The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in John 20:17,
"Jesus said, 'Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."'"
These are the words spoken by Jesus to Mary Magdalene as she stood outside of Jesus' empty tomb, looking into it. Mary wanted to know what had come of Jesus' body, since it no longer lay there in the tomb. Jesus appeared to her and told her not to cling to him... things had yet to be done! He told her to go tell the good news of his' resurrection to "my brothers".
As Jesus told Mary not to cling to him, that there were things yet needing to be done, I am reminded of another clinging that had to be set aside, because there were things that needed doing. "Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:6-8.
As we read of the love shared among the members of the Trinity (e.g. John 17), I suspect I woefully understand all that the Son of God gave up, let go of, ceased clinging to, in order to become a man and offer his life as a ransom for all mankind. He did not cling to his position and place within the Godhead, but with joy, set it aside for a season to bring about the greatest act earth has ever seen: the redemption of sinful and lost mankind!
The point being that where we may be very desirous of embracing our inheritance that will come our way in the resurrection, as the Son of God, as Mary Magdalene, we all have our things that need doing first. Our fulfillment in the resurrection will come soon enough, but until then we have things the Lord has for us to do.
I think of things like, "eternal pleasures at your [the Lord's] right hand." Psalm 16:11. Things like "you [the Lord] give them drink from your river of delights." Psalm 36:8. I'm sure you do as well.
There could be many passages to consider as we think about what we have a taste of today and what is coming our way in the resurrection, as Paul did in Romans 8:17, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." However, as Paul, we see there are some things we need to tend to (Paul mentions suffering here) before we settle in to what will be ours in the resurrection. We all have things to do the Lord asks of us today.
It is not ours to embrace and cling to what is coming our way yet. Those things will come soon enough. Now is the hour to express our gratitude to the Lord for what he gives us by serving him in this life first.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"Jesus said, 'Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."'"
These are the words spoken by Jesus to Mary Magdalene as she stood outside of Jesus' empty tomb, looking into it. Mary wanted to know what had come of Jesus' body, since it no longer lay there in the tomb. Jesus appeared to her and told her not to cling to him... things had yet to be done! He told her to go tell the good news of his' resurrection to "my brothers".
As Jesus told Mary not to cling to him, that there were things yet needing to be done, I am reminded of another clinging that had to be set aside, because there were things that needed doing. "Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:6-8.
As we read of the love shared among the members of the Trinity (e.g. John 17), I suspect I woefully understand all that the Son of God gave up, let go of, ceased clinging to, in order to become a man and offer his life as a ransom for all mankind. He did not cling to his position and place within the Godhead, but with joy, set it aside for a season to bring about the greatest act earth has ever seen: the redemption of sinful and lost mankind!
The point being that where we may be very desirous of embracing our inheritance that will come our way in the resurrection, as the Son of God, as Mary Magdalene, we all have our things that need doing first. Our fulfillment in the resurrection will come soon enough, but until then we have things the Lord has for us to do.
I think of things like, "eternal pleasures at your [the Lord's] right hand." Psalm 16:11. Things like "you [the Lord] give them drink from your river of delights." Psalm 36:8. I'm sure you do as well.
There could be many passages to consider as we think about what we have a taste of today and what is coming our way in the resurrection, as Paul did in Romans 8:17, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." However, as Paul, we see there are some things we need to tend to (Paul mentions suffering here) before we settle in to what will be ours in the resurrection. We all have things to do the Lord asks of us today.
It is not ours to embrace and cling to what is coming our way yet. Those things will come soon enough. Now is the hour to express our gratitude to the Lord for what he gives us by serving him in this life first.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment