Friday, January 19, 2007
Ye Shall See Him
Losing someone close to you can cause shock and even leave permanent scars. Sometimes it can be hard to recover from a deep, personal lose. The grieving process can take years. Imagine if you watched someone die who had inspired you like nobody else in the world. Imagine if you lost your best friend and teacher. What if you had seen him die a gruesome death at the hands of evil men? What if you worried about suffering the same fate?
If Simon was confused during the trial, how would he feel after Jesus died? Guilt, shame and confusion must have flooded his mind. Jesus' death changed everything. As long as Jesus was alive, there was hope. Maybe a group would help set Him free. But once He died. That was it. Or was it?
What about Jesus' promise about raising from the dead? Jesus predicted everything. But Simon did not want to hear it because the reality was beyond what he could bear. It didn't make sense. He was learning the lesson that God's ways are indeed hire and harder to understand than the ways of man.
Personally, Simon must have found it hard to live with himself. His last moment with Jesus was a word of betrayal followed by Jesus' look of love. Simon had denied Jesus at His lowest moment. He failed to be there when Jesus needed him the most.
The morning after Jesus died good news came to Simon. What was he to make of it? Mary Magdalene and other women visited Jesus' tomb only to discover it empty. The guards were gone, and the stone had been rolled away. They at first though someone had stolen the body and reported this to the disciples.
Simon decided to go to the tomb. He had to see for himself. He and John both ran to the tomb. John got there first and waited to go in. Simon looked inside and saw an empty tomb. All he saw were linen grave clothes laying by themselves. The Gospel of Luke records that Simon departed and wondered in himself what had happened.
Although the events of the day are not completely clear, it appears that Mary Magdalene returned later in the day. An angelic messenger appeared to her and some other women. The angel said, "Tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you."
Jesus met Mary Magdalene in the garden and confirmed this word to her. She and the other women went and told of their experience to the disciples. The promise of seeing Jesus must have encouraged the disciples. But they couldn't overcome the reality of what had just happened. They stayed locked in a house afraid of the Jewish leaders.
Understandably, the didn't want to get their hopes up or put themselves in danger. They were trying to cope with events of the last few days and were looking for answers.
Simon must have wondered if Jesus were indeed risen. He had seen the grave clothes. Mary seemed sure of seeing Jesus and hearing from an angel. But what if she was only imaging things.
Simon was about to have his answer.
If Simon was confused during the trial, how would he feel after Jesus died? Guilt, shame and confusion must have flooded his mind. Jesus' death changed everything. As long as Jesus was alive, there was hope. Maybe a group would help set Him free. But once He died. That was it. Or was it?
What about Jesus' promise about raising from the dead? Jesus predicted everything. But Simon did not want to hear it because the reality was beyond what he could bear. It didn't make sense. He was learning the lesson that God's ways are indeed hire and harder to understand than the ways of man.
Personally, Simon must have found it hard to live with himself. His last moment with Jesus was a word of betrayal followed by Jesus' look of love. Simon had denied Jesus at His lowest moment. He failed to be there when Jesus needed him the most.
The morning after Jesus died good news came to Simon. What was he to make of it? Mary Magdalene and other women visited Jesus' tomb only to discover it empty. The guards were gone, and the stone had been rolled away. They at first though someone had stolen the body and reported this to the disciples.
Simon decided to go to the tomb. He had to see for himself. He and John both ran to the tomb. John got there first and waited to go in. Simon looked inside and saw an empty tomb. All he saw were linen grave clothes laying by themselves. The Gospel of Luke records that Simon departed and wondered in himself what had happened.
Although the events of the day are not completely clear, it appears that Mary Magdalene returned later in the day. An angelic messenger appeared to her and some other women. The angel said, "Tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you."
Jesus met Mary Magdalene in the garden and confirmed this word to her. She and the other women went and told of their experience to the disciples. The promise of seeing Jesus must have encouraged the disciples. But they couldn't overcome the reality of what had just happened. They stayed locked in a house afraid of the Jewish leaders.
Understandably, the didn't want to get their hopes up or put themselves in danger. They were trying to cope with events of the last few days and were looking for answers.
Simon must have wondered if Jesus were indeed risen. He had seen the grave clothes. Mary seemed sure of seeing Jesus and hearing from an angel. But what if she was only imaging things.
Simon was about to have his answer.
