On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
Instructions from a dead Man?
Can the dead speak?
Imagine seeing Jesus walking, talking and eating after you
witnessed him crucified, bleeding and dying before your eyes; taken down from a
wood cross drenched in His blood; would you believe?
Sometimes we think we are really clever, smart, and all-together—I
got this! But, what if your eyes seem to deceive you and what your
ears heard confound your mind? What if
what your heart is proclaiming as truth is difficult to trust; could not
possibly align with what you expected? What if what you can see and touch defies all
you know? Ask Thomas (John 20:27).
In Jerusalem, men and women who had followed Jesus would now face
that question. After
his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs
that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke
about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3-4).
The Scriptures say that he ate with them, talked and walked among the
living. Can the dead speak? Jesus was crucified as foretold by the
Scriptures and spoken of by Jesus himself the last time he gathered with his
disciples (Matthew 26:26-29).
But why?
After he has suffered, he will see the
light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my
righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53:11).
He did it for you and me.
This dead man Jesus, God in the flesh, Immanuel,
has come to bring a gift. He will temporally
exchange his place of glory to walk with sinful men so that he might gain them
for eternity. He will pay for the sins
of the world with his very life and then appear to them again to prove that He
is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25).
He will give instructions as he departs to sit at
the right hand of the Father. “Do not
leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have
heard me speak about” (Acts 1:4). It’s the Gift that keeps giving!
The Heart of God is Love.
He will not leave us alone but will send the Holy Spirit who will reside
in the one who believes; the one who will allow his mind to be transformed and
believe what seems to be impossible.
The Holy Spirit; He is the one who reminds us of what Jesus
said. He comes along side us to bring
comfort and encourage us to trust and believe.
He draws men to Himself to begin a transformation that will leave us
new, convinced of the Truth that already IS.
He loved us to death! He
lives so that we too can live! He sent
his Spirit so that we can be empowered to continue to proclaim the Good
News. With fear and trembling at times—but
stimulated to be brave and share with all who will listen, “The one who believes in me (Jesus) will live, even
though they die”.
Still doubting? Read the Book of Acts and ask the Holy Spirit to remove fear and allow the Teacher to guide your heart to see and feel; to experience Him-- It's the Greatest story ever told!
God bless you!~Liz
www.lizrod.com
