As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
This was my Holy Ghost Bible reading for this Passover Sabbath or Saturday and is what Inspired this lesson.
Zechariah 11:17
Woe to the idle shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
It is the problem in this world that our clergy is not gifted in teaching like Jesus, brilliant like St. Paul or loving like St. John, and it is a detriment, because each tries to find some more grande scheme to tantalize the audience collection plate with, when the fact is it has always been about "CHRIST CRUCIFIED".
As I type this, almost 2000 years ago, Jesus of Nazareth, thee only begotten Son of God, had been two days in the grave. He was wrapped in a burial shroud and a cloth covered his head. His body had not been embalmed because on the Wednesday afternoon in which He was crucified, the next day was the Passover or a High Sabbath Day, and all that could be accomplished at dark was putting His body in the tomb, and then await the spices which would cover up the scent of death.
Nothing was done on what is termed Good Friday, as it was the day after Passover. For those confused by all this, Jesus said He would be 3 days and 3 nights in the earth like Jonah was in the fish as His only sign, and there are not 3 days and 3 nights from a Good Friday.
The Sabbath followed and with that the grieving followers of Christ began the ritual return on Sunday morning which is the first day of the week. That part is correct in Jesus did raise Himself from the dead on Sunday morning.
In Hebrew time, sunset begins the day, so it was Wednesday night, Thursday, Thursday night, Friday, Friday night, Saturday, with Jesus arising sometime in the darkness after sunset and before sunrise on Sunday.
I think of Jesus dead. Murdered by the State like LaVoy Finicum was. Dead, cold and stiff, in that tomb. A fate which most people will face. Focusing on that fact is where the miracle of Christ is, because if you have ever touched the dead of any type, you know how cold they are, even in a warm room.That is what death feels like, and to know that, and then realize that Jesus by the Spirit of God, awakened from that coldness to the warmth and breath of Life again, is glorious.
I love the graveside rites when a Pastor calls out, "I am the Resurrection and the Life", for that is Who Christ is. He experienced all of the same temptations and hurts we have, but He did not sin, but He was allowed to be hurt, so that by His wounds it would create an energy to heal us from sickness.
His death paid for our sins, so that we will never die eternally. We will only shed this body like we shed our skins every month, in we never die in Christ, but only live, an when the Day of His Coming returns, we will hear His voice, both living and the bodies in the grave, be caught up to Him in a moment, and all be made immortal like Christ.
That is glorious in knowing that no matter our condition here, we will be perfection like Christ, because He is our proof, that Life awaits us in a better form than we have now.
To know death is to appreciate life. To know the New Moon is to appreciate the Full Moon in all of her light as a testimony to who we are.
To simply believe that Jesus is God, to do the best good we can in obeying God's Laws and caring for others, and confess all of this by our actions to prove we are genuine, is how simple all of this is. As simple as Jesus raising Himself to Life.
No recording is made of the disciples after Jesus resurrection, but if it were me, I would have been a problem child of looking upon Him stupidly in adoration until exhausted and then clutching the coat He wore as I passed out from exhaustion, as I would never want to let go of the wonder of Him again, or waste a moment in looking at anything else.
I wonder how Jesus dealt with a myriad of people overjoyed with love and clinging to Him for 40 days, before He ascended into Heaven.
All of that awaits us though in the Final Trump, because our loved ones are going to be made like Christ as we are. We are going to see our Grandparents, our parents, our children, and we are going to meet people we only have heard about, that our Grandparents knew in their loved ones......and think of it in the degrees of separation, in we all will have introductions to people like George and Martha Washington, Joan of Arc and Ronald and Nancy Reagan, because we know a friend, who knows a friend who knows them, and it will all be like family, because it is Spiritual Family.
Death is a remarkable event when one knows that Christ was there first and overcame that death, and as He raised Himself to Life, He will raise us to Life too.
I think of Jesus dead, and marvel, for I know Jesus alive. There is no sting in that. There is no fear in that. There is only the Joy of a journey completed, returning to Him, and helping in love those we love who will follow us.
Christ Crucified needs no embellishment.
I Corinthians 1:23
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
It has not changed since St. Paul was Inspired by those Words almost 2000 years ago. For we share with the world, whether it be those who deny Christ in religion or intellect, the Way, the Truth and the Life, not as the world brings death, lies and being lost, but the Wisdom of God in the Power of Christ to overcome the weakness of humanity to become the Spiritual children of God.
This is most certainly True and the Spirit of Grace, not condemnation which the world convicts itself with, and flees this One Truth, is the Grace of God is the Love of God, which shines upon us through Jesus the Christ, the Father's only Way to God's Truth, to inherit the Life, which God gives to those who believe.
Amen and Amen
Today there flows the tears of mourning
And on tomorrow's morning, flow the tears of Joy
- Lame Cherry
agtG
