Episode 55 – Restoration and Recovery Part 2
Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God.
Script: (Bible quotes from the New American Standard Bible)
Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 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.”
The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 28, verses 1 through 7, New Living Translation
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VK: Hello. I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. I’m here today with RD Fierro, author and founder of Crystal Sea Books. Several episodes ago we began a series we called Victory over the Virus because we wanted to help people understand how the Bible can help them overcome the trials and tribulations such as the ones that accompanied the arrival of the Covid-19 virus. Last week we started discussing a slightly different topic, but one that is still very relevant to the situation today: recovery and restoration. Today, we want to conclude that discussion by taking a look at the greatest recovery of all time: the resurrection of Jesus. RD, would you like to give us an overview of where we’re going today?
RD: Well, as we’ve remarked several times in recent weeks we really want to be able to launch into a meditation about Biblical prophecy because fulfilled prophecy is one of the strongest lines of evidence that the Bible has a supernatural origin. But we’ve postponed that discussion in favor of trying to help people understand that, despite its supernatural origin, the Bible is probably the most practical book ever written. And certainly evidence of that fact comes from the abundant material that the Bible contains to help people deal with difficult times like those we’ve been experiencing recently.
VK: Right. And during our Victory over the Virus series we’ve shown how the Bible contains an abundance of reassurance for God’s people as well as showing how the Bible can help believers develop essential coping skills for troublesome times like wisdom, inner strength, joy, character, and confidence. We’ve also seen that so much of what we’ve seen going on around us, both the positive and the negative, is entirely consistent with Biblical admonitions and observations. One of the sadder ones is how greed by some people played such a key role in allowing the spread of the virus, and this is a tragic confirmation of Paul’s admonition to Timothy that “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”
RD: Yes. But just as the Bible contains very relevant warnings such as the one Paul gave to Timothy the Bible doesn’t just abandon us when the evil it warns about arrives. And we talked last time about some observations that can help us, in our day and time, begin the process of restoration and recovery. And last week we focused on an episode of recovery that’s recorded in the 8th chapter of the book of Nehemiah. But, as you mentioned, today I want to see what we can learn from studying the greatest example of restoration of all time, the resurrection of Jesus. So to set the stage, we need to do a brief review of all that went on during that earth-shattering time.
VK: Earth shattering. I like that. I see what you did there - because the earth really was shattered, or at least given a good shaking, early on Easter morning. As we heard in our opening scripture the Lord sent an angel to remove the stone that was covering Jesus’ tomb. Apparently the way the angel went about it was to create an earthquake strong enough to break the seal the authorities had put on the tomb and to dislodge the stone from the grove or channel that had been used to ensure it had rolled into its place.
RD: Exactly. But the events we heard in our opening scripture are really only a very small part of all that went on Easter morning or throughout the rest the day for that matter. A lot of us never focus on the fact that Easter morning was just the start of a 40 day period during which Jesus appeared many times in many different situations to hundreds of people providing ample demonstration that He really wasn’t dead. As the saying goes, He really was alive and He proved it repeatedly. I think of Jesus’ resurrection as a kind of play that had four different acts, but today we’re only going to have time to discuss the first two acts. And really we’re going to focus on just one of the two.
VK: Well, to get us going what are the four acts in the resurrection play? What’s act one?
RD: Act one was an act that had, interestingly enough, no human actors.
VK: Ok. So, we’re already starting off strangely. How can you have an act with no actors?
RD: I didn’t say there were no actors. I said there were no human actors. The first act of the resurrection play was when Jesus actually rose out of the tomb. And the only actors who saw that part of the play were the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit … and the angels. Now let that sink in for just a second. The first witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection weren’t people. They were angels. And of course that’s entirely appropriate. While scholars aren’t unanimous about when angels were created, many scholars believe that the angels were there when God created the physical heavens and earth. Job 38:7 says that the angels shouted for joy when God laid the foundations of the earth. So, the angels saw Jesus create the heavens and earth. And the angels saw Jesus betrayed by people He had created. But the angels were also the first to see that Jesus still rules over the heavens and earth and even death because they saw Him rise up and leave the tomb by His own power.
VK: Yikes. We tend to let the fact that there is an active spiritual realm slip our thinking don’t we? I mean there’s a whole supernatural realm out there and it has its own players and actors. But like the old saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind.” So many of us rarely think about the spiritual realm, but we should. A lot of what goes on there affects events that happen on this earth, like the angels talking to Mary Magdalene and the other women who were at the tomb that morning. All right. What were the other acts?
RD: Act two comprised the events at the tomb on Easter morning and that’s where I want to focus most of our attention today. Act three was the rest of the events on Easter day such as Jesus talking to Peter individually, Jesus’ appearances in the upper room to the disciples, and talking to two followers on the road to Emmaus. So, for me act three is the rest of Easter day.
VK: And act four?
RD: The rest of the appearances Jesus made before His ascension like when He reappeared in the upper room and allowed Doubting Thomas to touch Him to remove Thomas’ doubts about the resurrection. Or when cooked breakfast for the disciples in Galilee and famously assured Peter that He still wanted Peter to be a leader in His church despite Peter’s denial of Him the night He was arrested. While the Bible doesn’t contain a lot of details about these other appearances we know there were quite a number of them from various allusions that are made like in 1 Corinthians where Paul refers to the fact that at one point over 500 people at one time saw the resurrected Jesus.
VK: Wow. We could spend a lot of time just talking about that 40 days and what it means for our faith, but today we still want to help people think about what we can learn about recovery and restoration from the events at the tomb on Easter morning – what you’re calling act two. So, where do we start?
RD: Well, let’s start with an obvious fact but one that often goes unnoticed. How did Mary and the other women know where to go on Easter morning?
VK: Good question. The obvious answer is that after Jesus died one or all of them remained at the cross and saw Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus take Jesus down from the cross and then followed them to see where they put the body.
RD: Precisely. And that’s the point. Through that whole, terrible ordeal the women never took their eyes off Jesus. They remained focused on Jesus throughout the period that started on Friday and then took such a dramatic turn on Easter morning. The women kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, and nothing that happened made them change their focus. How many of us can say during this time of great difficulty that we have done the same thing? So, the first people that began to experience the amazing restoration and recovery of the resurrection were the people who never took their eyes off Jesus. I think that’s an amazing and important lesson as we begin our own process of recovery and restoration.
VK: Wow. That’s so simple and yet so profound. But how exactly do we do that – keep our eyes on Jesus during these times?
RD: Well, let’s make another observation about the women’s trip to the tomb. The account we heard in our opening scripture was the account from Matthew. If you go to the similar account in Luke’s gospel, Luke provides us an additional detail that the women were going to the tomb with spices they had prepared. The burial custom of the day often had the dead body wrapped in long strips of linen with aromatic spices placed between layers of the wrapping. The woman knew that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had done this but they likely suspected that given how quickly Joseph and Nicodemus had to do their work they might not have been able to use all the spices that were appropriate. So, in essence the women wanted to make sure that their beloved Teacher received the honor that was properly due. But the important thing to note is that the women set off to the tomb properly prepared to accomplish their work. So, when we contemplate how to apply the lesson of keeping our eyes on Jesus we can’t divorce the spiritual aspect from the physical activities that must also be in place as we begin our own restoration and recovery.
VK: I see where you’re going. Keeping our eyes on Jesus means that as we begin to decide what is necessary for us to achieve restoration and recovery we need to start out by asking Jesus for the wisdom we need. But we also need to begin our own diligent plans and preparation. So a store owner has to start thinking about how it might be necessary to rearrange the interior of their store to provide more room for people to circulate. A restaurant owner needs to think about table spacing or even coming up with an entirely new strategy for delivering food. You know, I’ve often thought that if a few local restaurant owners wanted to form a sort of cooperative they could work with homeowners’ associations to see if they could have some kind of scheduled delivery arrangement to participating homeowners. A BBQ place, a pizza place, and a Mexican restaurant could all offer a limited menu for delivery and the homeowners could select from the menu. Then the 5 o’clock delivery could take some meals to some homeowners, the 6 o’clock could take different meals to different homeowners, etc. This limits the number of delivery trips, maximizing each with a standard set or regular customers. American business people are really clever. They may just need to create a new strategy for how to do the same volume but with a different delivery approach.
RD: Exactly. One of the reasons we should always start our planning and preparation with prayer and a diligent search of the scriptures is because no matter how smart we are…
VK: Jesus is smarter. I like your saying that one of the reasons we should always ask Jesus before we start something new is because Jesus may have a better idea. But turning to Jesus first doesn’t mean we don’t have to do our own homework.
RD: Which is exactly what the women’s trip to the tomb demonstrated. They never took their eyes off Jesus. They never lost their concern for His honor, but they also didn’t neglect to make proper preparations. Which brings us to another lesson that we learn from the women’s trip to the tomb.
VK: Which is?
RD: The Bible tells us that dawn was just breaking as the women were arriving at the tomb. Given that the tomb was outside Jerusalem this meant that the women set out on their journey while it was still dark. Or in other words, they got a very early start on the day. And it’s important to remember that although this is what we call Sunday - and for us it’s a weekend day – their Sabbath day was Saturday so Sunday was the first day of their work week. This means that women got going early to complete their task and they were willing to do whatever it took to get it done.
VK: And that alone is a powerful message about how we have to approach our own recovery and restoration. We have to be willing to put forth the effort. We have to be willing to do the work necessary.
RD: Yes, and here’s another lesson from the women’s trip to the tomb. When they started out the women knew there was at least one problem for which they didn’t have an immediate answer. They knew they wanted to complete the task of honoring Jesus according to their customs, but they didn’t know how they were going to be able to roll away the stone covering the entrance. So, even though they had made the preparations they could, they knew they might encounter one or more problems with which they would need help. But that real world issue didn’t stop them from setting out.
VK: What do you think they were thinking? I mean in Mark 16:3, the Bible says they were asking themselves as they went, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”
RD: There are a number of possibilities. They likely knew that the tomb in which Jesus had been laid was a tomb Joseph of Arimathea had prepared for himself. Joseph was very rich. It was common for the graveyards where rich people were buried to be well cared for, so they may have hoped they could find one or more gardeners to help them. They also knew that the tomb was being guarded by a contingent of Roman soldiers but it’s unlikely they would have asked the soldiers to help. Most ordinary Roman soldiers essentially had nothing but contempt for the Jews. In fact, the women probably saw the soldiers as another obstacle they would have to overcome.
VK: And fortunately for the women God took care of both obstacles with a single action. Our opening scripture notes that not only did the angel God send create an earthquake that moved the stone, but also the angel’s appearance was so brilliant that the soldiers fainted dead away out of fright. Boom! Stone moved and soldiers out of the way.
RD: Yes, but let’s take a deeper look at that for just a second. Here’s a sort of trick question. Why did God roll away the stone?
VK: I think most people usually think that God rolled away the stone so Jesus could leave the tomb, but I’m guessing you’re about to say something different.
RD: Indeed. Jesus was already out of the tomb before the stone was moved. Jesus didn’t need anyone to move the stone. Remember that Jesus is a single person that possesses two natures – a human nature and a divine nature. In His divine nature Jesus had made everything. Colossians 1:16 tells us that God made everything that can be seen through Jesus, including stones. That stone would have done whatever Jesus told it to do: roll, move, explode, or turn to mush. For that matter Jesus could have flung it aside like someone tossing a Frisbee.
VK: Jesus tossing the stone like a Frisbee. What an image!
RD: Well, I’m not saying that He did, but He could have if He wanted to. Part of Jesus’ divine nature is that he is omnipotent. He can do anything He wants except violate His own character. Anyway, the point is Jesus didn’t need to have the stone rolled away so He could get out of the tomb. The people needed the stone removed so they could look into the tomb.
VK: Uh-oh. I feel one of those brain freezes coming on. This is amazing. You’re saying that God didn’t move the stone for Jesus’ benefit. He moved it for our benefit.
RD: Bingo. As you observed earlier, God removed two obstacles for the women in one fell swoop. So let’s focus on that for just a second. What that means is that God knew that the women would face barriers as they sought to complete their task. He not only knew that they would face barriers, but also He knew what those barriers would be. But God took action to remove those barriers before the women actually encountered them. What God did for them, He can still do for us.
VK: Wow. This is a true revelation when you start to think about it. No doubt, a lot of people are feeling a bit overwhelmed as they think about what has to be done in order to begin to rebuild their lives or businesses. But God already knows that. God not only knows what they are feeling, but also God already knows everything that needs to be accomplished to bring about a complete recovery and restoration to our families, community, or nation. God knows there are barriers and obstacles that have to be removed or overcome. But, as you said, God is equal to the task.
RD: Yes. As one contemporary Christian song puts it, “our God is a mountain mover.”
VK: So, let’s review where we are right now with respect to our own restoration. From the women’s trip to the tomb on Easter morning, we see that it’s important to keep our eyes focused on Jesus and never lose sight of the fact that the goal for our lives should be to fulfill His plan and serve His purposes. As part of doing that we need to plan and prepare for the things that we can anticipate, like the women preparing the spices with which they were going to complete a proper burial. We need to understand that it’s important to not delay getting to work. We have to start out early and go the extra mile just like the women were willing to leave the comfort of Jerusalem and walk all the way to the tomb. What else do you want us to think about for today with respect to recovery and restoration?
RD: I think there are two more things to keep in mind. First, let’s go back to act one of the resurrection drama – the one that involved only God and the angels. Before any human ever saw anything happen on this earth God was already busy preparing the most amazing blessing of all time for His people. God was working in the unseen spiritual realm to ensure that those women would be blessed beyond their imagination. And at the proper time God sent an angel to begin to implement His plan. Neither the women nor any of the disciples knew that any of this was going on. Well, how can we be sure that right now God is not already preparing blessings for some of us?
VK: The short answer is that we don’t. And that’s an astounding thought. We have a tendency to think that we’re in this fight all by ourselves. But that doesn’t have to be true does it?
RD: No. And that’s why upfront and continuing prayer is so important. As I say in one of my books, the tiniest prayer that stirs the hand of God contains more power than was in all the armies of the earth that ever marched. Sometimes we don’t think about the fact that God actively intercedes on behalf of His people and for those who turn to Him, He will begin making preparations to bless them long before they arrive at the place where they actually need the blessings or can recognize them. And that brings us to the final thought I want to leave with people about recovery and restoration.
VK: What’s that?
RD: History, both our individual histories and our collective history, is not circular. It is linear. Unlike how some religions view the unfolding events in this world, Christianity recognizes that an almighty God is shepherding all the events of history toward a final conclusion that will bring us blessing and Him glory. While there is a circular dimension to certain aspects of the natural world, the so-called circle of life, God’s plan for man for His people in particular is marching toward His directed end. One day, just as surely as He rose from the tomb and 40 days later ascended to the Father, Jesus will return. Only this time He’s not coming as a suffering servant, as a lamb to be slain, He is coming as a conquering lion. We can predicate our plans and actions to recover from this terrible plague on the sure and certain knowledge that God may allow us to struggle for a time, but He is not only moving stones and terrifying our enemies, He is also organizing and directing everything that happens to bring to us to a final and wonderful victory.
VK: That’s a great thought. As the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians, chapter 4, verses 16 through 18, “We never give up. Our bodies are gradually dying, but we ourselves are being made stronger each day. These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing. Things that are seen don't last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. This is why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.” Wow. Sounds like to close out today we need to hear a prayer of adoration for our great God who will bring about our recovery and restoration according to His plans and as He wills it.
---- PRAYER OF ADORATION FOR THE FATHER
VK: We’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.”
If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not famous but our Boss is!”
Opening Bible Quote from the New Living Translation
The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 28, verses 1 through 7, New Living Translation
OTHER SCRIPTURES FOR THE RECOVERY AND RESTORATION SERIES
The Resurrection
Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— 9for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. Then they went home.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.
“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
“Mary!” Jesus said.
She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
“Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.
She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
The Gospel of John, Chapter 20, verses 1 – 18, New Living Translation
The Resurrection
But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.
The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”
Then they remembered that he had said this. So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.
The Walk to Emmaus
That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from recognizing him.
He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”
They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”
“What things?” Jesus asked.
“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.
“Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”
Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!
They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.”
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!
“Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet.
Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched.
Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are witnesses of all these things.
“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”
The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 24, verses 1 – 49, New Living Translation
