Calvin Synod Herald, 2014 (115. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2014-03-01 / 3-4. szám

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD

5

is. They want to make God prove to them, that He exists. Boy, do they have it backwards. If you don’t believe that there is a God in heaven after so many things that can’t be explained outside God’s existence, then you are without a doubt lost in sin.

Satan is the master of deceits, and sin and the Bible says, that he blinds the minds of people.

Next we see: The Cry of Repentance

Here we see the thief who cried out to Jesus; "Lord Jesus Remember Me!" Luke 23:43.

I know that it is a great joy to help someone into the kingdom of God. Some people say, "Boy, it is really hard to win souls in this day and time." To which we must reply;

"The Bible is the same today, the Holy Spirit is still the same today, God still loves lost sinners today, God’s mercy is the same, and the person who believes on the Lord Jesus is still saved in our day. It is no more difficult today than the very day that Christ ascended into heaven.

Our last cry is: The Cry of Love

There was a great deal of hate on the day of the cross, but also there was a greater amount of love. Jesus’ mother was there. Other women were there at the foot of the cross that day.

John the beloved disciple was there. I’ll bet that Peter was there somewhere. The other disciples with the exception of one was there. I imagine many other people were there too, probably among them were, Blind Bartameas, Simon of Cyrene, Soldiers were there, the chief priest was there gloating and mocking. These had hate but many who were there loved Him, and Jesus Loves them all. His prayer, "Father Forgive them, for they know not what they do." It was for all that were there that day, but also for every one of us and for all of time. For His Love is greater than all; "the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13.

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Meditation for Easter

"When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, 'WHO WILL ROLL THE STONE AWAY from the entrance of the tomb?' But when they looked up, they saw that THE STONE, which was very large, HAD BEEN ROLLED AWAY." Mark 16:1-4. And: "Haven't you read this scripture: 'The STONE the builders rejected has become the CAPSTONE;"' Mark 12:10.

Although we do not think much of stones, they are lifeless, usually shapeless, hard, heavy, and in many instances a nuisance because as we walk we either step on a stone or strike of foot against it. Please see Matthew 4:6.

Yet the stone has played an important role in the New Testament especially at Easter as our text shows. First the women, who went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body, had contemplated who would roll the stone away and then they had found that it had been moved already. In Israel where cut stone was the usual building material, so the stone lent itself for figurative speech as we find it in Mark 12:10. See above.

May the stones, mentioned in the gospels, bring three important spiritual lessons to our attention as we prepare ourselves for Easter.

1. The mistaken human anticipation: "Who will roll the stone away . . .?" How many times do we have wrong expectation concerning God, our Savior, and our faith? Many expect God only be a provider, Christ only be a protector, and our faith just be a magic wand. Unfortunately, unscrupulous religious leaders may take advantage of the believers' false anticipation. (The end is near!)

2. There is always a pleasant surprise in practicing our faith. Although things do not turn out as we expected them, yet at the end there is a favorable outcome. Think of the many "narrow escapes" we have experienced. The Murphy's Law is justified, as we like to think, because the negative is more noticeable than the positive. The wonderful is normal but the disappointing is awful.

3. On a higher level, detached from the little trivialities of daily life, we find that the "divine" enters into the "human", or the "holy" into the "common", indirectly, belatedly, disguised, and as a detour. Only at the very end will the picture become clear and comforting. The "we should have known it" happens so many times, kindly read Luke 24:28-31. If possible read the whole story, Luke 24:13-35.

Easter may mean for some a mistaken anticipation also a pleasant surprise, but on the highest level for the believers it means a life transforming spiritual experience and saving power. The STONE evidently can become a ROCK, as Apostle Paul put it: "... for they drank from the SPIRITUAL ROCK that accompanied them, and that ROCK WAS CHRIST." 1 Corinthians 10:4. Apostle Paul referred to Exodus 17:6.

Rev. Alexander Jalso