Good Friday- Resurrection Sunday but what about Saturday

Isaiah 53 tells us of the Messiah v.8 'He was cut off from the land of the living- the living one, in the abode of the dead. Though he died with the wicked, including the thief on the cross, Jesus was given a 'rich man's tomb at his death v.9. We are told in the Gospel that this tomb belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, the King of Kings, who as the Son of Man (another divine title) had nowhere to lay His head even in death lay in a borrowed tomb, Just a borrowed tomb for the King of Kings and creator of the whole universe. This is the true Sabbath, God resting on the Jewish Sabbath, laid in State. 

The aroma in the tomb would be filled with the smell of the spices that the women had wrapped Jesus in. This speaks of two things, firstly, their devotion to Him, though the men had fled and were in hiding these women took time to wrap his body in burial clothes and spices, they were devoted to him. Giving of their time and money to serve Him in death. Yet it also speaks of their lack of faith, some of the women had seen Jesus raise Lazarus and had heard Him repeatedly say that after three days he would rise again- they are preparing His body so that it doesn't decay. 

Where was His Spirit? While His body lay in state where was His Spirit? The Faith teachers are on record as saying Jesus went into Hell and suffered punishment from the demons. You may have read in some versions of the creeds that He descended into hell- this is a mistake-he descended into death is what the creed means.  You'll not find the idea of Jesus descending into hell Scripture. As I mentioned yesterday the cry of the cross was a victory cry, "it is finished" or it is "accomplished" Also you'll that Jesus tells us the thief on the Cross that He would join in Him in paradise that very day. He went home but without His body, it's the intermediate state for Him. 

One final thought, the disciples. 

The disciples seem to have missed that Jesus said He would rise after 3 days but remember that the Religious leaders heard Him say that He would rise, they didn't believe him of course but they put His body on guard just in case.  Judas  who was instrumental in Jesus death was one of the twelve just a few days before, now in remorse (not repentance) had taken his own life and a Christ-less eternity. Peter perhaps filled with remorse as well, after all he too betrayed his best friend, denying he even knew him. All of them who a couple of nights before we prepared to die with Him now hidden away in great fear. Yet if we are to enter into their grief we must realise they didn't have ears to hear. They hadn't heard him when He told them He would rise. So they are grief stricken thinking that despite all they had seen and heard Jesus was a Messianic pretender. If only they had listened, they would be waiting with baited breath for Sunday Morning it seems to them that death has conquered and is therefore Lord. They unlike us were in a state of complete hopelessness. Believing Jesus would have made them hopeful and expectant. For His Church waiting for His return we too should be waiting full of hope and expectation. 

May God Bless You this Saturday!

Stephen <><

Jesus puts the Good into Good Friday- we should dwell there awhile?

Isaiah writing 8 centuries before Good Friday writes, ' Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed, we all like sheep have gone astray, each of us have turned to his own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53- 3-6

 Philip Bliss writes Guilty, vile and helpless we, Spotless Lamb of God was He; Full redemption- can it be? Hallelujah what a Saviour. 

It's Friday- the worst of all days- man's long war against God, culminating in man putting to death God, Jesus who will judge the nations in righteousness enduring a kangaroo trial , Justice unravelling at the condemnation of the Just one. The very one of whom the whole cosmos cries Innocent and the only one of our kind who has ever lived a life without sin, condemned as the worst of sinners. Though He is Innocent yet He is condemned as a criminal,   It's Friday- The sheep have scattered the Shepherd is all alone- no more crowds crying out and waving branches for Him. He comes to bring reconciliation at that moment is the loneliest man on the planet. He sweated drops of blood at the very thought at this dreadful moment. The darling of heaven adored by all myriads and myriads of heavenly ones delighting in Him since their creation now facing the wrath of God alone. How right are the words penned by Stuart Townend, The Father turns His face away as wounds which mar the chosen one- bring many sons to glory. The true Son, the beloved of the Father is abandoned as He who is without sin becomes sin for us. Though He is the LORD of Life, yet dies the death of deaths. God of very God but baring the wrath of God.

Yet it is the best of times because His cry "it is finished" is a victor's cry. The curtain is torn in two as the price is paid for us sinners to have a relationship with God. The holy one bows His head and dies- He who is eternal, dies the death that we should have died, facing the punishment for sin. He is forsaken so that we can be forgiven.  Treated as a sinner so we can become a son. 

It's Friday let's dwell on it for the day.

Shalom 

Stephen <><

The Cross of Christ

'I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. The only God I believe in is the One Nietzche ridiculed as "God on the Cross". In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who is immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in many different Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statue of Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world and I have had to turn away. And in my imagination I have turned instead to that lonely twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs, wretched, brow bleeding from thorn-pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in God forsaken darkness. That is the God for me! He laid aside His immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in the light of His. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross which symbolizes divine suffering. "the cross of Christ is Gods self-justification in such a world'. P.T Forsyth cited in John Scott's Cross of Christ.

|'ve read a few quotes of Forsyth's shall have to read him. 

God Bless
Stephen <><

Robert {not the} Bruce

Robert Bruce who was a descendant of his more famous namesake and also descended from James the 1st of Scotland, he was a nobleman and was born into a Roman Catholic family. He was converted at University and became thoroughly reformed. Despite being a noble man and offered a title and an estate he turned these down for the call of the gospel. His Roman Catholic mother was deeply offended by his becoming a Protestant and disinherited him. Nonetheless he forsook it all for the sake of his calling.

Perhaps due to their being slightly related, Bruce was initially a favourite of James the 6th even being involved in the coronation of the Queen.

I've wanted to read him for a while as he was 'internally exiled' to Inverness, by James the 6th of Scotland and 1st of England. As the king had embraced Anglicanism and wanted Bruce to be an Anglican. The Inverness he was sent to was a hotbed of Roman Catholicism unlike Inverness today which has many, many churches many of which are evangelical at least historically. He was by far the most popular preacher of his day, seeing many thousands of people converted. This didn't stop when he was removed from his parish in Edinburgh but even in the Highlands people would come from miles around to hear him. Turning from indifferent or hostility to loving and appreciating his ministry.