Journey of Incredible Hope

So What

Let’s place ours self at the scene.

I really missed the prayer stations this year because there was something about it that almost forced me to slow down and reflect. Easter is really the foundation to our faith, and what was meant to be a reflective walk turned into a sprint, and here we are celebrating the risen Christ on Easter Sunday Morning. Now while it is important to celebrate on Easter Sunday morning as we recognize that Jesus paid it all and prophecy was fulfilled as Christ rose from the dead, I want to invite you to pause for a moment. Take a breath

I often like to close my eyes and picture myself with those on the physical journey that we read about in scripture. Let’s place ours self at the scene.

As I am standing in the crowd There is Jesus, so tired looking. Over there in the distance are some of his disciples, his mother, his family and his friends, The pain on their faces as Jesus is arrested, to see him beaten, to hear the cries, to hear the mocking. The fear in there eyes as they keep their distance as Jesus carried the cross, weak and vulnerable, the one they loved on the way to hang on a cross and die. Can you feel it?

I can’t help but think that those who followed close by were scared, left feeling as all hope was lost after all he brought hope to them.

Let’s journey together

Jesus born to the virgin Mary, God’s only son, Emmanuel God with us! The shepherds, the Wiseman, the angels all bowing before him.

Jesus who began his ministry and was the one who did miracles, healed the blind, made the lame walk, cast out demons, feed the multitudes, calmed the waters, brought love, hope and joy to those who had no love, hope or joy.

Jesus the one who became teacher, who taught about the kingdom of God, who freed captives, who helped the outcast feel like they were worth something again.

Jesus who the religious leaders and priests got fed up with and set out to kill him, the king of the Jews. Jesus the one who his own disciples betrayed him as he carried away to be beaten, humiliated and Crucified.

Here at the cross in the distance were among the crowd Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome, they were followers of Jesus. They stayed near Jesus until he was laid in the tomb. O the despair!

Can you imagine the anguish that those followers felt? Can you imagine the hopelessness they must have experienced? Sure scriptures have said that he would rise again, sure they may have even heard him say it but grief was so strong who would even remember such a thing. Saturday must have been the longest day ever, they may have felt that the pain would never end.

This morning you may be wondering why I choose to stop and look at this, well it is because I recognize that today many of us are still facing Saturday. Many of us are experiencing deep pain in our lives, many of us have experienced death lately, maybe there are those here who don’t know how you are going financially going to make it work, maybe your marriage is struggling, maybe things at home are not so good.

People in our community are facing a Saturday, a hopelessness, fear, anxiety, uncertainly, some are numb and they are searching for hope.

We all have our own story!

Today I want to tell you it is okay to be there, in the scripture today that I want us to look at, these women were in a similar place of despair.

The Resurrection

16 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning,[a] just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.

These women were so much in despair the least they could do was to bring spices to anoint his body to show their care for him, and even on the way we can see that they set out not even thinking about the stone until they were on their way. Imagine the conversation, was it a silent journey of tears or was it sharing their despair?

When they finally reached their destination, as we know, they seen the stone rolled away.

5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth,[b] who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”

Mark 16:1–4 NLT

1 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.

8 The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.[c]

It is important for us to remember that these followers unlike us did not really know that Jesus was to rise again, and so to see the empty tomb and the angel was in fact shocking for them. No wonder they fled the tomb trembling and speechless, I am sure we would be to. But it is here that we realized that they had been on a journey of incredible hope.

In the midst of their mourning, in the midst of their hopelessness, Jesus was bringing about incredible hope, hope that will last long beyond the flesh, it is the hope for those who are in Christ to new life because of his death and resurrection. It was great enough to see the stone moved away, it was great enough to hear the words that “he isn’t here, he has risen” but yet the greatest is that “Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee”.

It is the greatest because no matter what we are facing or what tasks we have to face Jesus has gone ahead of us, to lead us. Where can I go to flee from your spirit and we know it is nowhere, he is already there waiting.

With his rising we who accept Christ join with him in his death and resurrection, dying to sin and shame and rising to new life in Christ. Shortly after his resurrection Jesus ascended into heaven and sent to us the Holy Spirit who lives in us and so the resurrection is a reminder to us that

:11New Living Translation (NLT)

11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

Therefore when we face our Saturday of hopelessness remember that when you have Christ, the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is in you. I have no idea how we could make it with out him.

The rising of the sun dispels the darkness that covered the whole land during the crucifixion, it was a dawning of a new begging for humanity.

On this Journey of incredible hope, the manger is empty, the Passover feast table has been cleared out, the cross is empty, the tomb is empty but our hearts are full because the power of the resurrection lives in us.

God can roll away the stone of discouragement, of dread, of doubt, of defeat of depression and restore you with hope.

Today we have much to celebrate and yet even in the midst of celebration I realize some of us may still be dealing with the hopeless Saturday, but our hope is that because He lives we can face tomorrow. This morning if you have not joined Jesus on the journey incredible hope I invite you to do so. If you are already on the journey with Christ then rest in the promise that he has gone ahead of you and they same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in you and can help you face tomorrow. And our greatest hope for those in Christ is that when He returns we will be able to spend eternity with him because of His resurrection.

Matthew 28:1–10 NLT

1 Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. 2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. 5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” 8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. 9 And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

Mark 16:1–4 NLT

1 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.

Mark 18: 1-6

Mark

Imagine the conversation, was it a silent journey of tears or was it sharing their despair?

When they finally reached their destination, as we know, they seen the stone rolled away.

5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth,[b] who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”

8 The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.[c]

It is important for us to remember that these followers unlike us did not really understand that Jesus was to rise again, and so to see the empty tomb and the angel was in fact shocking for them. No wonder they fled the tomb trembling and speechless, I am sure we would be to. But it is here that we realized that they had been on a journey of incredible hope.

In the midst of their mourning, in the midst of their hopelessness, Jesus was bringing about incredible hope, hope that will last long beyond the flesh, it is the hope for those who are in Christ to new life because of his death and resurrection. It was great enough to see the stone moved away, it was great enough to hear the words that “he isn’t here, he has risen” but yet the greatest is that “Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee”.

It is the greatest because no matter what we are facing or what tasks we have to face Jesus has gone ahead of us, to lead us. Where can I go to flee from your spirit and we know it is nowhere, he is already there waiting.

With his rising we who accept Christ join with him in his death and resurrection, dying to sin and shame and rising to new life in Christ. Shortly after his resurrection Jesus ascended into heaven and sent to us the Holy Spirit who lives in us and so the resurrection is a reminder to us that

:11New Living Translation (NLT)

11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

Therefore when we face our Saturday of hopelessness remember that when you have Christ, the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is in you. I have no idea how we could make it with out him.

The rising of the sun dispels the darkness that covered the whole land during the crucifixion, it was a dawning of a new begging for humanity.

On this Journey of incredible hope, the manger is empty, the Passover feast table has been cleared out, the cross is empty, the tomb is empty but our hearts are full because the power of the resurrection lives in us.

God can roll away the stone of discouragement, of dread, of doubt, of defeat of depression and restore you with hope.

Today we have much to celebrate and yet even in the midst of celebration I realize some of us may still be dealing with the hopeless Saturday, but our hope is that because He lives we can face tomorrow. This morning if you have not joined Jesus on the journey incredible hope I invite you to do so. If you are already on the journey with Christ then rest in the promise that he has gone ahead of you and they same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in you and can help you face tomorrow. And our greatest hope for those in Christ is that when He returns we will be able to spend eternity with him because of His resurrection.

MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL