Fear of What's Next

by Max Lucado

"I am going away" ( John 14:28).

Imagine their shock when they heard Jesus say those words. He spoke them on the night of the Passover celebration, Thursday evening, in the Upper Room. Christ and his friends had just enjoyed a calm dinner in the midst of a chaotic week. They had reason for optimism: Jesus' popularity was soaring. Opportunities were increasing. In three short years the crowds had lifted Christ to their shoulders . . . he was the hope of the common man.

And now this? Jesus said, "I am going away." The announcement stunned them. When Jesus explained, "You know the way to where I am going," Thomas, with no small dose of exasperation, replied, "No, we don't know, Lord. We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?" ( John 14:4-5 NLT).

What About Those Who Say Jesus Healed by the Power of Hypnosis?

Luke 17:11–19

Have you ever seen a stage hypnotist give water to someone they’ve put in a trance and then suggest to them that they were drinking wine? They smack their lips, get giddy and start to feel intoxicated, as though they were swigging cheap Bordeaux.

British author Ian Wilson has raised the possibility that Jesus may have been a master hypnotist, which could explain the supposedly supernatural aspects of his life. For instance, hypnosis could account for his healing of lepers, his exorcisms and his transfiguration, during which three of his followers saw his face glow and his garments shine as white as light (see Matthew 17:1–2). As evidence, Wilson cites the modern example of a 16-year-old boy whose serious skin disorder was inexplicably healed through hypnotic suggestion.

Perhaps Lazarus wasn’t really brought back from the dead (see John 11:1–44). Couldn’t he have been in a deathlike trance induced by hypnosis? As for the resurrection, Jesus “could have effectively conditioned [the disciples] to hallucinate his appearances in response to certain pre-arranged cues (the breaking of bread?) for a predetermined period after his death,” according to Wilson.

Was He Really a "Doubting Thomas"?

Thomas, one of Jesus' disciples, had the nickname Doubting Thomas, but I think that is a bit unfair. I have always thought of Thomas as more of a skeptic than a doubter. After all, Thomas did not ask for a special revelation from Jesus. He simply asked for the same proof the other disciples had (see John 20:25). Thomas was the kind of guy who wanted to know for himself. He was his own man. He would not let others do his thinking for him.

What did Jesus do with such a man? He made a special resurrection appearance for him. He condescended to Thomas and his desire to know for himself. What amazes me about this is that Jesus came to Thomas on his level. He didn't rebuke him. He didn't humiliate him. He could see that deep down in Thomas's heart, he really wanted to know God. Jesus came to him and said, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing" (John 20:27).

I like Thomas, because by nature I, too, am a skeptical person. I have never been one to believe something just because someone says it is true.

Listening Hard for God

"Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Prov. 19 :18).
Waiting upon God is necessary in order to see Him, to have a vision of Him. The time element in vision is essential. Our hearts are like a sensitive photographer's plate; and in order to have God revealed there, we must sit at His feet a long time. The troubled surface of a lake will not reflect an object.

Our lives must be quiet and restful if we would see God. There is power in the sight of some things to affect one's life. A quiet sunset will bring peace to a troubled heart. Thus the vision of God always transforms human life.

Jacob saw God at Jabbok's ford, and became Israel. The vision of God transformed Gideon from a coward into a valiant soldier. The vision of Christ changed Thomas from a doubting follower into a loyal, devout disciple.

Not to Worry... Christ is Risen!

Charles R. Swindoll, Insight for Living
    


On the day Jesus was crucified, a sinister darkness blotted out the sun and smothered Jerusalem under a blanket of evil. It would have appeared to anyone seeing through eyes of flesh that the darkness, the devil, and death had defeated the Son of God once and for all.


I will admit to you that those three Ds lie at the root of almost every worry I suffer. I worry about death - in particular, the death of the people I love. I worry about darkness, both literal and figurative. I worry about what the devil is up to.


Demons, darkness, and death . . . all three worked diligently throughout the ministry of Jesus to bring about this long and anguishing day. But what no one could see was that the Messiah's death would strike at the very heart of evil.


Three days after Jesus was placed in the grave, on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and a group of women converged on the tomb. As they approached, they saw that the giant stone had been tossed aside. Mary Magdalene immediately ran to tell Peter and John: "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him" (John 20:2).


While Mary Magdalene was away, the other women took a closer look. The grave was gaping open. The grave wrappings lay there, still together and intact, but empty. The body was gone. They stood dumbstruck for several moments, until they realized that two angels appeared behind them. One sat on the stone while the other stood nearby. "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has been raised!" (Luke 24:5-6 NET).


Rushing from the empty tomb, they encountered someone who calmed their fears. "Jesus met them, saying, 'Greetings! . . . Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee. They will see me there' " (Matthew 28:9-10 NET).


When the women told what had happened, the disciples dismissed their story as insane, exaggerated chatter. Meanwhile, Mary Magdalene found Peter and John. At first, they, too, dismissed her story, but curiosity eventually got the better of them and they raced to the tomb.


When John arrived, he stopped at the entrance and looked inside. Peter ran straight into the tomb and was shocked by what he saw. Joining Peter inside the tomb, I like to think that John whispered, "He's alive!"


As word spread, a multitude began to assemble at a home in Jerusalem. With the doors locked tight, a familiar voice rose from the middle of the room. " 'Peace be with you.' And when [Jesus] had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side" (John 20:19-20). And they believed.


Unfortunately, Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not there. When he arrived, everyone told him the story. Thomas wouldn't believe the reports. "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe" (20:25). Eight days later, Thomas found himself inside the house with the doors of the room shut tighter than before. "Peace be with you" (20:26). Again, Jesus stood in the middle of the room. "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing" (20:27). Thomas didn't move. He didn't even lift a finger. He responded as only a genuine follower of Jesus can respond: "My Lord and my God!" (20:28).


The responses of the people who knew Jesus that Sunday morning parallel the reactions I encounter every day as a modern-day bearer of this good news.


Some believed immediately. They were given the information, remembered what Jesus had predicted during His ministry, and accepted His resurrection as genuine.


Some believed with indirect evidence. They initially doubted the notion, but when they received further information - such as seeing an empty tomb - they knew He had risen.


Some believed with direct evidence. They only believed that Jesus had risen after seeing Him with their own eyes.


Demons, darkness, and death have been vanquished, yet they continue to lash out in desperate hatred against everything in God's creation. But not to worry . . . Jesus is alive with a new kind of life that He longs to give any and all who will believe. Are you in that company? Or, have you come to realize your need for a Savior? Good for you! The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but the forces of evil are breathing their last. So there's no need to worry . . . He has risen! He has risen, indeed!

Taken from Charles R. Swindoll, "Not to Worry . . . He's Risen!" Insights (March 2008): 1-2. Copyright © Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/not-to-worry-christ-is-risen-11628140.html