What Is The Truth About The Chronicle Of Your Life?
Good Morning Friends,
For those who like intrigue and conspiracy theory plotlines you will be right at home with today’s scripture, for there is no greater drama than the veracity of Jesus. There is no greater story line than how the Word made flesh puts it all together. And it may make you wonder what those people did who were paid off to provide fake news about Jesus. And it may make you wonder where King David is buried. And it may make you wonder what the next generation will think of the latest rendition of Jesus Christ Superstar. The journey can take us to think lots of thoughts. But it should also compel us to get personal in telling people what Christ means to us. What Is The Truth About The Chronicle Of Your Life?
Scripture: But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. “You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will live in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One experience corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ “Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, ‘He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.’ This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear.
Acts 2:14, 22-33 (NRSV)
So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, “You must say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day.
Matthew 28:8-15 (NRSV)
Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Luke 24:13-35 (NRSV)
Message: I am told that with most theological questions the answer is Jesus and so it is today. Knowing God and discovering our purpose in glorifying God is all caught up in the power of the one the Jews hoped for and yet rejected. Jesus is the one who knits up our sorrows and heals our broken spirit. He is the one who manifests the promises of God for the people of God. And so, the truth, the only meaningful fact about my life and yours is how we reflect Jesus. It is that important and is ultimately the only thing of which we will not be ashamed. And it cannot be a tale or fib or yarn with embellishments or worse yet a lie, for that does no one any good. No, I am thinking about and I hope you too feel a desire and joy growing inside that spills over into the lives of others along the lines of those who walked on the road to Emmaus on Resurrection Sunday. I am talking about how Jesus changes each of us when we lift him up and talk about what he has done by laying down his life in love for us. And the beauty is that Jesus appeared to people after he was glorified in a resurrected body and that means he can appear to us as well though the Spirit if we look for Him in our interactions with others. A conversation about Jesus perhaps even with a stranger in need may just reveal something unexpected…the very face of Christ. Friends, it is not so much what we have done but the relationships we have forged in the process of becoming sanctified. That truth of Jesus, in the lives of believers, is how we are to chronical our lives and how we are to share the drama of life.
Pray we consider the story of how we each came to know Jesus. Pray we overcome the bitter controversy that comes with believing in Jesus. Pray our hope for Jesus to appear in our lives is not a disappointment at all but a reality. Pray we see Jesus in the face of those we meet. Pray we appreciate not only what Jesus said about living but also what he did about living by dying. Pray we have a devotion to lifting the Spirit in each of us. Pray we have a devotion to knowing God by glorifying the man who teaches us the way to understanding the story of our lives in a context that matters. Pray people hear this love and see this love in each of us.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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