Devotionals
Luke 24:25-26
25 Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
26 "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?"
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In a recent survey of faith among college-age adults, it was found that although many identified themselves as "Christian," far fewer actually believed that Christ was the one and only way to God. In writing about these results, one columnist noted that this tendency toward pluralism was likely a result of our modern society's constant emphasis on diversity and inclusion. The end result of our willingness to accept any PERSON has led to us also accepting any BELIEF. The gospel then is shortened into a tale about a good Teacher wrongly accused of heresy, and the Crucifixion is seen simply as a crime committed against goodness and love. Meanwhile, intellectuals examine and pick apart what they think are the "truths" of Christian faith, and they keep asking for proof that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Just as Paul noted in his time, the Cross of Christ today is a stumbling block to some and foolishness to others. (1 Corinthians 1:22-23)
After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13-35) At first, the two men did not recognize Him, and as they walked along Jesus inquired about what made them sad. They explained that their Teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, had been a great Prophet but He had been betrayed by the chief priests and sent to be crucified. The two men then said they had heard from the women that the tomb of the Lord was now empty, and that angels had said He was alive, but these men themselves had not seen Him, and so they were headed home, sad and dejected.
These men had walked alongside Jesus, and they knew some key parts of the gospel. But why did they not recognize Jesus? If you read their account of the story, you will note two glaring omissions. First of all, they did not mention that Jesus was the Son of God, only that He was "a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people." (Luke 24:19) And second, they did not mention that Jesus was the Christ, the Holy One sent to bear the sins of the world. They did say they had hoped Jesus would redeem Israel (v.21), but they didn't understand that the Messiah was for all mankind. It is no wonder these two men didn't recognize Jesus that day: they did not know Jesus as the Son of God nor as the true Christ. Therefore, the Crucifixion and Resurrection were mysteries to them and stumbling blocks to their faith.
Those who believe that all roads lead to God or that all faiths have something valid to offer in our pursuit of God, they miss the significance and centrality of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. As noted earlier, the Crucifixion is seen as an anomaly, a glitch in an otherwise lovely hagiography. Worse yet, the Crucifixion is perceived as simply a cruel act that could easily have been prevented if God was as all-powerful as He is supposed to be. And some people attempt to explain away the Resurrection as a folk tale or a delusion, not as a real, literal event.
Better apologists than I have written about the Crucifixion and the Resurrection in great detail. My point here is that even among self-professed "Christians" there is this same tendency toward "half-faith" that is very similar to those men on the road to Emmaus. So many follow what they think are Jesus' teachings without ever grasping the importance of the Crucifixion and Resurrection.
What then is our response to this half-belief, this almost-but-not-quite gospel? For these who were "slow of heart to believe," Jesus started at the beginning of the Bible and gave these men an overview of all that Moses and the Prophets had said about the Christ. I should hope we would do the same, that we would bring half-believers to the Word of God and help them see the Scripture in light of the Cross and the empty tomb. To be honest, I should hope that is how we ourselves would always read the Scriptures, too.
The key thing is that Jesus pointed to the Cross as essential to the whole story. The Crucifixion was indeed a cruel event, but it was not a mistake, not an unintended crime: it was necessary. The nails and the blood and the spear and the ridicule and the pain and the betrayal--all these things were part of God's plan for our salvation, our redemption. Without the Cross, the rest of the gospel really is just a nice story about a good Teacher. It is the Cross that punctuates the gospel, that closes the gap between us and God. Jesus asks, "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" Our answer ought to be a resounding "Yes! Thank You, Lord!"
In a few weeks we will be celebrating Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, and we will be reflecting on the Cross and the empty tomb. My prayer is that believers everywhere will grab onto their faith with both hands and see the Cross for what it is: the cross-road of gospel, the bridge between our slavery to sin and our freedom in the Spirit, the towering symbol of a precious life given to save our own lives. And like our Lord Jesus, I would hope we would turn to the Bible with fresh eyes, seeing that while all paths do not lead to God, all of Scripture does indeed point to Christ. Let us no longer be slow of heart but quick to believe in all of the gospel of Christ. Let us always remember that the Crucifixion and the Resurrection are not the end of the gospel but only the beginning.
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1 Corinthians 15:3-5
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
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Father in heaven, how lovely is the tale of Your undying love for us, and although the tale of the Crucifixion is dark and terrible, it is yet full of hope for us all. Thank You that on that day of Calvary, You took our sins from us and washed us clean in Your sight. Thank You, too, Lord God, for raising Your Son again, so that we may enter into that blessed hope of eternal life. Mold us to the image of Your Son so that we may taste of that life. Amen.
© 2010 Glenn A. Pettit-Noel
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