Easter: Friday, May 18, 2007

Old Testament Lesson

Ezekiel 1:28-3:3

We do not see the Lord telling Ezekiel that he will be particularly successful in this passage. We do not see Him promise Ezekiel that everything will be great and perfect. He does not promise him great victories. In fact the Lord tells Ezekiel that he is going to a rebellious house that probably won't even listen. The Lord in this passage and through this lesson doesn't demand that Ezekiel save everyone. He simply demands that Ezekiel be faithful.

Ultimately that is all the Lord asks of us as well. Be faithful. If we are are faithful, He will take care of the rest. We can't save everyone. We can't solve every problem. We can't cure every ill. All we can do is be faithful, and leave the rest up to God. He is bigger than we are; stronger than we are; more powerful than we are. We are simply to do what He has commanded, and trust Him, knowing that He will take care of the rest.

New Testament Lesson

Hebrews 4:14-5:6

To me, this is one of the best passages in all of scripture. We do not have a high priest that is unfamiliar with us and our struggles. We do not serve a God that is foreign to us. God, through Jesus Christ, knows our hurt, knows our pain. Christ Jesus experienced temptation, as we do. He experienced rejection, as we have. He even experienced death, as we will. However the grave could not hold Him down and He triumphed over sin, death, and the grave. And through Him, we too can share that same victory.

God is not foreign to us. He is not removed. He is not far away, but is close at hand. He knows our hurt, lose, worry, all of these things. So, let us boldly go to the throne. For, our Lord understands and is with us.

Gospel Lesson

Luke 9:28-36

As the other end to the coin of the previous passage, we see that while Jesus knows our hurt and loss, He is also the Son of God. And, while He is fully human, He is also fully God. Today, in this passage, we see Him in all of His glory. We see Him as He truly is. When we look at the glory and power and might, of our Lord, how amazing is it that He would humble Himself, for us. He would subject Himself to such things for our sake. Today, remember what a mighty Savior we serve, and remember what He endured so that we could come back home.