Dear Brothers and Sisters of Wollaston,
Were we excited when we shouted “Hosanna!” and “Christ is risen!” on Palm Sunday and Easter?
How about now?
After Jesus died on the cross, the disciples gathered and hid themselves with fear in the upper room where they had the last supper with the Lord the other day. They hoped their teacher would defeat the Romans and become the king of Jews. However, He died helplessly on the cross. Upon His death, they were lonely and lost with full of disappointment. At the moment, Jesus showed up and said, “Peace be with you!” What a great comfort and joy!
They were so surprised and delighted. However, it was incredible for them to see the resurrected Jesus because they totally forgot what He said earlier, “He must die and be raised on the third day. (Matthew 17:23)” They even forgot, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:18)” They got lost because they did not believe with their heart. Likewise, when we don’t have His presence in our heart, our life would be lonely and helpless.
Now, resurrected Jesus appeared again to the disciples at the Sea of Galilee, where they used to meet and chat together. However, they could not recognize Him at first. Again, why not? They put ‘all of their heart, mind, and strength’ on fishing. Their hearts left Jesus and returned to the previous life because they did not have Him in their heart and did not keep His teaching wholeheartedly.
How about us? Am I sure I believe Jesus as my Savior? He knows my heart. If so, how do I demonstrate my faith in Christ in my life? Here are a few tips, which we may want to check:
- Do I have a desire to have Jesus in my life and to follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance every day?
- Do I have a desire to know God’s will? Praying and reading the Bible is more likely the best way.
- Do I have joy and peace in the hope for the eternal life in Christ?
- Do I have a desire to bring the people around me to the love of Christ?
As we know, Peter used to follow Jesus and obeyed His commands. However, when Jesus died on the cross, Peter went back to the earthly lifestyle with a great disappointment even though he previously declared to follow Jesus, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” (Matthew 26:35)
How about us? Are we willing to follow Jesus wholeheartedly? That means we may have to sacrifice my pleasure, comforts, fame, and pride. That proves we are not of the world, but we are called out from the world.
In Christ, -Pastor David C.