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 Matthew 28:11-15,
"While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, 'You are to say, "His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep." If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.' So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day."
The women in the above account were Mary Magdalene and the "other Mary". They had gone to Jesus' tomb following his crucifixion and the Sabbath that followed. Jesus had sent them to tell his disciples to meet him in Galilee. As they went, some of the guards posted to the tomb to watch and insure Jesus' disciples didn't take the body, reported to the chief priests the astonishing episode they had just witnessed.
They saw an angel, whose appearance was like lightning, come down from heaven, rolled back the stone that had been placed at the opening of Jesus' tomb, and sat on it. He had then told the two Marys that Jesus was not in the tomb but had risen from death and was gone.
When these guards had gone to the chief priests and reported these things, the priests did something that, to my thinking, was insane. Confronted with the impossible, they attempted to conceal it by lying about it.
Prior to the crucifixion, They denied Jesus' claim of being the Son of God, thereby rejecting him. Having to face the news that he had been resurrected from the dead and was now out and about, you might think they would come to their senses. But, no. Taking a leap into a manufactured reality, they perpetrated a lie about it. Sure, they might have been able to mislead people in a lie (and were successful at it!). However, what the resurrection meant was that all Jesus did and said was the truthfulness of reality. Judgment is coming! One day these priests will have to stand before Jesus Christ as the judge of their eternal destinies! You might think the dawning of these realities might influence them into second thoughts about Jesus. But, as I say, no. They chose to create an "alternative reality." Unfortunately for these, alternate realities exist only in the minds of those who deceive and are deceived.
Such is the deceitfulness of sin. Clinging to their positions of authority and the accouterments attached, they preferred the darkness to light. They preferred and chose to cling to their sin instead of reconciling what they were confronted with and turn to God.
I am reminded of Jesus words to Nicodemus, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed." John 3:19-20.
"While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, 'You are to say, "His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep." If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.' So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day."
The women in the above account were Mary Magdalene and the "other Mary". They had gone to Jesus' tomb following his crucifixion and the Sabbath that followed. Jesus had sent them to tell his disciples to meet him in Galilee. As they went, some of the guards posted to the tomb to watch and insure Jesus' disciples didn't take the body, reported to the chief priests the astonishing episode they had just witnessed.
They saw an angel, whose appearance was like lightning, come down from heaven, rolled back the stone that had been placed at the opening of Jesus' tomb, and sat on it. He had then told the two Marys that Jesus was not in the tomb but had risen from death and was gone.
When these guards had gone to the chief priests and reported these things, the priests did something that, to my thinking, was insane. Confronted with the impossible, they attempted to conceal it by lying about it.
Prior to the crucifixion, They denied Jesus' claim of being the Son of God, thereby rejecting him. Having to face the news that he had been resurrected from the dead and was now out and about, you might think they would come to their senses. But, no. Taking a leap into a manufactured reality, they perpetrated a lie about it. Sure, they might have been able to mislead people in a lie (and were successful at it!). However, what the resurrection meant was that all Jesus did and said was the truthfulness of reality. Judgment is coming! One day these priests will have to stand before Jesus Christ as the judge of their eternal destinies! You might think the dawning of these realities might influence them into second thoughts about Jesus. But, as I say, no. They chose to create an "alternative reality." Unfortunately for these, alternate realities exist only in the minds of those who deceive and are deceived.
Such is the deceitfulness of sin. Clinging to their positions of authority and the accouterments attached, they preferred the darkness to light. They preferred and chose to cling to their sin instead of reconciling what they were confronted with and turn to God.
I am reminded of Jesus words to Nicodemus, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed." John 3:19-20.
How deceitful is the heart of sinful man!
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.
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.
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