …being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
Acts 4:10 - …let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead – by this name this man stands here before you in good health.
Acts 4:11-12 - “He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
II. Disregard – The Resurrection Is Impossible (vv. 23:55-24:7)
Luke 23:56 - Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
Luke 24:5-7 - Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
III. Intrigue – The Resurrection Is Interesting (v. 12)
Luke 24:12 - But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.
“The term for ‘wonder’ here is not one that indicates full faith or understanding, but it does suggest, given that Peter went to investigate, that he was open to the women’s declaration (cf. Luke 1:21, 63; 2:18, 33; 4:22; 8:35; 9:43; 11:14).” (Darrell L. Bock Jesus According to the Scriptures: Restoring the Portrait from the Gospels, 396)
Acts 17:31 - …because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:17-18 - For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
IV. Acceptance – The Resurrection Is My Hope (vv. 8-9)
Luke 24:8-10 - And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.
- How do you respond to news that is difficult to believe…especially when you don’t have any category in your mind for such a report to be true because an event like that has never happened before?
- most of us who were adults at the time can remember exactly where we were and exactly what we were doing when we first heard about 911…
- I think it would be interesting to go around the room and listen to the way different people here processed that news…
- I know for me, I didn’t have access to a TV or other news sources at that moment…and I was right in the middle of doing something else…so I’m not sure I initially believed it…
- not because I thought the person who told me was lying…
- but I had no category in my mind in which to insert this new piece of information…
- the thought of a group of individuals purposely hijacking an airplane and then crashing it into a major building seemed like non-sense…that had never happened before so it must not be happening now…
- and I don’t know if this was your experience…but that same dynamic occurred in my mind several more times that day…
- what do you mean that there are multiple planes that have been hijacked?...
- what do you mean that a second tower has been hit?...
- what do you mean that the entire buildings could collapse?...
- what do you mean that the Pentagon has been hit?...
- what do you mean that all airline traffic around the country has been grounded?
- what do you mean that the President is flying around in Air Force One
- I don’t remember when that news came out, but I do remember looking up in the sky that night and seeing what I thought was an airplane…and thinking, how could that be if all planes have been grounded…and then hearing later that Air Force One had been visible from our area that night]…
- honestly – my mind may have been making all of that up because by that point on 911, I wasn’t sure what to believe about anything…
- but that’s actually the point -- How do you respond to news that is difficult to believe…especially when you don’t have any category in your mind for such a report to be true because an event like that has never happened before?
- for me, I have trouble believing it right away because it just seems like non-sense…
- did that also happen to you when you began hearing about COVID?...
- did you immediately think – world-wide pandemic, masks, social distancing, and everything else that went terrible period of time?...
- I know I didn’t…I was downstairs at the Northend Community Center when someone came and reported that the Governor had asked that churches our size not meet that coming Sunday…
- it was the same kind of response…that’s non-sense…that’s never happened in my lifetime before therefore it couldn’t be happening now…
- the lesson is – just because it’s difficult to believe…
- and just because it’s never happened before…
- doesn’t mean that’s not what’s happening right now…
- this morning, we’re going to study a passage of Scripture that announces news of an event that is even more consequential than 911 or the recent pandemic…
- and part of what’s fascinating is that there are 4 very distinct kinds of responses to what had occurred…
- but this isn’t simply a history lesson…the key question for all our listeners is – how have you responded to the news that Jesus is alive, and that there is new life available in His name?
- with that in mind, please open your Bible to Luke 24…that’s on page 69 of the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…
- our theme this year is Hope for Everyday Life…we’ve been having a wonderful time studying verse by verse through the book of 1 Peter…Lord willing, we’ll return to that next Sunday…
- and what we’re learning is that we certainly can’t place our hope in external circumstances, or short-term fixes, or even principles or ideas…
- ultimately our hope is grounded in a Person – our risen and living Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…
- that’s why Paul said to Timothy - 1 Timothy 1:1 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope,
- Jesus if our Hope – (because) Jesus is Our Life
- let’s read this passage which gives us 4 types of responses to the resurrection illustrated on Easter morning.
- and I should probably give you a word of warning – instead of looking at the examples in the order in which they appear in the passage…we’re going to list them from the worst to the best…
- and as we do, please ask the Holy Spirit to help you identify which category most closely describes where you’re coming from this am…
- read Luke 24:1-12
- so we’re talking about How Jesus is our Life…and looking for 4 types of responses to the resurrection.
- and as we said before we read the verses – let’s think about them from the worst to the best…
- so if you’re looking at it like that…which person or groups of persons comes in last place?...
- perhaps to make that question a bit easier to process…let’s at least list the four persons/groups – and let’s do that chronologically, the way we would typically think about a passage:
1. The women, stage one – Luke 24:1-4 (before interacting with the angels)
2. The women, stage two – Luke 24:5-10 (after interacting with the angels)
3. The men – Luke 24:11
4. Peter – Luke 24:12
- so if those are the categories of responses, who comes in the worst?
- I don’t think there’s any question, do you?...it’s the men in verse 11..who concluded…
I. Rejection – The Resurrection is Non-Sense – v. 11
- by the way, this is another very strong reason to believe in the authority of the Bible…
- because of how honest it is about the failures of those who in some cases became leaders in the early church either before or when these gospels were actually being written…
- there’s no doubt that the women in this passage, and on Easter morning in general, evidence far stronger faith than the men…
- and that would have been explosive in the culture in which the Bible was written…
- yet if that’s what happened…then that’s what’s recorded…
- just to keep this all clear, let’s remind ourselves of a few details…
- at the Crucifixion, right after the Centurion exclaimed that truly this was the Son of God…we read that…
- Matthew 27:55–56 - Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him. Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
- we also know that previously, in direct fulfillment of OT prophecy - Matthew 26:56 – “But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.
- the only disciple that we know was present when Jesus died was John…because do you remember what Jesus said to him from the cross – in what was a very touching moment… John 19:26–27 - When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He *said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.
- it’s amazing to think that while Jesus was in agony after being tortured and now dying for our sins…he paused to be sure that the needs of His mother had been addressed…
- then a man named Joseph of Arimathea came and asked Pilate for permission to remove Jesus’ body…that’s after the soldiers had confirmed that He had already died which is why they did not break his legs as they did with the other two men who were crucified with Jesus…
- Joseph was joined by Nicodemus…and John explains that… John 19:40–42 - So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
- all of that is confirmed in the verses in Luke just prior to what we already read…read Luke 23:50-56…
- now what happened on that Sabbath Day?...Pilate received what had to be the strangest request he had ever heard…
- Matthew 27:62–66 - Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’ “Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.
- you have to put yourself in Pilate’s sandals on that one…let me get this straight…you want guards placed at a crucified man’s tomb…whom my own soldiers have certified is dead?...
- now our passage brings us to Easter Sunday morning…
- a lot has already occurred that the people in our passage don’t yet know…
- Matthew explains in chapter 28 of his gospel that… Matthew 28:2 - And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.
- the soldiers fainted…and then when they revived… Matthew 28:11–15 - …some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ “And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.” And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.
- this is why in our passage…when the women set out in verse 1 to continue the process of preparing Jesus body for burial…
- Luke 24:2–3 - And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
- now if you’ve been reviewing these details this week, or perhaps you’ve studied them before…it would appear that Mary Magdalene got ahead of the other women…and there were some comings and goings that morning that are beyond the scope of what we can address this morning…
- but Luke’s clear point is…
- the women came to anoint Christ’s body for burial…
- the stone was rolled away so some of them went inside and found that Jesus body was gone…
- when they were perplexed about what was happening, two angels announced to them that Jesus had risen from the dead…
- they remembered Christ’s words, and verse 10 reports… Luke 24:10 - Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.
- you just have to close your eyes and imagine what this conversation must have sounded like…undoubtedly people talking over one another…excited…relieved…amazed…
- and then there’s the cold water verse if there ever was one…
- Luke 24:11 - But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.
- they rejected the news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ…
- now, on the one hand, I suppose we could cut them some slack for the reasons we gave in the introduction…this event makes the news of 911 or the pandemic pale in comparison…
- we don’t have any direct evidence…but it’s at least possible if not likely that they weren’t inclined to believe the news because of the gender of the people giving it…
- but cutting slack stops when you consider how many times Jesus had told them this would happen…
- Matthew 16:21 - From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.
- you remember this passage – this is when Jesus had just told His disciples that He was going to build His church…and the only way that could be possible is if He first died for our sins, was raised from the dead…because otherwise sin-cursed people like you and me could not possibly be forgiven of our sins, could not possibly be reconciled to a Holy God, could not possibly have the kind of new life necessary to cooperate together in an organization called a church…
- and you remember Peter’s response?...Not so Lord…
- and you remember Jesus’ response – Get thee behind me Satan…
- you would think that a rebuke of that magnitude would have been seared in Peter’s memory…
- and there were many, many times when Jesus told His disciples in advance that this would happen…
- Matthew 17:22–23 - And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved
- Matthew 20:17–19 - As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”
- time doesn’t allow us to look at all the examples – but the point is clear
- Jesus told them in advance exactly what would happen…
- the women reported the message they had received directly from an angelic messenger from God…
- and when the men heard it – they concluded that it was non-sense…
- Laros – totally devoid of anything worthwhile, idle talk
- Plummer – a word used to describe the delirious talk of the very sick
- I wonder how many people will hear this message today and that’s your response to the Easter message…
- maybe there’s some parts of the Bible that you like…
- perhaps the moral teachings or non-miraculous ideas that are more palatable to the modern mind…
- but a Savior who died on the cross as a substitutionary death for your sin and then miraculously rose from the dead on the third day…
- maybe you wouldn’t say it out loud…but in your heart…that’s non-sense…
- friend, the good news is – you’re not the first person to think that…
- the bad news is – you’re dead wrong…and I believe this response is recorded in the Bible to jar men and women out of that unfortunate condition…
- and that takes us back to more good news – these men changed their mind…they repented…and this very doctrine became the focus of their lives and ministry…so much so that in the book of Acts, the religious leaders were… Acts 4:2 - being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
- and after they healed a man in Jesus’ name – they explained -- Acts 4:10 - let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health.
- then they said - Acts 4:11–12 - “He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
- friend – if you came in this morning believing that the resurrection is non-sense – we would invite you to change your mind…and choose to place your faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as your hope for new life in the present, and eternal life in the days to come…
- now, you might say – well, I wouldn’t come right out and call the message of the resurrection non-sense…
- that’s good – but there are some other substandard conditions illustrated here…what about…
II. Disregard – The Resurrection is Impossible – vv. 23:55-24:7
- we could call this – the women stage 1…
- there’s no doubt that they were devoted…and courageously so…
- many of them stayed and watched Jesus die…
- they wanted Jesus’ dead body properly prepared…
- it’s also interesting to see how careful they were not to do their work on the sabbath…
- Luke 23:56 - Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
- so they were religiously devout…
- but what…they were unwilling to believe what seemed impossible to them…
- Which is why they received a twofold mild rebuke…but a rebuke nonetheless…
- Luke 24:5–7 - …“Why do you seek the living One among the dead? “He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”
- at this stage in the story – these women illustrate well the condition of being devout, but only to the point to which what God has said makes sense to them…
- I wonder how many people in our community would be living and believing in a way that this consistent with this particular category?...
- if you asked the average person that you know if they believe they will go to heaven…the typical answer is – I hope you, or I think so…rarely would someone say no…
- but then if you follow that up with something like – on what are you basing that hope/belief?...or, what determines whether a person goes to heaven?...
- almost always, you will hear some version of works righteousness…
- well, I’m a good person (do you ever meet anyone who’s not, btw?)…I’d give someone the shirt off my back…
- but the notion is that God grades on a curve…and since you’re better than many people you know…you will enter heaven on the basis of your own deeds…
- what’s convenient about that position is that you don’t have to believe many things the Bible says that are unpalatable to modern sensibilities…
- so you can disregard God’s holiness…you can disregard man’s sinfulness…
- you can disregard the need for a substitutionary of a Savior on the cross…
- you can disregard the reality of His bodily resurrection from the grave…
- you can disregard all sorts of things the Bible says that you find objectionable…
- and you can still be a fairly kind, fairly devout person if/when that suits you…
- and what do people who hold this position do with the message of Easter?...
- they probably wouldn’t come right out and say its non-sense…but they don’t truly believe it, because let’s face it – a bodily resurrection is impossible…
- what do you think the angel would say to such a person?...and friend, if honestly that’s you today – what do you think the angel would say to you?...[re-read Luke 25:5-7]…
- why not admit your need and place your belief in what He spoke while you have the opportunity to do so?...
- a third response is what we see in Peter in verse 12…you could call it…
III. Intrigue – The Resurrection is Interesting – v. 12
- Luke 24:12 - But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.
- this is a different side of Peter, isn’t it?...it’s almost contemplative…
- normally he’s quick to get on the bandwagon…you wonder why he’s slowed down?...
- maybe because if Jesus is alive, there’s the question of how the resurrected Christ will deal with Peter’s three denials?...
- maybe the disillusionment with a living Messiah who allowed Himself to be crucified on a cross?...
- maybe it was just like my initial response to 911 or COVID 19 – I just don’t have a category in my mind for an event like this and I don’t know what to do with it?...
- commentator Darrell Bock notes – “The term for “wonder” here is not one that indicates full faith or understanding, but it does suggest, given that Peter went to investigate, that he was open to the women’s declaration (cf. Luke 1:21, 63; 2:18, 33; 4:22; 8:35; 9:43; 11:14).” Darrell L. Bock Jesus According to the Scriptures : Restoring the Portrait from the Gospels, 396.
- that may be where you find yourself today…you haven’t rejected the message of the resurrection…you haven’t disregarded it…you find it intriguing…
- what’s the good news and bad news there…
- I suppose it’s better than the first 2 categories…but what?...
- it still falls short of biblical faith…of saving faith…
- friend – intrigue won’t get you to heaven…that’s why Paul explained to the pagan philosophers on Mars Hill that God -- Acts 17:31 - because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”
- the resurrection is great news to those who have chosen to believe it, but terrifying news to those who haven’t…
- most Americans, if they know any verse in the Bible, know John 3:16…
- John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
- you might say – that’s beautiful – and it is…but have you considered what Jesus said next?...
- John 3:17–18 - “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
- intrigue won’t get you to heaven…and it does come down to what you’re choosing to believe regarding your sternal destiny?...friend, what do you believe?...
- perhaps you’ve heard of an acrobat named Charles Blondin…
- Thankfully, there’s one more option…
IV. Acceptance – The Resurrection is My Hope – vv. 8-9
- we could call this – the women stage two…
- they were mildly rebuked by the angel – there’s no doubt about that…
- but wise is a person who takes God’s rebuke well…
- Luke 24:8–10 - And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.
- it’s amazing what happens in a person’s life when they truly believe the resurrection is their hope…
- just this past Sunday night at our CFN, we had a number of people…just like we do month after month after month…follow the Lord in believer’s baptism…and join our church…
- and they gave testimony to how….they remembered His words…
- they were living in sin…far away from the Lord…
- then they heard the gospel…and in some cases had heard it many, many times…
- but finally they believed it…they truly believed it…
- and because they died to sin and were united with Christ in His resurrection, their lives were dramatically changed…
- does that need to be you this am?...
- we saw a powerful illustration of that in the tragic murder at a Christian School in Nashville the week before last…
- six persons were brutally murdered by someone who had rejected the gospel…
- one person who died was the Head of School at Covenant, a 60 year old woman named Katherine Koonce
- during COVID – Mrs. Koonce penned a blog post entitled “Whatever”….Here are a few lines from what she wrote…
This morning I spent some time talking to God about this past week, and a particular word came to mind…the word of the week is whatever. Hold on. Not so fast. This is not the whatever you may be thinking about. This is not the whatever that punctuates so many frustrating conversations. This is not the whatever of the middle-schooler not wanting to continue a conversation. We have come to expect this word to be a response to something we don’t like but can’t avoid. But what I heard is an entirely different case of whatever.
The word whatever occurs over 170 times in the Scriptures, usually indicating wholehearted commitment and obedience – to do whatever God asks of us…perhaps the clearest depiction of whatever is in the book of Philippians. Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – these are the things on which God wants us to dwell. Paul goes on to say that he has “learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”
Daily I need to open my heart to whatever. Whatever God has for our school, whatever the duration of our distance learning, whatever the trials we’re having to endure – we still believe, we are still faithful, we will still love Him wholeheartedly. Whatever difficulties or blessings are evident in our homes, we will seek to do the next right thing. With hands open to whatever, we will make good decisions, we will construct good plans, and we will seek to do whatever pleases God.
When will we open again for campus learning? What will our end-of-year celebrations look like? Will we get to experience our school traditions again together this year? There is no one who wants to return to school more than I do. Yet whatever the rest of our school year holds, we will work to meet each other’s needs, to love each other well, and to prepare our students faithfully. I invite you to join me in a whole-hearted and active pursuit of whatever.
- On the morning of March 27th, Mrs. Koonce was on a Zoom call…and when she realized what was occurring, it would appear that she ran toward the shooter…giving her life in defense of her students…
- that’s the kind of courage that can come from believing in the reality and power of the resurrection…
- friend, please don’t reject the message of the empty tomb…or disregard it, or find it intriguing…
- acknowledge your sin…and accept the message of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection…
- Nearly 2000 years ago, a group of women were used by God to be the very first in that line…
- those are wise footsteps to follow…