reading for: 13 April

Luke 24:1-12

Jesus is Alive!

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Luke 24:1-12 begins on a bleak note. Jesus is dead and his body has been laid to rest in Joseph’s tomb. Hence, the women came to the tomb with spices in order to anoint Jesus’ body and pay respect (v1). However, when they arrived at the tomb, they found to their horror that the stone has been rolled away and Jesus’ body is missing (v2-3).

While the women were still processing their shock and wondering what had happened to Jesus’ body, lo and behold, two men appeared before them in dazzling apparel, making the entire situation even more perplexing (v4). With their faces to the ground, the angels asked the women a pertinent question - “why do you seek the living among the dead?” (v5).

The angels tells the women that Jesus has risen and reminded them that Jesus have said that he would be crucified and rise on the third day (v6-7). Remembering the words of Jesus, the women hurried home to share the news of his ressurection with his disciples (v8-10). However, their claims were dismissed and no one believed, except for Peter who went to the tomb to verify the facts and found himself marveling at what had happened (v11-12).

• REFLECT

  This week is Holy Week where we remember the Cross and celebrate the Resurrection. We remember the Cross because Jesus died on it and we celebrate the Resurrection because he rose from the dead. Our reading today is a sober reminder of that truth. Make no mistake. This is not a fairytale. It is real.  

  Jesus was nailed to a cross and he suffered tremendously. Eventually, he gave up his spirit and breathed his last (Luke 23:46). Jesus was dead and his body was laid to rest in a tomb. The only thing left to do was to enshrine his lifeless body. And that was the plan. The women visited the tomb at early dawn with the solo intent of anointing Jesus’ body.

  The last thing the women were expecting was an empty tomb and a missing body. It is truly a perplexing situation. And the situation was only resolved because angels appeared and told the women that – “He is not here, but has risen (Luke 24:6).” In that moment, the women recalled the words of Jesus and believed that he has risen just as he said he would.

  The women never saw Jesus rose from the dead. They heard that he is risen, believed and and told everyone about it. Not surprisingly, their message seemed like an idle tale to many. It is simply inconceivable. Only a fool would believe that a dead man is alive. And ever since that day, the same message has been proclaimed for 2000 years – He is risen! Jesus is alive!

  Jesus died but he did not remain dead. He is risen and he is alive. Will you dismiss that as an idle tale? Or will you marvel at the truth of what had happened?

reading for: 14 April

Acts 10:34-43

Jesus of Nazareth is Lord of All

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Today’s reading takes place within the larger story of Peter and Cornelius as recorded in Acts 10. From the onset, we are told that Cornelius is a devout and God-fearing centurion, who gave generously and prayed earnestly (v1-2). In response, God vists Cornelius in a vision and tells him to go look for Peter (v3-8).

The story then jumps to Peter and he too receives a vision from God (v9-16). While Peter was still trying to make sense of the vision, Cornelius’ men comes looking for him and God tells Peter that he had orchestrated it (v17-21). Thus, Peter obeys God and goes to Caesarea to meet with Cornelius, who have gathered his relatives and friends (v22-27).

By agreeing to Cornelius’ request and entering his home, Peter was actually breaking a whole bunch of Jewish laws, but he did it nonetheless because he understood what God was trying to teach him through the vision (v28-29). Cornelius shares with Peter the vision that he had received and invites Peter to share the message that God has given to him (v30-33).

Hence, Acts 10:34-43 marks the beginning of a massive shift in the orientation of the Gospel. As Peter delcares, “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him (v34-35).” The Gospel is no longer just a message to the Jews but a message for all who have ears to hear.

Beginning from the events of John the Baptist, Peter walks the crowd who have gathered at Cornelius’ home through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth (v36-41). Peter had met the risen Lord and together with all the prophets of Israel, he now bears witness to Jesus as the Lord of all and the one through whom salvation has come (v42-43).

And as Peter preached, God poured his Spirit out on the Gentiles (v44). All who were present that day received the Holy Spirit and was baptized in the name of Jesus (v45-48).

• REFLECT

  Peter and Cornelius could not have been more different. Peter is a Jew and Cornelius is a Gentile. And that alone mean that they would never be in the same room because all Jews knew not to associate with Gentiles. Furthermore, they were from a completely different social class – Peter is a fisherman while Cornelius is a Roman centurion.

  Not in a million years will they ever become friends. God had to speak to Peter three times before he even begun to consider the possibility of mixing with a Gentile. At the same time, God was at work in Cornelius’ life and spoke to him through a vision. And so the impossible happened – Peter and Cornelius met, the Gospel was proclaimed and history was changed.

  Before this event, the early disciples likely thought that only Jews or converts to Judaism could become followers of Jesus. Peter was a forerunner in understanding what God had accomplished in Christ and that His Spirit is now poured out on all flesh. Jesus of Nazareth is the Lord of all! Therfore, there is only one option – He is either Lord of all, or not Lord at all.

  Is Jesus of Nazareth your Master? To whom does your life belong to? Jesus or you?

reading for: 15 April

1 Corinthians 15:19-26

Made Alive in Christ

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1 Corinthians 15:19-26 is part of a longer argument that Paul is making on the subject of resurrection. Many people in the ancient Greco-Roman world held on to the belief that death is final. The mere thought of the dead rising again was laughable. Thus, the believers in Corinth struggled with the message of resurrection. They could not understand Paul’s teaching regarding the future bodily resurrection of believers.

Therefore, Paul begins by reminding them of the gospel “I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you – unless you believed in vain (v1-2).” Paul runs through the fundamentals of the Gospel message that Christ had died, was buried and was rasied on the third day (v3-4). Thereafter, Christ appeared to his disciples and many others, including Paul (v5-8).

That is the Gospel that they heard and believed. With that as the foundation, Paul makes his case for the resurrection of the dead. Paul argues that if Christ was not raised from the dead, then indeed the dead will not rise again (v12-13). And if that is true, if Christ is truly dead and still in the grave, then there is truly no hope for both the living and the dead (v14-18).

We have all believed in vain and it was all for nothing. If our faith in Christ was only useful for this life, then we truly are the most miserable people on earth (v19). However, Paul proclaims that that is not the case. Death is not final. This life is not all there is to life. Christ has been raised and that changes everything (v20).

Though we are dead in our sins, we are made alive in Christ. Christ has made us his own and we will rise as he has risen. Indeed, death has been defeated, the dead will rise again and Christ will reign over all (v21-26)!

• REFLECT

  Today is Holy Saturday. The day that Jesus stayed dead. A day of awful silence between the Cross and the Resurrection. Nothing happens today as we are caught between the sorrow of the Cross and the joy of the Resurrection. And as Paul has confessed, if Holy Saturday is truly the end of the story, then Christians are the most pitiful people on earth.

  The question we all must wrestle and come to terms with today is – Is Holy Saturday the end? Is Jesus dead? Have we believed in vain? Is our faith futile? Are we the most pitiful people?

  Or could it be true that Jesus has indeed been raised from the dead? And what does it mean for all of us if Christ is truly risen? And if Christ is indeed alive, then the only question for us to consider is – Are we alive to hin?

  The Holy Saturday tension is a tension we cannot escape. Even now, we live between the first and second coming of Jesus. This will always be something we have to contend with. Afterall, we are “Easter” people living in a “Good Friday” world with a “Holy Saturday” tension. For those of us who believe, let us hold fast to the Word of God, pray unceasingly and commit ourselves to be a part of the fellowship of believers until He comes again.