And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.

— Ephesians 1:22

In the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt, there is an exquisite display of the treasures of King Tut (Tutankhamun) — the boy pharaoh who died at a very early age and whose tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in the year 1922. I’ve been to Tut’s Tomb in the Valley of the Kings, and on multiple occasions I’ve seen the display of treasures found in his tomb that are on view in the Egyptian Museum. This museum is one of the world’s greatest — filled with artifacts from the ancient world. However, of all the relics on display, there is something uniquely breathtaking about the treasures of King Tut. Each time I’ve been there, I’ve found myself especially fascinated by one group of items in the collection — the walking canes that were used by King Tut.

As one might expect, these canes are long and slender and are decorated with gold, silver, ivory, precious stones, and rare woods. They were not designed to fully carry the weight of an individual, but rather were intended to convey symbolism to anyone who saw Tut walking with these items in his hand. I first realized this fact when I took a closer look and saw the unique carvings on the bottoms of each of these canes.

These walking canes are each shaped like a shepherd’s staff with a u-shaped hook on one end. However, instead of being placed at the top of the cane like a typical shepherd’s staff, these hooks were formed at the base. Engraved along the length of each hook are images of conquered peoples from foreign lands lying prostrate on their stomachs with their arms reaching upward in adoration of the Pharaoh. Every time the pharaoh walked with his cane in hand, these figures literally rolled on the bottom of cane, symbolically bowing before him. This imagery conveyed a strong message — namely, that all of Egypt’s enemies were defeated and directly under the feet of this mighty Pharaoh.

When I first recognized the meaning behind these carvings, I was reminded of the apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 1:22, where he wrote, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” Paul’s choice of words in this statement is very powerful, so let’s take a moment to examine the original Greek language.

The word “under” in this verse is the Greek word hupotasso. This word was originally a military term meaning to subjugate or to dominate. It described forcibly subduing a conquered people and putting them in their place, and it is the exact idea that the images on King Tut’s canes were designed to convey. However, Paul’s use of this word in Ephesians 1:21 was not figurative or symbolic at all. Jesus Christ — through His death on the Cross, subsequent resurrection, and ultimate ascension on High — literally put every foe that ever existed under His feet.

Paul elaborated on this in Philippians 2:9, saying, “Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (see Philippians 2:9-11). Nothing in the universe is more highly exalted than Jesus Christ. His throne rules above all — above all human authorities, military authorities, and spiritual authorities. There is simply no one who rules higher or more majestically than Jesus.

Today King Tutankhamun is wrapped in burial shrouds and encased in a coffin. He is dead, but Jesus sits exalted at the right hand of the Father, and all nations, principalities, and powers must forever bow before Him! That in itself is an awesome thought to consider.

But you also have this truth to digest and apply to your life today and every day as well: As you read on in Ephesians, you find out the Father raised you to sit with Jesus in the heavenlies, far above all principalities and powers (see Ephesians 2:6), and He gave you all the authority invested in His name! So you have something over King Tut as well, because the devil and all his demon forces are under your feet in Jesus’ name! Let that truth sink in today — and determine to see and respond to every situation you face from that position of authority that Jesus gave you in Him when you received Him as Savior.

The devil’s strategies are under your feet. As you respond more and more from that position of authority, you will see situations that looked messy or even impossible begin to turn around for the good of all involved — and all to God’s glory!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father of glory, I thank You that when You raised Jesus from the dead, You raised me up and made me to sit down together with Him at Your own right hand. Father I honor You for the blood of Jesus Christ that purchased my salvation. Holy Spirit, teach me day by day to exalt the name of Jesus in every situation of my life, as I crush every strategy the enemy wages against me through the power of Christ’s magnificent name!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I am seated together in heavenly places with Christ Jesus, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion. My life is hidden with Christ in God. I am in Christ, and by His Spirit, Jesus Christ dwells in me. He is the Head of the Church, which is His Body on the earth. Since I am a member of His Body, as He is, so am I in this earth. In every situation, I honor the Head by exercising His authority to enforce His will upon the earth.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. People often treat political leaders like their legacy will be remembered forever, but I challenge you to name the last ten presidents of the United States.  Who among them held political office the longest?
2. Which king in the Old Testament was referred to as the king of kings? Nations literally bowed before him, and he changed the course of history. Can you name him?
3. Of all the kings who have ever ruled, Jesus is the longest ruling and most exalted.  It is simply a fact that there will be no end to His Kingdom. What thoughts arise in your heart when you consider the power, glory, and stability that belong to our Lord Jesus Christ?

Far above all principalities, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.

— Ephesians 1:21

Once when I was browsing in an antique shop in Russia, I came across an old, folded document that was covered in elegant, elaborate Russian handwriting. I could see that it was authentic, so I asked the shop owner if I could hold it in order to take a closer look. As I carefully unfolded the paper, I saw much to my amazement that I was holding a personal letter written by a Tsar of Russia to announce the birth of his son! I was stunned to be holding such an important piece of Russian history in my hands.

The imperial insignia was still pressed into the broken wax seal, and on the back of the letter was an inscription with all the names and titles of this particular Russian Tsar. The beautiful handwriting described him as:

Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russias, of Moscow, Kiev, Vladimir, Novgorod, Tsar of Kazan, Tsar of Astrakhan, Tsar of Poland, Tsar of Siberia, Tsar of Tauric Chersonesos, Tsar of Georgia, Lord of Pskov, and Grand Duke of Smolensk, Lithuania, Volhynia, Podolia, Finland, Jerusalem, [and so forth, and so forth, and so forth].

The point of these titles was clear: There was no higher name and no greater power than the Tsar of Russia in the realms of his rule. But when I saw this Tsar’s amazing list of names, titles, and ranks, I immediately thought of how highly exalted Jesus is above all others — including kings and queens and nobility of every type. In fact, Ephesians 1:21 says that Christ’s resurrection exalted Him to a position at the Father’s right hand, “Far above all principalities, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the world, but also in that which is to come.”

Let’s take an in-depth look at this verse to learn exactly how exalted Jesus Christ is in this universe. First, we see that the apostle Paul declared that Jesus is exalted “above all….” In Greek, this word “above” is huperano, which means high above or far above and refers to both rank and dignity. In the context of this verse, it means quite simply that no one in the universe has a higher rank, name, or position than Jesus Christ! Furthermore, to affirm Jesus’ highest position, Paul added the word “all,” which is a translation of the Greek word pas, meaning anything and everything. By using these two words together, huperano and pas, he left no room for misunderstanding or doubt regarding his message — that Jesus Christ holds the highest and most exalted position in the entire universe. He is literally “above all.”

Paul went on to describe the specific categories that Christ is above. First, he stated that Christ is “above all principalities….” The word “principalities” is from the Greek word arche, and it denotes rulers of the highest level. This encompassing term refers to all human rulers, including kings and politicians. However, it must be noted that the word arche is also used in Scripture to refer to angelic beings. This means Paul was declaring that Christ’s exalted rank is far above all human rulers and angelic beings. The natural and the spiritual realms are both under the dominion of Jesus Christ, and there is absolutely no one in any realm more highly exalted than Him.

Paul then mentioned Christ’s superiority over “powers.” The word “powers” is the Greek word exousias. This word describes people who have received delegated power, and therefore is often translated authorities. In the context of Ephesians 1:21, this word exousias refers to people who hold public office and wield authority entrusted to them by their superiors or through an election. Paul was teaching that although these individuals yield substantial power and influence in the affairs of the world, their authority pales in comparison to that of Jesus Christ. At the time Paul penned these words in the First Century AD, this was a very dangerous and powerful statement to make, because Roman political powers were actively persecuting the Church and attempting to suppress the message of the Gospel. However, Paul wanted his readers to know that no matter what authority a politician might try to exert over the Church, Jesus had a rank that was even higher than most powerful human authorities.

Next Paul wrote of “might,” which comes from the Greek word dunamis. The word dunamis denotes explosive power, but it also was regularly used to describe the full strength of a military force. By using this word, Paul declared that Jesus is exalted in His authority and power even above all the military forces in the world today.

As if this list is not already complete enough, Paul added one more word. He stated that Christ is supreme above all “dominions.” This is the Greek word kuriotes, which means lordships. It could refer to any world system, political, financial, or any system of any type. There simply is no system more high-ranking that the Lord Jesus Christ!

Finally, to make sure he has included everyone and everything on his list, Paul added “…and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come….” In one sweeping statement, Paul declared that Jesus is Lord over all. He is literally superior to rulers (arche), elected leaders (exousias), military powers (dunamis), and constitutional authorities (kuriotes). He is literally Lord over all!

Today that old Russian document I found in the antique shop is framed and belongs to a high-ranking politician in Moscow to whom I gifted it. It is a remarkable document about a dead Tsar who persists only in distant memory as a historical figure. In Russia’s history, no one was more highly exalted than the Tsar; however, in all of human history, no one has ever been more highly exalted than Jesus Christ. He is alive today and sitting at the Father’s right hand, where He reigns forever as:

King of kings, Lord of lords, The Blessed and Only Potentate, The King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, The Anointed One, The Christ, The Messiah, The Chosen One, The Lamb of God, The Glory of God, The Word of God, The Only Begotten of the Father, Emmanuel, Son of Man, Son of God, Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, The Power of God, The Wisdom of God, The Only Wise God, Prince of Peace, Redeemer, Chief Shepherd, Great Shepherd of the Sheep, Great High Priest, Universal and Supreme Head of the Church — God in the Flesh!

 

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I acknowledge and declare that You are literally and utterly Lord over all! You reign supreme and powerful above everything and everyone that is or is to come. I worship and exalt You, Jesus. No one and nothing is equal to or greater than You! I reverence and submit to your Lordship, and I resist any work of the flesh or the devil that would defy Your Lordship in my life!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that Jesus is my Lord, and I exalt Him as Supreme Ruler over every area of my Life! Every title conferred upon Him establishes a specific victory in my life. Jesus rules as my Prince of Peace; therefore, anxiety, agitation, and fear may not dominate me. Jesus reigns as my Redeemer; therefore, sickness, poverty, oppression or any work of the enemy may not establish any control or influence over me. I walk in truth that Jesus alone is my Lord, and this truth makes me free indeed!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. What does it mean to you personally when you say “Jesus is Lord!” ?
2. What areas of your life do you need to surrender to Jesus’ Lordship? Why not make a list so that you can pray over it and make it a matter of personal consecration?
3. The name of Jesus wields ultimate authority over all the works of the enemy. What situation in your life, family, or business needs to bow to the name of Jesus? How will you enforce the Lordship of Jesus in that situation?

Let God Breathe Into Your Life!

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
— 2 Timothy 3:16

Would you be interested in getting plugged into a power source that will permeate you with extraordinary energy, vitality, strength, and wisdom to assist you in overcoming any challenge that comes against you? Of course you would like to have that kind of help! The amazing thing is that you already have it at your disposal! However, you may not have learned yet how to tap into this power source to receive its full benefits.

Right there in your home or apartment is a source of power beyond your wildest imagination. It’s probably sitting on a shelf, situated nicely on a table, or perhaps even kept in the magazine rack in the bathroom. Or maybe you keep this source of power in the drawer of your desk at work or on the back seat of your car.

You may have guessed by now that I’m talking about your Bible, which is one of the greatest sources of power on earth! If you learn how to tap into God’s Word and let its power flow into you, it will equip you with wisdom, answers, and the power to overcome in every single situation in life.

When Timothy felt attacked on every side by difficult situations he was facing in the city of Ephesus, he wrote to Paul, seeking answers and help to his various dilemmas. Expecting counsel and advice from Paul, he received a letter from Paul that contained these precious words: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Especially notice the word “inspiration” in this verse, for this word is a powerhouse when you really understand what it means! It comes from the Greek word theopneustos, a compound of the words theos and pneuma. The Greek word theos is the word for God; however, the real secret to this powerhouse is the second half of the word, pneuma, which comes from the Greek root pneu.

The root pneu communicates the idea of the dynamic movement of air. For instance, it can mean to blow, as to blow air or to blow air through an instrument to produce a distinct musical sound. There are also places where it is translated to breathe or to emit a fragrance. Finally, this root word can be used to denote the projection of emotions, such as anger, courage, or goodwill.

But when the root pneu becomes pneuma, as in this verse, it carries a more profound range of meanings, including life, force, life-force, energy, dynamism, and power. The Jews considered the pneuma to be the powerful force of God that created the universe and all living things, and the force that continues to sustain creation. In the Old Testament, the pneuma of God would sometimes move mightily upon a person, enabling him to do supernatural feats.

When this word pneuma is compounded together with the word theos, it forms the word theopneustos, which is where we get the word inspiration. Together, these words literally mean God-breathed. The word theopneustos — or “inspiration” — is the picture of God breathing or emitting His own substance into something. Just as a musician would blow on an instrument to produce a distinct sound, God mightily moved on those who wrote the Scriptures, and they temporarily became the instrument through whom God expressed His heart and will. They were the writers, but God was the Great Musician who breathed upon them, His instruments. Thus, the Bible is God’s message delivered through human writers to you and me.

Just as the word pneuma can carry the idea of a fragrance, the Word was breathed out from God and thus carries His very essence and fragrance within it. Since the word pneuma can also portray the projection of emotions, this tells us that God projected the totality of His emotion into the written Word when He inspired its writing. Therefore, the Word not only conveys an intellectual message, but it has God’s heart in it as well.

It’s important to understand that the pneuma of God didn’t create the Scripture and then depart from it. This power — the same pneuma power that originally created and continues to sustain the universe — is still working inside the Word, upholding and empowering it to be just as strong as it was the day it was penned by “God-breathed” writers.

Let me give you this very simple example of the word theopneustos. If I hold a deflated balloon that is without form to my lips and breathe into it, the balloon will inflate. The blowing of my breath into that deflated little piece of rubber causes it to fill up so that its true form becomes visible. When the balloon is fully inflated, I tie a knot at the base to trap the air within. Now the air that filled up the balloon and caused it to take form is the same substance that empowers it to sustain its form. It was my breath that created its form, and it is my breath that now sustains it. And if the molecules inside the balloon were analyzed, it would be found that a part of me is held inside in the form of the air I breathed into it.

Now let’s apply this to the Bible. When God was ready to speak to mankind, He held up human language to His mouth and breathed into it. After breathing His pneuma power into the language to produce life-giving words, God moved upon the hearts of those He had called to write His Book, and men began to write under divine inspiration. As God continued to breathe on words and phrases and sentences, His Word began to form and take shape until finally it had become the Bible as we know it today.

Today the same breath of God that caused the Word to materialize in written form is now held inside the Bible. It was God’s own breath that caused this Word to manifest in the first place, and now His own Presence, His breath — His “molecules,” if you will — are permanently held inside the Word of God itself. In other words, God didn’t just inspire the writing of the Bible. God Himself — His life, His life-force, His essence, power, energy, dynamism, and power — is contained inside the Word.

Think about it — the Bible you own that is sitting on a shelf, stored away in your desk drawer, sitting on the back seat of your automobile, situated nicely on your coffee table, or placed on the nightstand next to your bed contains the very life, essence, energy, and dynamism of God Himself! If you’ll get hungry for more of God and determine to meditate on this truth long enough to tap into it, God Himself will come pouring out of the Bible into your life and situation. The pneuma held inside the Word will blow mightily upon you and upon the situations that surround you — and when that happens, everything will change!

Because of the word theopneustos, Second Timothy 3:16 carries this idea:

“All scripture came into existence because God Himself breathed upon men, who then wrote as this divine breath moved upon them — and thus, the Word took shape and came into existence.…”

The supernatural breath and life of God that is held within His written Word is the reason Paul went on to say that the Word is “profitable.” The word “profitable” is the Greek word ophelimos, and it means helpful, profitable, useful, beneficial, or something that is to one’s advantage. Paul goes on to list all the ways that God’s Word brings benefit to the one who reads it, meditates on it, and taps into its pneuma.

So when Paul wrote to Timothy, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God…,” he was reminding the younger man that because Timothy had the Word, he possessed the greatest source of power and energy that exists! If he would get into the Word — tapping deeply into its internal resource and allowing the life of God in that Word to flow up, out, and into his life — enough power would be released to change every difficult situation he was facing.

That is why Paul said the Word is “profitable.” Wouldn’t you agree that this kind of power operating in your life would be to your advantage as well?

Once you understand the meaning of this word “inspiration,” you realize that the Bible is not just a Book about God; it is a Book that actually contains God. His own breath and Spirit are contained within it. That’s a very good reason why you should spend time studying and meditating on God’s Word. By studying and meditating on the Word, you will learn to unlock the power contained within it. And when you have unlocked that door, the power of God will come pouring into your life and into the situations you are facing. Believe me when I tell you that when this power begins to operate, it will definitely be to your advantage!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I’ve been asking You for power and strength, not realizing that I have the source of  Your power and strength sitting right in my house. Forgive me for not spending enough time in my Bible to tap into the power that is held within it. Starting today, I want to make Your Word a priority in my life. When I am tempted to be lazy and to put off reading my Bible, please help me say no to my flesh. Help me choose to pick up my Bible and read it whether I feel like it or not, taking it deep into my heart and letting the power inside the Word begin to work in me and in my situation.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I have determined to read and meditate on the Word of God on a regular basis. The power of the Word works mightily inside me because I take it deeply into my heart. It transforms my thinking, renews my vision, forces darkness out of my mind, and blows like  a mighty force into every part of my life. There is nothing stronger at my disposal than God’s Word, so I make it a priority in my life!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you think of an instance in your life when you literally felt the power of God’s Word flow into you and energize you to deal with a situation you were facing? If so, when was that and what was the end result of the power you felt so strongly that day?

2. Does God’s Word have a say-so in your life, or is the Bible just a book you carry to church and read only when you hear a sermon being preached?

3. How much time do you spend reading your Bible in a given week? Do your Bible-reading habits reveal that you are digging deep to get everything out of the Word you possibly can? Or are you reading just enough to barely get by — certainly not enough for its power to be released inside you?

The Post-Resurrection Appearances of Jesus Christ

And when he had said this, he breathed on them, And saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.
— John 20:22

On Resurrection Day itself, Jesus appeared to the disciples at various times and places. It was simply a physical impossibility for Him to be at so many different places in one day. These appearances therefore revealed that Jesus’ glorified body didn’t have the same limitations His earthly body possessed before His resurrection and glorification. The Bible makes it plain that in His glorified condition, He was able to appear, to disappear, to travel great distances, and to even supernaturally pass through a wall or the locked door of a house (John 20:26).

On the same day Jesus was raised from the dead, He not only appeared to Mary Magdalene outside the garden tomb (John 20:14-17), but to two disciples as they walked from Jerusalem to the city of Emmaus (Luke 24:13-31). When the three men sat down to eat together, Jesus blessed the food. After hearing the way He blessed the food, the two disciples instantly recognized it was the Lord — just as He suddenly “…vanished out of their sight” (v. 31).

That same evening, Jesus supernaturally traveled through the walls of a house where the disciples were gathered, miraculously appearing right in front of them. John 20:19 tells us about this amazing event: “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews….”

This verse says that when the disciples gathered for dinner, they made certain “…the doors were shut….” The word “door” is thura, which lets us know this was a door that was large and solid. But as if this were not enough, the verse tells us that these doors “were shut.”

The word “shut” is the Greek word kleio, meaning locked. Doors of this kind were usually locked with a heavy bolt that slid through rings attached to the door and the frame — like the deadbolts we use in doors today, only heavier. This door would be difficult, if not impossible, to break down. The fact that it was locked “for fear of the Jews” tells us that the disciples had moved into a mode of self-preservation and protection.

With rumors of Jesus’ resurrection already filling the city of Jerusalem, there was no certainty that the leaders who crucified Jesus wouldn’t try to arrest the rest of the apostles and do the same to them as they had to Jesus. We know that the Roman guards who fled the resurrection site “…shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done” (Matthew 28:11). To prevent the people of Israel from knowing the truth of Jesus’ resurrection, the chief priests and elders bribed the soldiers to keep their mouths shut about what they had seen. Verse 12 tells us, “And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers.”

The chief priests and elders fabricated a story and told the soldiers what they were to say when people asked them what happened: “…Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept” (v. 13).

The soldiers’ admission that they had slept on the job would deem them worthy of punishment in Pilate’s sight, so the religious leaders further assured them, “And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you” (v. 14). The soldiers listened to the religious leaders’ plan and were satisfied with the amount of money being offered to them to keep silent. Verse 15 then says, “So they took the money, and did as they were taught.…”

Once the chief priests and elders had bought the testimony of the Roman guards, they were positioned to make some serious arrests. First, we know that they were already asserting that the disciples had stolen the body of Jesus. But to steal the body, they had to either overpower the Roman guards or creep past them as they slept. Either way, this would be deemed a terrible dishonor to the guards’ reputation. And if the disciples were caught, they’d potentially be put to death for this action.

To open the tomb, the governor’s seal had to be broken. Breaking that seal was an offense that required the death sentence, for this was a breach of the empire’s power. No doubt the same angry mobs who cheered while Jesus carried His crossbeam to Golgotha were still in the city. The city was already in turmoil due to such strange happenings — the sky turning dark in the middle of the day with no natural explanation; the veil of the temple rent in half; the various earthquakes shaking the entire surrounding territory. It wouldn’t take too much to put the whole city on edge and turn them against the disciples. This is why the disciples were locked behind closed doors that evening.

But although the doors were sealed tightly shut, Jesus supernaturally passed right through solid matter and appeared in the midst of the disciples. John 20:19 says Jesus came “…and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.”

No doubt this sudden appearance must have terrified the disciples. Luke 24:37 tells us that “…they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.” This is why Jesus told them, “…Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (vv. 38,39).

Notice Jesus said, “…Handle me….” This is the Greek word psilaphao, and it literally means to touch, to squeeze, or to feel. He gave the disciples permission to examine His resurrected body to see that it was a real body and not a spirit.

All of a sudden Jesus asked them, “…Have ye here any meat?” The following verses say, “And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them” (Luke 24:42,43). After eating the fish and honeycomb, Jesus began to speak to them from the Scriptures, pointing out key Old Testament prophecies having to do with Himself. Luke 24:45 says, “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.” Jesus explained to the disciples that repentance would have to be preached in His name among all the nations, but that it was to begin in Jerusalem. This is when He told them, “…As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you” (John 20:21).

The disciple Thomas had not been present in the room that night when Jesus passed through solid matter and entered into the room. Later that evening Thomas joined them and heard the news, but by that time Jesus was already gone. He scoffed at the other disciples and said, “…Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).

Eight days later, the disciples were behind locked doors again, but this time Thomas was with them. John 20:26,27 says, “…Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” Of course, after this event, Thomas believed!

Jesus appeared to His disciples again, this time at the Sea of Tiberias. Peter, Thomas Didymus, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples followed Peter to the seacoast to go fishing. But after fishing all night, the disciples had caught nothing.

Then in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore and called to them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. Although they weren’t sure who was instructing them, the disciples obeyed anyway — and caught so many fish that they weren’t even able to pull their nets into the boat! That’s when they recognized that the Man who had instructed them was the Lord (John 21:2-7).

Before the evening was finished, Jesus had sat around a campfire with them, eaten fish with them, and spent time fellowshipping with them. John 21:14 says, “This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.”

Then finally, the disciples gathered together on the same mountain in Galilee where Jesus had first ordained them. He appeared to them there, and gave them the Great Commission. He told them, “…All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20).

In addition to these appearances recorded in the Gospels, First Corinthians 15:5-7 says, “And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.” Acts 1:3 says “…He shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”

How about you? Do you experience Jesus Christ in the daily activities of your life, or is Jesus just relegated to church services and Sunday school? From what you just read today, you now know that Jesus was “in the midst” of His disciples after His resurrection. They ate with Him, talked to Him, and fellowshipped with Him. Jesus even helped them catch fish! The resurrected Jesus drew near to His disciples — but is He near to you as you go about the activities of your daily life?

Even though Jesus is seated right now at the right hand of the Father on High, you can know Him intimately through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Great Revealer of Jesus Christ. Just ask the Holy Spirit to show you Jesus, and He will be faithful to make Jesus real to you!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I want You to be so real in my life. I know that You are willing to make Yourself known and felt in any part of my life that I will surrender to You. So I choose right now to surrender more of me so I can experience more of You in every sphere of my existence. Jesus, please have Your way in my life. Do whatever You deem necessary to make me the kind of person I need to be to know and experience You better.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that the Presence of Jesus Christ is felt in almost every area of my life. I am surrendering more and more of me to Him every day, and as a result, I am expecting a stronger Presence of God in my life. As I give more of me to Him, He gives more of Himself to me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Do you experience the reality of Jesus in the everyday activities of your life?

2. Can you think of a particular instance when you sensed the Presence of God in your life much more strongly than usual?

3. Do you recall what that experience did for you? Did it help you draw closer to the Lord or produce permanent changes in your life? If so, what were those changes?

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved….

— Colossians 3:12

If you know Jesus Christ today, it is no accident. God personally summoned you to know Him. The fact is, God looked out into eternity and saw you — and He said, “I want you. I’m calling you out of this lost world to belong to Me!” God literally chose you for Himself, which ought to be one of the truths you speak to yourself every day!

How can we know that to be true? God gives us that assurance in Colossians 3:12, where it says, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved….” This verse is very important for us to understand because it tells you and me what God thinks of us. This is vital for us to get into our hearts, because we need to know what God thinks of those whom He has redeemed.

Pay close attention as we dig into this verse. Let these truths sink deep into your heart — because they have the power to transform the way you think about yourself!

Colossians 3:12 begins by saying, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God….” This word “elect” is the first word that reveals what God thinks of us. It is the Greek word eklektos, which is a compound of the words ek and lego. The word ek means out, and lego means I say. When they are compounded, the new word literally means, “Out, I say!” In other words, God loved us so much that He called us out from a lost eternity and began the process of making sure we came to Christ. For that reason, the word eklektos can be translated elected or selected, carrying the idea that we are personally chosen by God.

The verse continues, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy….” This word “holy” is the Greek word hagios, which in ancient times described awe, respect, and reverence for a holy place or a holy shrine — a place separated and set apart from other places. Consequently, the word eventually came to refer to something that was separated from the rest of the world and was thereby sanctified, consecrated, or holy. The use of this word in the New Testament tells us that once we came to Christ, the blood of Jesus separated us, consecrated us, and made us holy. He removed our past sins and threw them into the sea of forgetfulness, separating our sin from us as far as the east is from the west (see Psalm 103:12).

The word “holy” (hagios) means that God Himself respects you as a holy dwelling place for His Spirit. God sees you as consecrated and sanctified, different from others, so special that you are in a totally separate category from the rest of the world.

So the next time the devil tries to tell you that you’re too fat, too skinny, too homely, not spiritual enough, undeserving, or inferior in any way, read the preceding paragraphs to him as a rebuke! Then the first thing every morning, look in the mirror and declare: “I am holy! Jesus’ blood separated me from my past! He wiped it out and cleared the slate! He threw my sin into the sea of forgetfulness and separated it from me forever. Now I am clean, set apart, and consecrated — and God Himself respects me as the temple of His Spirit!”

All these things are absolutely true about you. That’s why you must do your best to live in obedience to God’s Word and to avoid grieving the Holy Spirit who resides within you (see Ephesians 4:30). Whenever you do anything out of order or anything that would bring grief to the Holy Spirit living within you, just confess your sin to the Father, and you will be immediately and completely cleansed by the blood of Jesus (see 1 John 1:9).

Next, Colossians 3:12 goes on to say, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved.…” This word “beloved” is the Greek word agapao, which comes from the word agape, the Greek word for love. The tense used in this verse is very significant, because it means God has loved us in the past; He still loves us in the present; and He will continue to love us in the future.

Do you remember moments in your past when you were so very aware that God loved you? Were there moments when you felt overwhelmed by God’s forgiveness, acceptance, and tender care for you, even at times when you knew that you had done something wrong and didn’t deserve His love? The psalmist David wrote that God’s love is unfailing. In Psalm 36:7 (NIV), David said, “How priceless is your unfailing love….” In fact, David and the other psalmists were so aware of God’s “unfailing love” to sustain them that they wrote about it 70 times in the book of Psalms.

Are you still aware today that God loves you with an everlasting, unfailing love? God’s love for you has never changed. He loves you today as intensely as He loved you yesterday! You may have done things that were not appropriate for a child of God to do. But nonetheless, you are His child, and He loves you with an everlasting love. Even if you’ve largely ignored God and you need to ask His forgiveness, He never forgets that the Holy Spirit lives in you, and He respects you as a dwelling place of His Spirit. And the really great news is this: God’s love for you tomorrow will also be unfailing. It will never change. Even if you fail, God’s love for you will not fail. His love is steadfast and unchanging toward His sons and daughters.

Before I finish this point about you being the “beloved” of God, I want to take some time to explain further what the word agape really means, since it is one of the Greek words Paul used in Colossians 3:12 to reveal what God thinks of you.

This word agape refers to what I call high-level love, for there is no higher, finer, or more excellent love than agape love. In fact, the word agape is filled with so much deep emotion and meaning that it is one of the most difficult words to translate in the New Testament. Trying to explain this word has baffled translators for centuries; nevertheless, I’m going to try to clarify the meaning of this powerful word.

Agape occurs when an individual sees, recognizes, understands, or appreciates the value of an object or a person, causing the viewer to behold this object or person in great esteem, awe, admiration, wonder, and sincere appreciation. Such great respect is awakened in the heart of the observer for the person or object he is beholding that he is compelled to love it. In fact, his love for that person or object is so strong that it is irresistible.

In the New Testament, perhaps the best example of agape is found in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” In the phrase, “For God so loved the world,” the word “love” is the word agape.

This means that when God looked upon the human race, He stood in awe of mankind, even though man was lost in sin. God admired man; He wondered at man; He held mankind in the highest appreciation. Even though Satan held mankind captive at that moment, God looked upon the world and saw His own image in man. The human race was so precious to God and He loved man so deeply that His heart was stirred to reach out and do something to save him. In other words, God’s love drove Him to action.

You see, agape is a love that loves so profoundly that it knows no limits or boundaries in how far, wide, high, and deep it will go to show that love to its recipient. If necessary, agape love will even sacrifice itself for the sake of that object or person it so deeply cherishes. Thus, agape is the highest form of love — a self-sacrificial type of love that moves the lover to action for the sake of the beloved.

When you put together the meaning of these three words in Colossians 3:12, you gain a deeper revelation regarding what God actually thinks about you. He has personally chosen you; He has separated you from your sin; He respects you as the dwelling place of His Spirit; and He loves you so much that His thoughts are continually turned toward you, causing awe, admiration, and wonder to be drawn from His heart. That is what God thinks about you!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I am in awe of Your great love toward me. Thank You that even before the foundations of the world, You looked into eternity and saw me personally. When You fastened Your gaze upon me, Your heart of love opened toward me and You deliberately chose me that I might know You. Holy Spirit, You are the treasure within my earthen vessel. Help me see myself as the Father sees me. Then empowered by the confidence of His love and favor, strengthen and guide me to walk as a continual demonstration of that love to others for the glory of Your name!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I am personally summoned by God to know Him intimately. When God sees me, His great “agape love” for me compels Him to behold me with an admiring gaze as when one beholds a treasure with awe and wonder. I am the chosen dwelling place of God’s own Spirit. Therefore, I am valued greatly and esteemed highly by Him. I believe and receive God’s great love for me, and today I walk in the reality of its irresistible strength and power. I am continually aware of His love for me, and for that reason, I remain secure and my faith in Him never fails!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Describe a moment when God’s unfailing love for you left you feeling overwhelmed and speechless.  How did that moment and expression of God’s love for you change your walk with God and your relationship with others?
2. As you meditate on how God thinks about you, how does that change the way you think about yourself?
3. Did you realize you were the special dwelling place of God and that God respects you as a consecrated dwelling place? If you really embrace that truth, how will that help to shape your self-image?

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou?…
— John 20:11-13

When Peter and John left the garden, Mary Magdalene remained behind. She had followed the two men, possibly hoping to obtain a clearer understanding of what she had experienced that day. All she knew was that her day started with a desire to come to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. But when she arrived, the stone was rolled away, and an angel was sitting on top of the great stone (Matthew 28:2)! Then when she entered the tomb, she first discovered another angel (Mark 16:5) and then suddenly found herself in the presence of two angels inside the tomb (Luke 24:4)!

The angels had told Mary, “He is not here, but is risen…” (Luke 24:6). But if Jesus was risen as the angels had said, where was He? How could she find Him?

Feeling dejected and alone, Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. The Greek tense means continually weeping, highlighting the fact she was extremely troubled about the inexplicable events that were happening. Most of all, she wanted to know what had happened to Jesus. John writes, “…she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre.…” The word “stooped down” is parakupto, the same word used in John 20:5 to portray John taking a peek into the tomb. Now it was Mary’s turn to bend low and peer into the empty sepulcher — but when she looked inside, she saw something she didn’t expect!

John tells us, “…She stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain” (John 20:11,12). The word “seeth” is the Greek word theaomai, which tells us assuredly that Mary fixed her eyes on the angels and determined to look them over and to take in the whole experience. First, she saw that the two angels were “in white.” This agrees with all the other experiences of angels that eventful day. All of them had been dressed in shining white with a lightning-bright appearance. All the angels seen that day also wore the same type of robe — like the long, flowing regal robes worn by warriors, kings, priests, or any other person of great power and authority. The usage of the word theaomai (“seeth”) tells us that this time Mary visibly studied every single detail of the angels she saw in the tomb.

John goes on to inform us that Mary saw these angels “…sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.” This statement is in perfect agreement with the interior of a rock-hewn tomb during biblical times. Past the entrance of such a tomb, a smaller separate room with a table-shaped pedestal, also carved from stone, was usually located to one side. On this rock slab the body was laid to rest after being dressed in burial clothes and perfumed by loved ones. The head would be slightly elevated, causing the trunk of the corpse to lie in a sloping downward position with the feet resting against a small ledge or in a groove, either of which were designed to keep the body from slipping from the slab.

When Mary saw the angels, she noted that one was seated at the top of the burial slab and the other was seated at the foot. In between these angels, she could see the empty place where she had personally viewed Jesus several days earlier. Luke 23:55 tells us that after Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb, Mary Magdalene and other women who came from Galilee “…beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.” The word “beheld” (theaomai) means to gaze upon, to fully see, to look at intently. These women inspected the tomb, gazing upon the dead body of Jesus to see that it had been honorably laid in place. Because Mark 15:47 uses the imperfect tense to tell us how the women looked upon Jesus’ dead body, it means these women took plenty of time to make certain He was properly laid there. Now Mary saw the same spot where she had so carefully labored days before, but the dead body she cherished was no longer there.

As Mary looked and wept, the angels asked her, “…Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus” (John 20:13,14).

Stricken with sorrow, Mary withdrew from the tomb just in time to see a man standing nearby. Due to Jesus’ changed appearance, she was unable to recognize Him. Verse 15 tells us what happened next: “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.”

At that very moment, Jesus tenderly said, “Mary.” Upon hearing that voice and recognizing the old familiar way in which He called her name, “…she turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master” (v. 16). Although Jesus’ appearance was different now, Mary knew Him by His voice. This reminds me of John 10:27, when Jesus told His disciples, “My sheep hear my voice.…” Mary knew His voice and recognized that it was her Shepherd who stood before her.

In Revelation 1, John tells us about his vision on the island of Patmos. In the midst of this phenomenal divine visitation, he says, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet…. and I turned to see the voice that spake with me…” (Revelation 1:10,12). Like Mary, when John heard that voice, he recognized it as the voice of Jesus. This is why John writes, “…I turned to see the voice that spake with me.”

Of course, it is impossible to “see” a voice, but John recognized the sound of that voice and turned to match the face with the voice he heard. He knew it was Jesus. But as Mary had also discovered, Jesus’ physical appearance looked radically different from the Jesus whom John had known in His earthly form. But the voice of Jesus never changed, and John immediately recognized it.

It appears that Mary reached out to cling to Jesus with her hands, but Jesus forbade her, saying, “…Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God” (John 20:17). With this one statement, Jesus let it be known that everything had changed because of the Cross. Now a new relationship with God was available to the apostles and to all who would call upon the name of Jesus Christ! John 20:18 goes on to say, “Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.”

Today we rejoice that Jesus is alive! Because of what He did for us at the Cross, now we have access to God the Father. This was the purpose of the Cross: To redeem mankind and to put man back in right relationship and fellowship with his Heavenly Father. Jesus paid it all! He finished the work of redemption so that today we can be in right relationship with God by accepting the work of Christ on Calvary by faith.

I encourage you to be bold in recognizing the voice of Jesus. If you belong to Him, then you do know His voice. Mary knew His voice; John knew His voice; and your born-again spirit knows His voice. If you’ll take the time to listen, you will hear the voice of Jesus calling out to you just as He tenderly called out to Mary that day in the garden. He knows you by name, and He wants to enjoy close fellowship with you. So take the time to listen!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, thank You for being my Good Shepherd! I am so thankful You speak to me and lead me through life. I’m sorry I haven’t listened to You so many times when You have tried to warn me, help me, and guide me. I have lost so much because I didn’t listen when You spoke. But rather than focus on my past losses, I determine to do everything within my ability to hear You now and to obediently follow what You tell me to do!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly confess that I know the voice of Jesus! He is my Shepherd, and I am His sheep. He promises that I will know His voice and that the voice of a stranger I will not follow. Therefore, I declare by faith that I recognize the voice of Jesus when He speaks to me. I am not hesitant to follow, but I am bold and quick to obey what He speaks to my heart.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. How long has it been since you heard the voice of Jesus tenderly speak to your heart?

2. It takes time to develop any relationship, so are you giving time to your relationship with Jesus so you can get to know Him better and allow Him the opportunity to speak to you about your life?

3. Are there certain times or places in your daily routine when you are able to hear Jesus speak more clearly to you than at other times? For instance, do you hear Him best when you’re alone at home, driving your car, worshiping at church, or having a private time of prayer?

And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them.
— Acts 17:32,33

There are a wide variety of reactions to the preaching of truth. I’ll give you an example from my own life — a personal experience I will never forget when I received multiple mixed reactions to a message I preached. I remember how stunned I was at the different ways people responded to what I ministered. To me, the message was thrilling, life-changing, and powerful, and I was so excited about the prospect of preaching it. I could hardly wait for the day to come to deliver what God had put on my heart, since I anticipated that people would respond to it the same way it had affected me. However, when I preached the message, people’s reaction was not exactly what I expected!

By the time I had finished preaching, it was obvious that some people were visibly blessed. However, others were upset and even furious with what I had said! Then there was a third group that wouldn’t immediately respond one way or the other, saying that they wanted to put their opinion “on hold” and think about what I had taught for a while.

I was shocked. I wondered, How in the world could this message produce such a mixed reaction, and how could it possibly anger people? I assure you that my intention had not been to make anyone angry, but only to speak a word from God that would set people free.

I was so perplexed that I decided to make copies of the message and send it to several nationally known ministers I respected and ask them to listen to it and give me their reaction to the message. As I waited to hear from them, I wondered what kind of response they would give me to this message. As the written responses came back, one after another said, “Not only is this message needed, it is very needed — and I would like to schedule you to come preach it in my church!”

Anyone who has been in the ministry long can testify that there is often a mixed response to the teaching of truth. What thrills one person can be a source of irritation to another person. When I was a younger man in the ministry, this varied reaction was confusing to me. But through the years, I have learned to expect the preaching of God’s Word to elicit different responses from different people.

Since you will one day stand before Jesus to give account for what you preach, it is crucial that you inwardly know you are saying exactly what He wants you to say; then you must trust the Lord with the results. As God’s messenger, you are ultimately responsible to speak what He puts on your heart, regardless of the response from your listeners.

When Paul concluded his message in the Athenian court, he had a very mixed response to his sermon. Acts 17:32,33 tells us, “And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them.”

This verse tells us that “some mocked” when they heard Paul’s message. The word “mocked” is derived from the Greek word echidna, which is the word for a poisonous viper. This word echidna is exactly the same word used in Matthew 3:7, Matthew 12:34, Matthew 23:33, and Luke 3:7, when Jesus referred to the religious leaders of his time as a generation of “vipers.” By using this vivid word, the Holy Spirit lets us know that when Paul concluded his masterful message, one group was so furious that they wanted to sink their fangs into him! They were livid and fuming because of what Paul preached.

That was one reaction to Paul’s message, but there were other reactions as well. Acts 17:32 goes on to tell us, “…Others said, We will hear thee again on this matter.” This second group wasn’t jumping and shouting, “Amen!” But the fact that they were open-minded and wanted to hear Paul again constituted a significant victory for the Kingdom of God. This means they were interested — and for judges in the highest court of this pagan land to be interested in the Gospel was a huge development!

This was a massive triumph for Paul’s ministry. Sometimes when a door of opportunity remains open rather than slamming shut, that open door is in itself a great success. Sure, these Athenian judges didn’t walk the aisle or pray the sinner’s prayer. But they wanted to hear more, and that let Paul know that he still had an open door into their hearts.

Acts 17:33 says, “So Paul departed from among them.” The Bible doesn’t explicitly say how Paul felt when he walked out of the amphitheater. However, we do know that he had enraged one group, interested another group, and had no visible proof that anyone would be saved as a result of his preaching that day. It is likely that he felt like a failure or thought he hadn’t performed as powerfully as he had hoped.

Although the response to his message was very mixed, there was a small group of notable people who not only heard it but were deeply touched by it. Acts 17:34 says, “Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.” These people believed the truth they heard and desired to know more.

This verse tells us that “certain men clave unto him.” I want you to especially notice the word “clave.” This word is taken from the Greek word kollaoo — a word that means to glue to, to cleave to, to adhere to, to attach one’s self to, or to associate with. There is no doubt that this word conveys the idea of discipleship and faithfully following after someone else. We know that these individuals were saved as a result of Paul’s ministry that day, because this scripture tells us they “believed.”

Among this group of new believers was “Dionysius the Areopagite.” This man’s name indicates that he was named in honor of the Greek god Dionysius, which tells us he had been reared in a very pagan home. The Bible also tells us that Dionysius was an Areopagite. This word is taken from the word Areopagus, which describes the highest court of the land. We therefore know that this newly saved Dionysius was one of the 12 judges who ruled in the highest court in the entire nation.

This man’s conversion was no small victory! Because he was one of the 12 judges who ruled the land, he was well known in Athens and throughout all of Greece. The early Christian historian Eusebius later wrote that Dionysius became so rooted in the faith that he was eventually named the bishop of the church at Athens and died a martyr’s death.

In addition to Dionysius’ conversion, Acts 17:34 says that “a woman named Damaris” was also converted as a result of Paul’s message in the high court. Although the Bible doesn’t give us much insight into Damaris, we do know that, like Dionysius, she was a very wealthy aristocrat. The verse goes on to tell us, “and there were others with them.” The original language implies that although this group was not huge, it was a notable group of people who were probably members of the upper class. The seed of God’s Word became deeply rooted in their hearts, and they kept the fire burning in Athens long after Paul’s departure.

I am sure that Paul must have been perplexed by the mixed reaction he received to his message that day. Just as was true in my case, some were blessed, others infuriated, and others held their reactions to themselves. If you were just counting numbers, it would appear that the message Paul delivered in the Areopagus was no great success. But although the number of people converted wasn’t substantial, the identity of those converted was of great consequence.

By penetrating the upper class of Athens with the Gospel, Paul pierced the most difficult category of people to reach. These were people of influence, people of power, and people of high regard. Therefore, even though there were not vast numbers of new converts, the influential nature of those who were converted provided a significant advancement of the Gospel in Athens.

When you reach people with the message God puts on your heart, don’t be misled by the various reactions people have to you and to your message. Know beforehand that some may be glad to receive what you say, and some may end up mad at you because of the message you have preached. What is most important is that you know exactly what God wants you to say or do and then faithfully stick with that message, regardless of the reactions you experience. You will ultimately answer to Jesus, so when you step out to obey what He has told you to do, do it to please Him!

Make the decision not to permit yourself to be disturbed or disappointed because the numerical response you anticipated is smaller than you hoped. Even if the numbers are small, it may be that you have reached the heart of someone who will one day have great influence and power. That would make your results very successful indeed!

You may not know for many years the full consequences of your obedience. So if you have done your best to say precisely what Jesus has asked you to say, know that you have nothing left to do but rest your case. Then you can leave the rest of the matter in His hands!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I ask You to help me know exactly what I am to say, how I am to say it, and when I am to speak. Then once I have obeyed You, help me trust You with the results. I admit that I’ve been affected by people’s reactions in the past and have allowed those reactions to influence my obedience in the present. Please forgive me for allowing the opinions of man to affect me, even when I know I’ve done exactly what You told me to do. Help me keep my eyes on You when I step out in faith to obey the prompting of Your Spirit in my heart.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I am not negatively affected by people’s mixed reactions when I speak the Word of God. People will always respond differently to truth; therefore, I put my trust in the Lord and keep my eyes on Him, not on the responses of people. I will do my best to speak His Word accurately, and I trust the Holy Spirit to assist me. He is my Helper, my Standby, my Assistant, and my Mentor, so I am depending on Him to teach me how to speak as I ought to speak. From this moment on, I will no longer worry or fret about the reactions of people when I do what I am instructed to do with a right heart. Instead, I will rest my case and then leave the results with the Lord.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you think of a time when you spoke exactly what God put on your heart, and it caused a wide variety of reactions that surprised you? Exactly when was that experience, and what was the message that seemed so controversial?
2. What did you learn from that experience when it was over? Did the Holy Spirit show you how you could have done better? What lessons did you appropriate from that experience?
3. Can you recall a time when you felt like you had failed in sharing the message God had given you? Did you later find out that God did remarkable things in people’s lives as a result of the seeds you planted that day?
4. What conclusion can you draw when you see eternal fruit produced in people’s lives from a time of sharing the truth that you thought was disastrous?

…And some said, What will this babbler say? Others said, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus….

— Acts 17:18,19

When we bring new ideas to a foreign culture, it can create an unpleasant reaction among the local people. That’s why we must be both careful and anointed as we take the Gospel into cultures that have never heard the Good News of Jesus Christ the way we are accustomed to preaching it.

This is the lesson I learned when I moved to a foreign land where words and actions are perceived differently than they are in the nation where I was born and raised. Words and phrases that had always been familiar to me were new and unknown to those I was trying to reach, and I had to be careful in my presentation, lest I turn people off instead of reaching their hearts with my message. For this reason, I had to learn to be very careful and aware of cultural perceptions, customs, and language as I ministered to the people to whom God has called me to give my life.

This principle doesn’t just apply to missionaries living on foreign soil. There are many people in your own city who don’t know God and who didn’t grow up in church. You can’t assume that they understand the words and phrases that are familiar to you as part of the Church world where you have lived much of your life. The Christian community uses wonderful, meaningful terminology that the world doesn’t know or understand. For example, the words “amen” and “hallelujah” are dear and precious to us. But to a world that is lost in darkness, those words sound strange — and when you use them, it often makes people want to tuck their tails and run!

When unsaved people hear believers trying to reach them with “Christian-ese,” it scares them! This is why we must be careful in the way we present ourselves when we are speaking the Word and representing the name of Jesus. There is no doubt that our message is true and unchangeable. But we are the “packages” who carry the message — and how lost people perceive us is often what determines whether or not the package is ever opened and the message is ever heard or received.

Certainly we are not to compromise the message or to apologize for who we are and what we believe. We should never back away from the gifts of the Spirit, from the supernatural, or from expressions of worship and praise in church. But when we are reaching out to people outside the faith, God expects us to use our heads in the way we approach them. To reach into a lost culture, we must remember that we are leaving the world of “church” and reaching into spiritual darkness to people who are part of a particular “lost” culture. That’s why we must have the help and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit as we seek to reach those people with the message of Christ!

Paul’s preaching in Athens clearly demonstrates the reaction that can take place when we cross cultures to bring the message of Jesus Christ. Considering the countless numbers of gods, idols, and various deities that were present in Athens, you might assume that Athenians possessed a high rate of tolerance for new gods that someone may have wanted to bring into the mix. But the fact is that Athenians were extremely dedicated to their Greek gods and had almost no tolerance for foreign gods. They were very committed to their culture and their way of thinking and easily took offense at outsiders who tried to come in and change them.

To get the full picture, you must understand the central role the Greek gods played in Greek life and society. One historian wrote that these gods were such an integral part of the lives of ancient Athenians that they were like members of the people’s families!

When it came to foreign gods, the Athenians had an ambivalent attitude. On the one hand, there were many instances where they accepted foreign deities into their own pantheon. But at the same time, the Athenians had a fiercely protective side regarding their culture. This serious view about new gods and new ideas lets us know that the Athenians appreciated their culture. They didn’t want an invasion of any foreign gods coming in that would mess up their history, ideas, and beliefs. So the Athenian mindset was to evaluate a new religion with great skepticism — and when Paul stood in the market and presented the message of Jesus, the Cross, and the resurrec- tion, this message was radical to his skeptical Greek listeners!

It was completely unacceptable for an ancient Greek to venture out of mainstream idolatry and embrace a new god that, by His very nature as the Son of God, eradicated the validity of all their other deities. In fact, such an action was on the same level as a person who renounced Greek citizenship to join an enemy force on its way to attack Athens! It has been written that if an Athenian rejected their gods in favor of a foreign god, it was the equivalent of treason.

From childhood, every Athenian was taught to obey the religion of Athena and to defend her, if needed, in battle. Athenians had worshiped the gods for generations and were very proud of them. They had been raised all their lives on the legends of their religion, and they fully believed that the gods were the reason for Athens’ prosperity. The people were so devoted to their gods that even if someone privately didn’t believe in them, he would still participate in worshiping them because it was a part of the city’s culture.

Despite all this, the religion of Athens was quite elastic. Every man was free to develop his own creed for living and to fashion his beliefs to fit his own lifestyle, very much the way people are doing today. The Athenians were also very superstitious. They prayed to Zeus for rain, to Hermes for luck in their businesses, and to Asklepios for healing. They believed that if the gods were angry at a person, that person could not escape their wrath. On the other hand, if the gods looked favorably upon someone, they would give that person wealth, health, honor, long life, and prosperity for his children.

Even with all their elasticity in what they believed, Athenians were rock solid in their commitment to their religion. All public meetings, court sessions, and public events opened with a sacrifice to the gods. In fact, it was unimaginable that any important public or private act would be attempted without inviting the attention of the gods. For Athenians, it was second nature to talk to the gods and talk about them with others. It was a natural part of life to sacrifice to the gods and to invite them to participate in their daily affairs.

So when Paul stood in the market and preached “Jesus, and the resurrection” (Acts 17:19), he created an almost scandalous event! The listeners were so upset by what Paul was preaching that they exclaimed, “…He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods…” (Acts 17:19).

The words “setter forth” is from katanggelos, the Greek word for a messenger. This word katanggelos was frequently used to denote a messenger sent from the gods or from God to bring a specific message to the people. This was a correct perception of Paul, for he had indeed been sent by God to Athens to bring the life-saving message of Jesus Christ into the people’s darkness and depravity! But when the Athenians in the market first heard the message, they were terrified by the name of Jesus and by the Gospel that Paul preached, accusing Paul of bringing them a message of “strange gods.”

The words “strange gods” are translated incorrectly in the King James Version. The Greek words used here are xenos and daimonian. The word xenos is the Greek word for a foreigner or a stranger. Today it is where we get the word xenophobia, a term that describes a fear of strangers. But the word “gods” is from the Greek word daimonian, which literally means demons, even though in the Greek world it could also denote gods. I remember when I first studied this word daimonian many years ago and saw that it could be translated either demons or gods. I realized the Greeks had so many demons in operation that when demons spoke, the Greeks thought it was one of their many gods talking to them! Nevertheless, because this word daimonian literally means demons, this part of verse 19 could be translated, “This messenger is introducing foreign demons into our midst!”

Paul’s never-give-up, never-back-up, never-retreat style of preaching created such an uproar in Athens that the day finally came when “they took him and brought him to the Areopagus…” (Acts 17:19). The Areopagus was a criminal court where people were often tried for murder or other serious crimes against society. However, it was also used, as in this verse, to determine whether or not new doctrines were considered legal. There was no higher court in Athens, and for Paul to be summoned to this court meant that he finally had gotten the attention of the city with his “daily” preaching in the market. The highest court in Athens, the most brilliant and respected minds in all of ancient Greece, wanted to hear Paul’s Gospel message for themselves.

When Paul finally stood before this high court, Acts 17:20 tells us that those in attendance said, “And thou bringest us certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.”

Notice they said, “And thou bringest us certain strange things….” The words “strange things” is from the word znidzo, conveying the idea of something that is startling, shocking, surprising, strange, or scandalous. Paul’s message of Jesus, the Cross, and the resurrection was so far out of the range of normality for to them that they found it to be completely scandalous! To hear that God died on the Cross for mankind and shed His own blood for redemption — that was a startling message to their ears! They were shocked by Paul’s words — but they were also so intrigued that they implored him, “…We would know therefore what these things mean.” This sentence in the Greek conveys the listeners’ deeply passionate longing to hear what Paul had to tell them! A paraphrased translation could be, “Please, PLEASE, tell us!” They didn’t want Paul to hold back anything. Instead, they wanted him to make a full disclosure of the Gospel he had been preaching to the crowds in the market.

All around Paul were the brightest, most intellectual, and most sophisticated minds in Greece at that time. This was a huge open door for Paul. These judges of the land were pleading with him to fully explain his message. As the highest court of the land, these men were poised to listen. Then afterward they would be required to pass judgment on Paul’s ideas that were so strange to their Greek way of thinking and to render a legal decision regarding him and his message.

How Paul performed on this judicial stage could determine the outcome of his life. This could be a great open door, or it could lead to a death sentence. It was in a similar court in this same city, at an earlier time in history, that Socrates was judged and condemned to death for indoctrinating young Greek students with new, non-Greek ideas. Certainly Paul, who was an extremely educated man, must have recalled Socrates’ demise as he opened his mouth and began to expound to this high court about the redeeming and saving power of Jesus Christ. Yet Paul forged ahead boldly and preached one of the greatest and most anointed masterpieces that has ever been preached in the history of the Church (Acts 17:22-31)!

As Paul began to preach, every word had to be carefully chosen and spoken under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. There was no room for error in his words on that day.

The good news is that just as the Holy Spirit was with Paul, so will He be with you when you reach beyond your comfort zone to reach people who are different than you. Paul had no experience as a pagan. But because he depended on the Holy Spirit, he was able to effectively cross those cultural boundaries and reach into the Athenians’ world with the saving message of Jesus Christ!

In the same way, God has anointed you to reach the people He has placed on your heart. They may be different than you; they may have a different skin color than yours; they may live in a different part of the world than where you were born; or perhaps they are live on a different side of town. But I promise you that the Holy Spirit holds the key to every person’s heart. He knows how to reach people in every culture. And if you will lean on Him and carefully follow what He tells you to do, He will give you the method and the manner to reach a particular group of people, no matter how difficult it may seem to you. The Spirit of God knows the path to each person’s heart, so learn to lean on Him as you go forth into new territory to speak His name!

Paul never backed down, never apologized, and never violated what he believed in order to preach to the Athenians. But he recognized that he was speaking to Greeks, so he ministered to them in words and phrases that they could understand. (In the next Sparkling Gem, we will cover Paul’s message at the Areopagus in greater detail, and you will be greatly helped by seeing the smart, Spirit-inspired things Paul spoke of when he was beckoned to the highest court in Greece.) In the same way, you should never compromise what you believe when you are presenting the Gospel, but you must be smart in the way you package the message!

So pray diligently before you barge into new, unknown territory. Do your homework so you’ll know the kind of culture God is calling you to reach. Then ask the Holy Spirit to give you His insights on how to reach the people in that culture. One thing you can know for sure: If you follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and do precisely what He puts in your heart to do, your rate of success will be infinitely higher than it would be if you tried to do it all alone!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I am so thankful that the Holy Spirit is my Guide and Teacher. Because the Spirit of God is in my life, I am not an orphan who has to figure out everything on my own. I am willing to follow You — to do whatever You tell me to do and to go wherever You tell me to go — but I am depending completely on You to lead me, anoint me, and empower me as I take the steps of faith that are directly before me. Lord, I am willing to take the message to the people You have called me to reach. But I am asking You to show me how to most effectively package my message so they will receive the life-changing truth of the Gospel!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I am careful in what I do and what I say as I reach out to people who are lost. They don’t know Jesus; therefore, I must learn to speak to them in a way that touches their hearts and souls. Holy Spirit, You are the One who knows every man’s heart, so today I declare that You are giving me the keys, the words, the methods, and the ways to reach the audience that God has put on my heart. I have the message that saves lives, and the Holy Spirit is teaching me how to package the message so it will be received and people’s lives will be redeemed.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you think of a time when you saw someone totally turn off an unbeliever because of the way he tried to reach that person? What did he do that was so ineffective? It would be good to write down your response so you can think about it and learn as much as possible from that experience.
2. Can you think of someone who effectively reaches unbelievers and has brought many people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? What is this person doing that is so effective? I suggest that you take a few minutes to ponder this question; then write down the things this person does that causes people to be receptive to the Gospel so you can learn from his or her example.
3. What group of people is God calling you to reach? What do you know about these people? What do you know about their culture and their way of thinking? What are you doing to prepare yourself so you can be more effective in the way that you reach them?

Peter and John Run to the Tomb

Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
— John 20:3,4

By the time the women reached the apostles, they must have sounded very confused! On one hand, they reported that the angels said Jesus was alive from the dead. On the other hand, they were confused and operating in fear, so they exclaimed, “…They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him” (John 20:2).

Fear always produces confusion, and these women were so confused that the apostles didn’t take what they said seriously. Luke 24:11 says, “And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.” The words “idle tales” are from the Greek word leros, which means nonsense, idle talk, babble, or delirium (see April 28). Who did these women think removed Jesus from the tomb? Which story was true? Was He resurrected and alive as the women first told the apostles, or was He stolen away?

John 20:3,4 says, “Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple John did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.” When the Bible says Peter and John “went forth,” the Greek tense indicates that their feet were moving before the conversation with the women concluded. When they heard that something had happened at the tomb, both men were on the move to get there as quickly as possible.

We also know from John 20:11 that Mary Magdalene soon followed Peter and John back to the tomb, for she was present at the site and remained there after Peter and John returned to the apostles.

I find it interesting that when Peter and John raced to the tomb to see whatever it was that the women were trying to communicate to them, none of the other apostles joined them. The others apparently just sat and watched Peter and John put on their clothes and start running, but they didn’t join the two men. Instead, the rest of the apostles probably stayed behind to discuss what they had heard and to debate about what it meant.

Because Peter and John ran to the garden, they experienced something the other apostles missed by staying home. It is simply a fact that if you want to experience Jesus Christ and His power, you must get up from where you are and start moving in His direction.

John outran Peter to the garden where the tomb was located. As soon as he arrived, John 20:5 tells us, “And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.” The Greek word for “stooping down” is parakupto. It means to peer into; to peep into; to bend low to take a closer look; to stoop down to see something better.

John bent down so he could take a close peek into the tomb, and he “…saw the linen clothes lying….” The word “saw” is the Greek word blepo, which means to see. It was just enough of a glance to see the linen clothes lying there. The words “linen clothes” is the same identical word used in John 19:40 (see April 26) when referring to the expensive Egyptian-made garment in which Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had buried Jesus. If Jesus had been stolen, whoever took Him would have taken this expensive garment as well, but John saw that these linen clothes had been left lying in the tomb.

Graves were a place of respect for the Jews, which may explain the reason John was hesitant to enter the tomb. It is also quite possible that he observed the broken seals and realized that it looked like an unlawful entry had occurred. Perhaps he was thinking twice before he found himself connected to an alleged potential crime scene. Regardless of why John hesitated, the Bible tells us that Peter didn’t hesitate but promptly barged right into the tomb to check it out for himself: “Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself” (John 20:6,7).

John only glanced into the interior of the tomb, but the above verse says Peter went into the sepulcher and “…seeth the linen clothes lie.” The word “seeth” is the Greek word theaomai, from which we get our word theater. It means to fully see or fully observe, like a patron who carefully watches every act of a play at the theater.

When Peter entered that tomb, he surveyed it like a professional surveyor. He looked over every nook and cranny, paying special attention to the linen clothes and the way they were left there. He saw “…the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.” The word “napkin” is soudarion, and it refers to a napkin that could be used for wiping perspiration from one’s face. This word was also used in connection with a burial cloth that was gently placed upon the face of the dead at burial.

When Lazarus came out of the tomb, Jesus instructed that his grave clothes be removed along with the soudarion, or napkin, from his face (John 11:44). Apparently Jesus’ entire body was wrapped in a large white linen sheet (see April 26), but His face was covered with such a napkin in traditional Jewish burial style.

The most fascinating fact about this facial cloth was that it was “…wrapped in a place by itself.” The word “wrapped” is the Greek word entulisso, which means to neatly fold; to nicely arrange; or to arrange in an orderly fashion. The reason this word is so interesting is that it tells us Jesus was calm and completely in control of His faculties when He was raised from the dead. He removed the expensive Egyptian-made burial cloth from His body, sat upright, and then removed the burial napkin from His face. Sitting in that upright position, He neatly folded the burial cloth and gently laid it down to one side, separate from the linen clothes He probably laid down on His other side. Now as Peter gazed at the scene inside the tomb, he could see the empty spot where Jesus had sat between these two pieces of burial clothing after He was raised from the dead.

John 20:8 says, “Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.” This verse says that when John saw the empty stone slab where Jesus’ body had previously lain and the burial clothes lying to the right and to the left, forming the empty spot where Jesus sat after He was resurrected, John then “believed.” I find it truly amazing that even though Peter had spent a longer time than John inside the tomb, he was still uncertain as to the meaning of it all. Luke 24:12 says that Peter “…departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.” John, on the other hand, left the tomb believing Jesus was alive.

Later that evening, Jesus would appear to all the apostles and breathe the Spirit of God into them, giving them the new birth (John 20:22). But at this moment, because the Holy Spirit was not yet resident in them as their Teacher, there was much they could not understand. Even though Jesus had told them He would die and be raised from the dead, they simply were not yet able to comprehend it. That’s why John 20:9 says, “For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.”

Although the apostles had heard this scripture from Jesus Himself, the reality and full impact of its truth had not registered in their hearts. After this historical and momentous day, the Bible tells us, “Then the disciples went away again unto their own home” (v. 10).

It is remarkable to me that Peter could stand in the middle of Jesus’ empty tomb and still leave uncertain about what it meant. How in the world would it be possible to be in the very room where Jesus’ dead body had lain, to see the neatly folded napkin, to recognize the spot where He sat upright between those garments, and to still not be able to figure out that Jesus was now alive?

Yet it starts making sense when I think about it. God has done so many unquestionable miracles for you and me as well. How many times have we walked away unaffected by the power and miracles we’ve seen and experienced? God has delivered us, saved us, and rescued us from harm time and time again; yet we still tend to wonder if God is really with us or not. How in the world could we ever question the faithfulness of God after all He has already done for us?

We need to make sure we don’t remain unaffected by the miracle-working power of God that has worked in our lives. Instead, we should make the decision to fully embrace every good thing God does for us — to soak it up so entirely that it changes us and our outlook on life. God is good! He has been good to every one of us. If we fail to remember this, it is only because we are not opening our eyes to see His hand of protection, provision, and safety all around us.

So make the choice today to recognize what God has done in your life. Remember to thank Him for it, and then never forget it!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, it is true that You have worked so many miracles in my life. If I were to try to recount all the times You have saved me, delivered me, rescued me, gotten me out of trouble, put me on a right path, and blessed me when I didn’t deserve it, I wouldn’t have enough time to recite them all! So how could I ever question that You would be with me right now in my present challenge? Of course You are with me and will help me. Forgive me for being so hardhearted as to forget what You have already done for me. And I thank You right now that You are going to help me this time too!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am not forgetful of the many ways God has worked in my life. I am mindful of His mercy and grace and I praise Him for it every day. I am a living testimony of His power. He is my Redeemer, my Healer, my Deliverer, and my Provider. He is the One who rescues me from harm and who meets my every need. I am fully supplied in every area of my life because of the promises God has made to me in His Word!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Be honest! Haven’t you had times in your life when you were like Peter? In other words, have you ever been standing right in the middle of God’s gracious provision when a new challenge caused you to wonder if He was going to be faithful to help you make it through in victory?

2. Why don’t you take a few minutes right now to reflect on the miracles God has done in your life? Make a list, and see how many instances of supernatural provision you are able to write down.

3. Since you have a responsibility to tell others what God has done for you, why don’t you find an opportunity today to tell someone one good thing God has done for you? Then ask that person to tell you one moment when he is sure God did something supernatural for him. You may be surprised at how people respond to this question!

Resurrection Morning!

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
— Matthew 28:1,2

Jesus is alive! His resurrection is not merely a philosophical renaissance of His ideas and teachings — He was literally raised from the dead! The power of God exploded inside that tomb, reconnected Jesus’ spirit with His dead body, flooded His corpse with life, and He arose! So much power was released behind the sealed entrance of His tomb that the earth itself reverberated and shuddered from the explosion. Then an angel rolled the stone from the entrance to the tomb, and Jesus physically walked through the door of that tomb alive!

This is no legend nor fairy tale. This is the foundation of our faith! So today let’s examine the events surrounding the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was resurrected from the dead sometime between the close of Sabbath sunset on Saturday evening and before the women came to the tomb early on Sunday morning. The only actual eyewitnesses to the resurrection itself were the angels who were present and the four Roman soldiers who had been stationed there at Pilate’s command (Matthew 27:66; see April 27). However, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all record the events that followed on the morning of His resurrection.

When first reading all four accounts of what happened that morning, it may appear that a contradiction exists between the details told in the various Gospels. But when they are chronologically aligned, the picture becomes very clear and the impression of contradiction is wiped away.

Let me give you an example of what appears to be a contradiction. The Gospel of Matthew says there was one angel outside the tomb. The Gospel of Mark says there was one angel inside the tomb. The Gospel of Luke says there were two angels inside the tomb. John says nothing about angels, but does say that when Mary returned later in the day, she saw two angels inside the tomb who were positioned at the head and foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been laid.

So who is telling the right story? How many angels were there? As I said, to see the entire scenario that transpired that day, the events in all four Gospels must be must properly sequenced chronologically. So let’s get started!

Matthew 28:1 says, “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.” In addition to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the mother of James, Luke 24:10 tells us that “Joanna” and “other women” came to the tomb. Luke 8:3 tells us that this “Joanna” was the wife of Herod’s steward — evidently a wealthy woman who was a financial supporter of Jesus’ ministry. According to Luke 23:55 and 56, many of these women were present when Jesus was placed inside the tomb, but returned home to prepare “spices and ointments” so they could anoint His body for burial when they returned after the Sabbath day.

These women had no way of knowing that the chief priests and elders had gone to Pilate the day after Jesus was buried to request a watch of four Roman soldiers to guard the tomb and an official from the Roman court to “seal” the tomb. How would these women have known of this? They were at home, preparing spices and ointments.

Yet while these women were preparing to return to anoint Jesus’ dead body, the tomb was being officially sealed shut and Roman soldiers had been ordered to guard the tomb twenty-four hours a day. Had the women known that the tomb was legally sealed and couldn’t be opened, they wouldn’t have returned to the tomb, for it was legally impossible for them to request the stone to be removed.

Mark 16:2-4 says, “And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.”

Ignorant of the fact that the tomb couldn’t legally be opened, the women proceeded to the tomb for the purpose of anointing Jesus’ body. As they drew near to the garden where the tomb was located, they wondered among themselves who would remove the stone for them. However, Matthew 28:2 says, “And, behold, there was a great earthquake.…”

This earthquake didn’t occur at the time when the women approached the tomb; rather, it occurred simultaneously with the moment of Jesus’ resurrection, sometime after the Saturday sunset and before the women arrived at the garden. When describing the magnitude of the earthquake, Matthew uses the word “behold.” In Greek, this is the word idou. The King James Version translates it behold, but in our day, it might be better translated, Wow! This word carries the idea of shock, amazement, and wonder, so when Matthew says, “And, behold, there was a great earthquake,” he literally means, “Wow! Can you believe it?…”  The word idou could also carry this idea: “Whew! Listen to the amazing thing that happened next.…” Although Matthew writes his Gospel many years after the fact, he still experiences amazement when he thinks of this event!

Matthew tells us that there was “a great earthquake.” The word “great” is the Greek word mega, leaving no room for doubt as to the magnitude of this event. The word mega always suggests something huge, massive, or enormous. The word “earthquake” is the Greek word seimos, the word for a literal earthquake (see April 25). Just as creation shook when its Creator died on the Cross, now the earth exploded with exultation at the resurrection of Jesus!

Mark 16:4 says that when the women arrived at the tomb, they found “…the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.” The word “very” is the Greek word sphodra, meaning very, exceedingly, or extremely. The word “great” is that word mega, meaning huge, massive, or enormous. In other words, this was no normal stone; the authorities placed an extremely, exceedingly massive stone in front of the entrance to Jesus’ tomb. Yet when the women arrived, it had been removed!

Matthew 28:2 tells us how the stone was removed. It says that “…the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.” The word “sat” is the Greek word kathemai, which means to sit down. Some have suggested that the ability of the angel to sit on top of such a huge stone may also denote his immense size — in other words, he was so huge that he could sit on top of the enormous stone as if it were a chair. If this were the case, the removal of the stone would have been a simple feat. Matthew informs us that not only was the angel strong, but “his countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow” (v. 3).

The immense size, power, and brilliance of this angel explains why the Roman guards fled the scene. Matthew 28:4 tells us, “And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.” The word “fear” is the Greek word phobos, which means to fear. In this case, it was such a panic-stricken fear that it caused the guards to “shake.”

This word “shake” is derived from the Greek word seio, the identical root word for an earthquake. The mighty Roman soldiers trembled and quaked at the sight of the angel. In fact, they “…became as dead men.” The words “dead men” is the Greek word nekros — the word for a corpse. The soldiers were so terrified at the appearance of the angel that they fell to the ground, violently trembling and so paralyzed with fear that they were unable to move. When they were finally able to move again, these guards fled the scene — and when the women arrived at the garden, they were nowhere to be found!

Luke 24:3 tells us that with the stone removed, these women passed right by the angel who sat on top of the huge stone and crossed the threshold into the tomb. It says, “And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.” But what did they find inside the tomb besides the vacant spot where Jesus had laid? Mark 16:5 tells us: “And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.”

First, these women saw an angel sitting on top of the stone at the entrance of the tomb. Now inside the tomb, they see another angel whose appearance is like a young man. The words “young man” are from the Greek word neanikos, referring to a young man who is filled with vigor and energy and who is in the prime of his life. This illustrates the vitality, strength, and ever-youthful appearance of angels. The Bible also tells us that this angel was “…clothed in a long white garment….” The word “clothed” pictures a garment draped about his shoulders, as a mighty warrior or ruler would be dressed. The word “garment” is from the Greek word stole, which represents the long flowing robe that adorned royalty, commanders, kings, priests, and other people of high distinction.

As these women stood in an empty tomb, Luke 24:4 tells us that “…they were much perplexed thereabout….” This Greek word for “perplexed” is aporeo, which means to lose one’s way. It is the picture of someone who is so confused that he can’t figure out where he is, what he’s doing, or what is happening around him. This person is completely bewildered by surrounding events.

Of course these women were perplexed! They came expecting to see the stone in front of the tomb, but it was removed. Sitting on top of the massive stone was a dazzling angel. To get into the tomb, they had to pass by that angel — but once in the tomb, they discovered there was no dead body. Then suddenly they looked over to the right side of the tomb and saw a second angel, dressed in a long, white robe like a warrior, ruler, priest, or king. The women didn’t expect to encounter any of these unusual events that morning. It would have been normal for their heads to be whirling with questions!

Then Luke 24:4 tells us that all of a sudden “…two men stood by them in shining garments.” The words “stood by” are from the Greek word epistemi, which means to come upon suddenly; to take one by surprise; to burst upon the scene; to suddenly step up; or to unexpectedly appear. In other words, while the women tried to figure out what they were seeing, the angel sitting on top of the stone decided to join the group inside the tomb. Suddenly to the women’s amazement, two angels were standing inside the tomb in “shining garments”!

The word “shining” is astrapto, depicting something that shines or flashes like lightning. It may refer to the angels’ shining appearance.

Luke 24:5-8 says, “And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they [the angels] said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words.”

After the two angels proclaimed the joyful news of Jesus’ resurrection, they instructed the women, “But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you” (Mark 16:7). Matthew 28:8 says they “…did run to bring his disciples word.” Mark 16:8 says, “And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre….” Luke 24:9,10 says that the women returned and “…told these things unto the apostles.”

Can you imagine how flustered these women must have been as they tried to tell the apostles what they had seen and heard that morning? Luke 24:11 says, “And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.” The words “idle tales” are from the Greek word leros, which means nonsense, idle talk, babble, or delirium. In other words, the women’s presentation of the Gospel probably wasn’t extremely clear, but it stirred enough interest in Peter and John to make them get up and go find out for themselves about Jesus!

When we’ve had a supernatural encounter with the Lord, it isn’t always easy to put that experience into words. This is a frustration all of us who know the Lord have felt at one time or another. However, we can’t let that keep us from spreading the good news of what Jesus Christ has done in our lives. We should never forget that although these women seemed to be speaking nonsense and babble, their words were all that was needed to spark an interest in those men that made them get up and go find out about Jesus themselves.

As you share Jesus Christ with your family and friends, it is your job to “give it your best shot.” Tell the Good News the best way you know how! But don’t overlook the fact that the Holy Spirit is also speaking to their hearts at the same time you are speaking to their ears. The Spirit of God will use you and your witness to stir hunger deep in their hearts. But long after you are finished talking, God will still be dealing with them. And when they come to Jesus, they won’t remember if you sounded confusing the day you presented the Gospel to them. They will be thankful that you loved them enough to care for their souls!

So get up and get going! Open your mouth, and start telling the Good News that Jesus Christ is alive and well!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I am concerned for my family, friends, acquaintances, and fellow workers who still don’t know You as their personal Savior. I’ve been concerned that if I tried to talk to them, I wouldn’t make sense, so I’ve shied away from witnessing to them. But I know You can make sense out of anything I say. Today I am leaning on You to help me witness to people in my life. I need You to speak to their hearts at the same time I’m speaking to their ears! Please help me tell them about Your saving grace!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am a witness for Jesus Christ! I open my mouth and speak the truth in love, and people want to hear what I have to tell them. This is the best news in the whole world — and when I tell it, people get excited and want to give their lives to Jesus. I am not afraid to speak up, to speak out, and to speak on behalf of my precious Savior. What He has done for me, He will do for others, for He is not a respecter of persons. Therefore, I will boldly tell of the grace of God and what He has done for me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you had times when you wanted to tell someone about an experience you’ve had with the Lord, but you felt frustrated because you couldn’t find the right words to explain your experience to them?

2. If you suddenly found yourself in front of someone who was dying and who needed to give his heart to Jesus, would you know how to lead that person to the Lord? If your answer is yes, how would you do it? What would you tell him?

3. If your answer to the above question is “No, I wouldn’t know how to lead someone to Jesus,” don’t you think it’s time for you to start learning how to do this? How could you go about learning how to more effectively witness for the Lord?