Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

I want a better resurrection story.  It is a story of chaos, confusion, unbelief, surprise, forgetfulness, laziness, fearfulness, etc.  In short, it is like a bunch of knuckleheads encounter the resurrection.

I would NEVER write a story in this way. It would have better people, better thinking, better sequencing, less confusion, more faith, less fear, less laziness, less disrespect, and more belief.

So I want a better story.  Yet, as I think back to my experience and exposure to the resurrection, it was a lot like the above description.  Probably yours was and maybe IS too. 

There is a great image today.  At least Peter, he RUNS TO THE RESURRECTION.  Let's at least get started there.  

Listen with me today.  I kind of go off on the knuckleheads, sorry about that.  Then I realized I was one of them too.  yikes.  Please share this podcast with two people today. www.bewithme.us

Those who posted a guard around the dead guy were right about one thing:  Resurrection is a big deal.  Either it is true, or it is not.  They help us here by posting a guard.  They assure us that the disciples did NOT steal any dead body.  They actually give credence to the fact that Jesus really does rise. They were, as all Roman guards do, "guarding with their life."

Not that the disciples were much to worry about.  100% of them fled from Jesus.  Peter came back only to deny him 3x because a young girl spoke to him.  John does come back within hearing distance of the cross.  Otherwise, they are scattered, betraying, denying, disorganized, and in hiding.  (The women are the heroes! Spoiler! Come back tomorrow!)

So yes, resurrection is serious business.  Either Jesus is who He says He is or not.  He either rises or not.  Like He says to Martha: "I am the resurrection and the life.." or He is not.  

This is the greatest thriller of all time.  Let's see what happens.  Stay tuned. Either He will rise, or you can cancel your subscription to this podcast that you got on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or at www.bewithme.us. I will meet you at the tomb (with the women) tomorrow.

Listen for 7 minutes and learn with me about one of Jesus' earliest followers:  Joseph of Arimethea.  He's from a nearby town, he's rich, a member of the Sanhedrin council that convicted Jesus; he doesn't  consent to their decisions or actions, he is a SECRET disciple for FEAR of the Jews, and that he is looking for the kingdom of God.  Perhaps he is like you.

Then at a particular risky moment, he goes PUBLIC with his faith.  It says HE TOOK COURAGE and went to pilate.  Isn't that just like what you'll have to do someday with your faith.  Perhaps you too have a secret faith that is busting out to the exterior.

Joe is an example worthy of our wonder today.  Join me in listening.  If then you would push a couple of buttons on your phone, you too can take courage, make your scared faith public by sharing this podcast on FB, Instagram, Linked in or YouTube.  It will be very Joseph of Arimethea-like.

Is God SAFE?  CS Lewis said via Mr. Beaver in The Lion Witch and the Wardrobe, "NO. But He is GOOD." There is a curtain that in a sense protects us from Him, from His holiness.  It keeps us from His burning holiness and keeps Him from our ugly sinfulness.

Where is God?  He's behind the curtain. God wanted to be uniquely in one place in the Old Testament in contrast to the pagan gods.  In fact after David and Solomon settled in Jerusalem, all good Jews were to travel there for three big feasts a year...by walking or donkey if you were well off. After everybody got settled, the ARK with the 10 commandments, Moses staff and a jar of manna were placed in the HOLY OF HOLIES, behind a massive 30x60 foot curtain.  His earthly presence dwelled there.  Until it was FINISHED at the cross.

Then the curtain rips, God busts out into a de-centralized location in our hearts.  We are allowed access to intimacy with God.  The fear of the penalty for sin has permanently been assuaged.  Jesus is also doing full time intercession on our behalf.  This is all nicely described in Hebrews chapters 9 and 10.  So the curtain was ripped from top to bottom.  Everything changes.  Thanks for listening 7 minutes to this chronological walk through the gospels.  Come back tomorrow.  

A Roman Centurion is a practiced, professional, accustomed killer.  Suffering is his actual business, particularly if he leads the crucifixion squad.  Remember, the idea is ultimate suffering.  Death is the byproduct.

So that this man is touched by Jesus' process and death is remarkable.  He only gets maybe 8 hours of exposure to Jesus total.  Only a few sentences that we know about.  But it is enough. There are some physical manifestations: the sun's light failed, an earthquake and rocks splitting.  Apparently, these physical manifestations were not enough to bring others to belief.

He and hopefully his crew move from mocking Jesus, (which I suppose was part of the job) to AWE to BELIEF.

Join me in admiring the Centurion at the cross who "killed Jesus" and then was brought to life by him.  This is another guy I'd like to buy lunch for in heaven.  Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google, Podcast Addict, Spotify, CastBox, Overcast, Deezer, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, iVoox, or Audible.  www.bewithme.us

Ps 22 starts out with "why have you forsaken me?", but it doesn't end there.  It ends with a triumphal, "he has done it"!!!!!

On the Cross Jesus  starts out with "why have you forsaken me?" but similarly doesn't end there.  He ends with the ultimate triumph.  A single greek word.  Tetelestai!  "it is finished" or "he has done it".!!!! 
It is as if he was asking the reader to consider the middle parts of Psalm 22 as well.  Those speak of intimacy, hearing, fellowship with God the Father. If you are wanting to get to "God forsakes Jesus on the Cross", you are going to have to go somewhere else than Psalm 22 says this non-theologian in his humble podcast voice.

Duties fulfilled.  Accomplished mission. Goal Achieved.  Task done.  Masterpiece completed.  He carried out all that was written of Him; He accomplished the work the Father gave Him to do; He secured and eternal redemption; He smashed Satan; He delivered us from the slavery of death; He satisfied Wrath against sin. He was busy on the cross apparently.

Join me today as we see Jesus cross the finish line in Psalm 22 and on the cross.  Please share this podcast.  www.bewithme.us

Is Psalm 22 a song of abandonment?
Is it one of distance or intimacy?
Is it used ("...why have you forsaken me?") to conclude that God abandons Jesus on the Cross, or is it more of a question, a feeling, a Starting point?

The best theological principle is to rely on the Scripture.  Let's be "abandon-ers" or not as much as the Word allows us to be.  Probably, you, like me are not theologians.  We are more like faithful admirers of the Word.

Using Psalm 22, in Jesus' air-starved situation, what is He trying to say?  

I could be wrong, but I read Ps 22 as intimate, near, rescue and God NOT hiding His face.
If you are an "abandon-er", my humble view is that you are going to need another psalm. ;-)

Please share this podcast and tell someone it could be used as a profitable part of their non-quiet-times.  Thank you for listening and considering with me.

The Persians invented crucifixion in about 300BC.  Yet, Psalm 22 refers to "they have pierced my hands and feet" in about 1000BC.  700 years before the technique was invented.  It is my favorite of the Psalm 22 prophesies about Jesus' crucifixion.  

There are many other fulfilled prophesies in Psalm 22.  We want to get at the "forsaking", so we are finding out the context of the passage, like good Bible students.
We hear of garments distributed by lots, wagging heads, mocking for God to rescue, questions about possible abandonment, surrounding by enemies, wide open mouths, bones out of joint, strength dried up and the piercing.  Sure sounds like a specific laser beam to our cross.

There are many gems in scripture.  Reading Psalm 22 gives the New Testament believer a great assurance as to the accuracy of the Old Testament.  It gives one a reassurance as to its accuracy in preservation over the centuries.  And with actual, specific, fulfilled prophecy, Psalm 22 cries out:  the Bible is TRUE!.  Enjoy that reality with me.  Please Share this podcast right this very second.

What if we thought about the psalm that the New Testament writers thought MOST about...What if we had some Old Testament reflection on the crucifixion...What if we heard from God Himself about what would happen that day at the place of the Skull?

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  It is in the Bible.  It is in the Bible, TWICE.  Jesus only spoke 7 recorded sentences on the Cross.  Why?  Air-hunger.  Air-starvation.  Suffocation unto death.  Every word He spoke COST HIM something, His Life.

So you may ask, if Psalm 22 is so prominent for the crucifixion, why didn't he just quote the whole 75 lines?  A:  He just didn't have it in Him.  So what did He do? He quotes the first line, and He quotes the last line and let's us fill in the middle.  Hilariously, even His mockers quote from Psalm 22 while Jesus is on the cross!!!

So did God forsake Jesus? Ever?  For an instant?  Jesus has pointed us to Psalm 22 with His almost last breath, so we best look at it in context.

For today, l am DELIGHTING in God for this wonderful Psalm.  www.bewithme.us or Apple podcasts or Spotify.

The death of Jesus is well documented but brief.  In all four gospels it is about 14 verses in total.  Let's read them and sit with them today.  I've got throw-up in my mouth because of it.  

The death is real, voluntary, excruciating ("of the cross"), suffocating, prophetic, sin-bearing, and for me, "triggering".  

That is, the Holy Spirit reminded me of Martha when she had throw-up in her mouth over the death of her brother Lazarus.  Jesus gave her sweet words and a sweet concept:  I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will NEVER die. If so, then the thief on the cross, died as far as the world is concerned, but he did not die as far as Jesus was concerned.  Poof.  He's in paradise with Jesus at the moment of his "death".

Jesus dies so I will never die.  Both are true.  Today is the throw-up in my mouth part of it.

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