Sometimes life catches us unaware. No one enjoys being unprepared for events that comes at us. When this happens, we try desperately to get a handle on things. In our text the disciples were not at all prepared for what was about to happen. Jesus turns to the disciples and asks, how much would it take to feed all the people that came out today? We ask the same questions when we encounter situations in life. How will we meet this particular need? How much will it take to make it through? Jesus takes them through a learning experience. The bible tells us that Jesus knew what He was about to do. He questioned the disciples not because He did not know the answer, but to illustrate to them how great what He was about to do actually was. How many times do we encounter things in life where we are baffled as to what to do. Jesus always has the answer. He begins by asking the disciples "How will we feed these people" He asks to teach them that it was going to take more than they had. He asks that to teach them that even though they did not know what to do, it does not mean that God does not know what to do. God is never caught unaware. God knows. God does not need our help to work things out. We are guilty too many times of trying to play God, or trying to “help God out.” God knows what we need, when we need it, and how to get it to us just when we need it. When God is trying to teach us something, we must give Him what we have no matter how meager or small it may seem. If we will give Him what we have, He will give us what we need. In life's unexpected situations, there is a miracle in the making.

Sometimes life catches us unaware. No one enjoys being unprepared for events that comes at us. When this happens, we try desperately to get a handle on things. In our text the disciples were not at all prepared for what was about to happen. Jesus turns to the disciples and asks, how much would it take to feed all the people that came out today? We ask the same questions when we encounter situations in life. How will we meet this particular need? How much will it take to make it through? Jesus takes them through a learning experience. The bible tells us that Jesus knew what He was about to do. He questioned the disciples not because He did not know the answer, but to illustrate to them how great what He was about to do actually was. How many times do we encounter things in life where we are baffled as to what to do. Jesus always has the answer. He begins by asking the disciples "How will we feed these people" He asks to teach them that it was going to take more than they had. He asks that to teach them that even though they did not know what to do, it does not mean that God does not know what to do. God is never caught unaware. God knows. God does not need our help to work things out. We are guilty too many times of trying to play God, or trying to “help God out.” God knows what we need, when we need it, and how to get it to us just when we need it. When God is trying to teach us something, we must give Him what we have no matter how meager or small it may seem. If we will give Him what we have, He will give us what we need. In life's unexpected situations, there is a miracle in the making.

God has always desired a close relationship with man. That was broken in the garden by sin. For 4000 years, God was separated from His creation until the crucifixion. After that, God could again touch His creation. In fact, God was able to inhabit his creation by infilling us with His spirit. When we are filled with the Holy Ghost, we are returned to the garden experience where we can have a close relationship with God. The bible is full of stories of people who lost things through trials in life. In every case, when these people are restored, they are not only made whole, but are restored to a level much higher then they were before. God promises a life and life lived more abundantly. Dr. Hughes points out that if we are not living the abundant life, it is not God's fault. There will be good days and there will be bad days. We tend to focus on the bad days rather than on the good days. Jesus came that we would have life, and life more abundantly.

God has always desired a close relationship with man. That was broken in the garden by sin. For 4000 years, God was separated from His creation until the crucifixion. After that, God could again touch His creation. In fact, God was able to inhabit his creation by infilling us with His spirit. When we are filled with the Holy Ghost, we are returned to the garden experience where we can have a close relationship with God. The bible is full of stories of people who lost things through trials in life. In every case, when these people are restored, they are not only made whole, but are restored to a level much higher then they were before. God promises a life and life lived more abundantly. Dr. Hughes points out that if we are not living the abundant life, it is not God's fault. There will be good days and there will be bad days. We tend to focus on the bad days rather than on the good days. Jesus came that we would have life, and life more abundantly.

The Easter message is a simple one: He is Alive! Why seek you the living among the dead. The only thing that was left in the tomb were the clothes that were soaked in a 100 pounds of fragrances used to preserve the body. As we look at the promise of the risen Lord, we can bask in the fragrance of Grace and Mercy. In our text, the Psalmist cannot contain himself when he contemplates the greatness of God. When the psalmist describes the garnets of the king of kings. The fragrance of myrrh, aloes and casia. They were completely drenched in these strong fragrances. The bible tells us that 100 pounds of spices were used to preserve the body. The garment that smelled of myrrh speaks of His grace. Myrrh comes from a scraggly, ugly tree but it has a wonderful sweet smell. A very small amount of myrrh has a very strong smell. This sweet fragrance reminds us of His grace. His sweet presence will stay with us even when friends leave us. His garments smell of aloes. It comes from a tree that is separated into long strips used to bind the dead body. The fragrance of the aloes of His grace will cover the bitterness of life. Finally the His garments smelled of cassia. Believed to come from India, it is used as a fragrant incense. It was also used for medicinal purposes. It was thought to have the ability to heal many ailments. Grace does heal. We have all been healed by the grace of God. It heals our mind, it heals our body, it heals our soul. His grace heals!

Easter brings the sent of new hope. There is covering in the resurrection, there is protection in the resurrection, there is a healing in the resurrection. The resurrection was a wonderful fragrance of grace.

The Easter message is a simple one: He is Alive! Why seek you the living among the dead. The only thing that was left in the tomb were the clothes that were soaked in a 100 pounds of fragrances used to preserve the body. As we look at the promise of the risen Lord, we can bask in the fragrance of Grace and Mercy. In our text, the Psalmist cannot contain himself when he contemplates the greatness of God. When the psalmist describes the garnets of the king of kings. The fragrance of myrrh, aloes and casia. They were completely drenched in these strong fragrances. The bible tells us that 100 pounds of spices were used to preserve the body. The garment that smelled of myrrh speaks of His grace. Myrrh comes from a scraggly, ugly tree but it has a wonderful sweet smell. A very small amount of myrrh has a very strong smell. This sweet fragrance reminds us of His grace. His sweet presence will stay with us even when friends leave us. His garments smell of aloes. It comes from a tree that is separated into long strips used to bind the dead body. The fragrance of the aloes of His grace will cover the bitterness of life. Finally the His garments smelled of cassia. Believed to come from India, it is used as a fragrant incense. It was also used for medicinal purposes. It was thought to have the ability to heal many ailments. Grace does heal. We have all been healed by the grace of God. It heals our mind, it heals our body, it heals our soul. His grace heals!

Easter brings the sent of new hope. There is covering in the resurrection, there is protection in the resurrection, there is a healing in the resurrection. The resurrection was a wonderful fragrance of grace.

In our text, Jesus took the disciples to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. He needed their help. He needed their encouragement. He needed them to stand with him. He was looking for their support as He struggled with the questions of his flesh. Yet in this crucial hour, those that He counted on the most failed him. After all that He had done for them in the years of His ministry, this is how they say thanks. This was not their finest hour. In His grace, he allowed for their failure. He expected more than they had done. The text indicates that He was shocked by their behavior. They were not able to watch with Him for an hour. None of us would blame Jesus if He had dismissed them in disgust. It would have been easy for Him to lose His temper and tell them off. But in that hour, Jesus was tender and gentle. The disciples deserved harsh judgement, but Jesus did something quite different. He made allowance for their weakness. He saved them that night from something that could have easily destroyed them. Jesus speaks something to them that all of us need to hear even today: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Each of us desires to do better than we are. For some it is too easy to forget the time when we have failed when we encounter someone who has failed us. In the garden the Lord spoke a wonderful truth: We are all imperfect. Even the best of us are flawed. Jesus allowed for their failures. There will always be defects in humans. The church must be a place where people can get over their failures. There is a love of God that can transform us into the man or woman that God said we could become. Jesus made an allowance that night. Do we make allowances for people in our life? Do we allow a margin for error?

In our text, Jesus took the disciples to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. He needed their help. He needed their encouragement. He needed them to stand with him. He was looking for their support as He struggled with the questions of his flesh. Yet in this crucial hour, those that He counted on the most failed him. After all that He had done for them in the years of His ministry, this is how they say thanks. This was not their finest hour. In His grace, he allowed for their failure. He expected more than they had done. The text indicates that He was shocked by their behavior. They were not able to watch with Him for an hour. None of us would blame Jesus if He had dismissed them in disgust. It would have been easy for Him to lose His temper and tell them off. But in that hour, Jesus was tender and gentle. The disciples deserved harsh judgement, but Jesus did something quite different. He made allowance for their weakness. He saved them that night from something that could have easily destroyed them. Jesus speaks something to them that all of us need to hear even today: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Each of us desires to do better than we are. For some it is too easy to forget the time when we have failed when we encounter someone who has failed us. In the garden the Lord spoke a wonderful truth: We are all imperfect. Even the best of us are flawed. Jesus allowed for their failures. There will always be defects in humans. The church must be a place where people can get over their failures. There is a love of God that can transform us into the man or woman that God said we could become. Jesus made an allowance that night. Do we make allowances for people in our life? Do we allow a margin for error?

Greater Life Church

Greater Life Church