He is Risen! He is Risen indeed, Alleluia!
I was just watching a Matt Popovits video in which he talks about the link between hope and despair.
I touched on this idea in my message on Resurrection Sunday. The twelve (actually all) the disciples of Jesus reached this point watching Jesus’ crucifixion. All their hopes and dreams were shattered and the threat of their arrest and execution seemed imminent. They did not yet know that they were wrong. The event they thought was defeat was actually victory. We often hear people rant over how evil our world has become. Can you imagine how they felt convinced that Jesus was truly as Peter said, “The Christ, The Son of the Living God!” They believed he was sent by God to save the world. And we killed him! I think they were not just afraid of the Jewish and Roman leaders, they had reason to believe that this act of killing Jesus should bring God’s wrath down on all human kind. They did nothing to stop it they stood by and watched, could they really claim to be innocent. We also know that those with Substance Abuse Addictions have to hit rock bottom before they can begin recovery.
The quote in Matt’s video shouts to me. “God’s address is at the end of your rope.”
We cannot fully hear the Gospel until we truly understand the Law. I believe death is the end of our rope. It is the rock bottom for we who are addicted to sin. It is the point where there is nothing else we can do. The only thing to do is to look for help from the outside. Scripture says, “The wages of sin is death.”
It is here in the pit of despair, the guilt of their betrayal (and ours) and the grief of Jesus’ death that the risen Jesus comes and says to them and to us, “Peace be with you.” And there He is, Alive! And I am forgiven. And I proclaim “My God how great Thou art!”
I was just watching a Matt Popovits video in which he talks about the link between hope and despair.
I touched on this idea in my message on Resurrection Sunday. The twelve (actually all) the disciples of Jesus reached this point watching Jesus’ crucifixion. All their hopes and dreams were shattered and the threat of their arrest and execution seemed imminent. They did not yet know that they were wrong. The event they thought was defeat was actually victory. We often hear people rant over how evil our world has become. Can you imagine how they felt convinced that Jesus was truly as Peter said, “The Christ, The Son of the Living God!” They believed he was sent by God to save the world. And we killed him! I think they were not just afraid of the Jewish and Roman leaders, they had reason to believe that this act of killing Jesus should bring God’s wrath down on all human kind. They did nothing to stop it they stood by and watched, could they really claim to be innocent. We also know that those with Substance Abuse Addictions have to hit rock bottom before they can begin recovery.
The quote in Matt’s video shouts to me. “God’s address is at the end of your rope.”
We cannot fully hear the Gospel until we truly understand the Law. I believe death is the end of our rope. It is the rock bottom for we who are addicted to sin. It is the point where there is nothing else we can do. The only thing to do is to look for help from the outside. Scripture says, “The wages of sin is death.”
It is here in the pit of despair, the guilt of their betrayal (and ours) and the grief of Jesus’ death that the risen Jesus comes and says to them and to us, “Peace be with you.” And there He is, Alive! And I am forgiven. And I proclaim “My God how great Thou art!”
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