What a happy thing to wake up pondering! He rose! We will rise! In the bible, there is a recurring theme: all things are made new. That's beautiful.
This morning, Husband read to all of us from Luke's account of the resurrection, appearance and ascension of Jesus. He read from the children's living translation that my maternal grandmother gave me in 1975, 22 years before I would even care to bend the binding. I am eager to see her again, and tell her how it all turned out down here!
Anyway, I don't like to study or memorize from such a paraphrase, but I do enjoy sharing it with the children. Let's face it, it is easier to understand for all, but especially if you are under 5 feet tall (as is half our audience). Even so, I struggled to stay focused through a whole chapter and decided in the future I better follow along in my own bible, rather than be passive. I'm obviously a visual learner.
I remember that afterward, during family prayer time, I prayed that the Lord would let me more deeply understand and regard the meaning of this day. Obviously, I know what the resurrection is. I have read and re-read the story. I believe it. I know it is my great hope. But as I heard J. Vernon McGee once say on his radio show (paraphrased to the best of my memory), "The more I read and study about God through His Word, the less I know."
So, this morning, I knew enough to know that my appreciation was too shallow. And He must have said, "Amen," because the message at church excited my soul, awed my spirit and gave me new regard for my body. Body? Yes. Apparently this is the only one I've got and it is the only one I will be joined with for all eternity in its glorified state. I knew that too, but I never really gave it proper thought. Frankly, I'm not sure I like the skin I'm in enough to spend all that time, and then some in it, so I hope He implants in me a liking for it as long as I'm looking at that as a reality.
Anyway, after we worshipped our great God through song and prayer and the formal reading of the resurrection story, today's teacher, Norm Wakefield, picked up with the next passage in line: John 11:38-46, which is the account of Jesus at the grave of Lazarus. It too, is a resurrection story. Its timing for our fellowship was orchestrated by the Lord, and that did not escape us.
I learned some new things that I didn't know about how bodies were buried in that day. Wealthy people were laid in caves with special care like grave clothes or bandages, while everyone else was just placed in a hole in the ground. For the sake of a fuller understanding and appreciation of Lazarus' resurrection after 4 days, Norm tactfully shared some of his research on the decomposition process. Good gross-out material for the kids, especially the boys in the fellowship, I'm guessing.
He tried to help us understand the glory of God and the truer purposes of prayer. I've always been blessed to understand my prayers and His answers are not a shopping list handed to an obedient genie, but rather a tool for aligning my naturally selfish and self-centered will to His. My prayers, in their best moments, edify my faith and show me God's glory -- regardless of my circumstances. Prayer lets me say of the most hideous situations, "My Lord is so real to me in this, so close to me, that I would submit to the situation again to learn what I've learned." Now, I would love to boast that the sentiment is always heart-felt in the moment, but instead I will boast in the Lord's long-suffering and faithfulness to bring me there -- sometimes kicking and crying. I can then heap praise upon praise to Him, and there is nothing bad about that!
I really like the way Jesus acknowledges His purpose in praying aloud for those who would hear in that moment, but also the fact that in doing so, and inspiring it to be written in the scripture, He continues to teach His future audience (me) something about prayer in my time. That is the bible being a living Word.
Norm also explained the symbolism in this resurrection passage, in which there are actually two pictures represented: the first resurrection or spiritual new birth, and the second resurrection or bodily resurrection of believers. Depending on which picture is being remarked upon:
The tomb itself can represent (1) the darkness of spiritual sin or (2) the redeemed hidden in God's presence.
The rock that is rolled away from the opening can show us (1) the sin that seals us in or (2) the time we wait for Jesus' return.
The stench of the corpse is as the (1) corruption of sin that is repulsive or (2) putting off of the corruptible.
The word of Christ is (1) His means of regeneration or (2) His glorious SHOUT! that resurrects the dead in Christ, incorruptible.
The grave clothes represent (1) the deeds of sin that bind us and must be removed or (2) the deeds of sin that bound our body and are to be put off.
In my very brief research this afternoon, I'm finding there is a fair amount of division in interpretation about this doctrine, much as there is about the interpretation of the first and second coming. I hope to find time to investigate the scriptures about it, while the preaching and the interest is fresh. I'm still reading through Hebrews though, after Norm's last memorable teaching.
One more thing impressed me about the worship and teaching today. It was a moment in which Norm soberly explained that the stench of death is to us, as the stench of sin is to God. He was speaking in the context of the days before our modern mortuary and embalming procedures, of course. Directing his comments to the children for a moment, He remarked that just as mourners then would keep a distance from the offensive body, many of their parents would like to lock them away in their rooms because of the offensive stink of their sinfulness! He was dead serious, but one teen scoffed or chuckled, and brought upon himself the quick, sharp rebuke of a Godly elder. It was really quite impressive. I later discovered, as I expected I would, that the rebuke was not random. While I am not (and don't desire to be) privy to any details, I am encouraged to know that we are among Christians who take seriously the scriptures to reprove, correct and spur the body of Christ onto good works in His name and for His sake.
No comments:
Post a Comment