Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

For forty days, Jesus spoke about his Kingdom.  No other issue seems to be as important than that for Jesus.  He said again and again that he is bringing to reality, on the earth, the Kingdom of God.  His listeners were confused because the way he talked about his Kingdom contradicted their previously held beliefs.  They believed in a tangible, physical, powerful kingdom, like King David’s.

This was a major reason that the Jewish authorities wanted Jesus killed, done away with.  His teaching about his Kingdom contradicted their own state-centered view.  The Kingdom that Jesus spoke and promised was in no way like a nation.  It was spiritual.

He taught, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

Luke 17:20 – 21

This view of the Kingdom was so contrary to the ways the Jewish teachers and authorities taught that they failed completely to hear what Jesus was announcing, that his Kingdom is already here, unseen so unrecognized. It has no political power nor military might. It is a spiritual Kingdom.

I do believe that some Christians today have an Old Testament view of the Kingdom – a visible, powerful uniting political movement that is backed by armed power.  European church history describes this idea.

After 40 days Jesus ascended and opened the eyes of his disciples and others to see the Kingdom he came to establish.  Only converted minds can comprehend it.

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me?   Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”   Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

 John 21:15 – 17 (here and there)

 Dear Peter!  Terribly confused.  In the hall of judgement, he declared that he never knew Jesus as Jesus was being ridiculed by the Jewish leaders nearby.  Peter enjoyed a moment of peace, shall we say, as eyes shifted from him.  But that was not the end of the story.  He recalled that Jesus had said, before the dawn he would do exactly as he did.

Now, the turmoil was not external but internal. He had denied that he ever knew Jesus!  This tore him apart.  A river of tears of regret and hurt flowed from his eyes.  He had to get out of there!  He was overcome with grief.  By himself in the night, he wept bitterly, feeling the hurt that only the tender conscience can feel.

Peter had declared three times that he did not know Jesus.  Fast forward a few days – to the shore of Lake Galilee where the disciples had gathered early in the morning, with the risen Jesus.  Now, Jesus asked Peter a question, three times, “Do you love me?”  Three times Peter declared his love for Jesus.  Jesus knew that Peter, in his heart of hearts, loved him dearly.

I am much like Peter as are many believers.  We know how we are tempted to still the waters by disowning Jesus and how it hurts when we find that is what we are doing.  Nothing compares to the hurt this causes us. No, we who love Jesus love him with eternal love!  A far greater hurt is to deny that we love Jesus.

Life again has eternal focus as Jesus sees us undone but full of living faith, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”  So be it.  That love-bond is stronger than life itself.

Things are changing at our place.  This year Alan and Lisa are utilizing what was once a flower bed in our yard to now grow vegetables.  Both of them are keen gardeners so we look forward to some nice results.  Here we see the horse manure that our neighbor, Abner, gave us from his barn.

I believe one of the benefits of gardening is to employ “hope.”  In all honesty I believe that the tilling of the soil itself, no matter what the outcome, is the heart of the matter.  We are made for this!

When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others.  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.  But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.  Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. 

Luke 24:9 – 12.

The eleven (note the absence of Judas Iscariot,) were huddled somewhere in Jerusalem, bewildered and wondering what was happening.  They were joined by others who were also confused and disappointed.  What about Jesus?  What is going on?  We have no record of what they were thinking. The women who saw Jesus at the tomb rushed into the place they were staying, excited that the body of

At once the door flew open, the women who had taken burial spices, etc., to anoint is dead body found that Jesus was not in the tomb but was risen.  Could it be?  Can they trust these women?

The eleven men did not believe the women. Finally, Peter flew into action.  He rushed to the tomb and found it empty.  He entered the tomb and found only the strips of linen in which he was hastily wrapped before the sun set on the day of his crucifixion.  The women were right!  Jesus is alive, just like he had told his disciples many times that he would be.  Peter left, wondering to himself what had happened. 

As I reflect on this, I realize how hard it is to believe.  Yes, I can admire Jesus for his wisdom and insights but that is another matter.  To believe that he died for me, carrying my sins in his body on that horrid cross of death, that is another matter.  It is no easier to believe today than then.

It was not long before the believers were baptized in the Holy Spirit and changed marvelously, just like us who believe!

This miniature daffodil blesses me. It goes unnoticed among the larger, more showy ones.  Allow me to introduce our small, petite friend!

Now, risen from the dead, alive forever more, Jesus reveals himself to Mary Magdalene, first.  This is the lady out of whom he cast seven demons!  Mary, holding the precious anointing oil, looked into the tomb in wonderment. She first saw two angels, then, to her surprise and delight she saw Jesus, the first person to see him that morning.  “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”

 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

The love that bonded Mary Magdalene to Jesus was precious – love that needed no interpreter.  Jesus had set her free, she served him for many months in Galilee, now in Jerusalem.   She was driven by her love for Him.  I should not be surprised that she was the first human to see Jesus after he rose from the dead.   That was just like Jesus!

After conversing with her, Jesus left.  Without hesitation she ran, ran with all her might, to tell the disciples what she had just seen and experienced!  As she ran, she was so excited.  Jesus, her Jesus, just talked to her!  Amazing!  “I have seen the Lord!” she cried out when she saw her friends.

I was sixteen years old, lost and perplexed.  On October 10, 1944 I, too, saw the Lord.  He began to remake me and to bring me ever closer to him.  As Mary, I was astounded.  I still am.  But I have found that there are people like me over this entire world.  All of us know, I have seen the Lord.   

One of my favorite Spring flowers is the crocus.  Here is a beauty in Jane’s front yard – new, fresh, startlingly beautiful.  I recall seeing something like this in the Swiss Alps – at the snow line as the thaw was happening.

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

John 20:19, 20

The disciples, with Judas, ate the Last Supper in the upper room in Jerusalem, their first time to celebrate the Passover in the capital of Israel and their last time to eat with Jesus before his death.

A short time after the meal Jesus was a prisoner of the Jews.  Judas killed himself, Peter had claimed to those around the fire that he never knew Jesus.  Of the other disciples we read nothing.  Jesus died on the cross, alone.

The disciples barricaded themselves behind locked doors, fearful that they might be apprehended, too, because they were all Galileans, followers of Jesus whom they just saw crucified, now dead.  We have no record about what they may have discussed there but they had not the slightest notion that Jesus is alive, even though he had told them that he would be.  They huddled in fear of the Jewish leaders.

This represents all of us when hope is gone.  We try to find a way apart from Jesus.   But that never works.

In an instant, everything changed for them.  Jesus went right through their locked doors, their human fright, and in an amazing moment – stood there before them, saying, “Peace be with you!”  He showed them his hands that were pierced with cruel nails and his side that was pierced with a sword.  The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.