Shelly A. Faust

The Tomb Is Empty!

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Jesus is alive!

(Part 3 of a 3 part series. Click here to read part ONE and part TWO)

With not much sleep the night before, one by one they awaken and remember. They remember Jesus has died… and the memories of the harshness of His death are like a punch in the stomach.

Deep breath.

It’s difficult to wake up and grasp what has happened. Two days ago was the most tragic and hardest day ever imagined and yesterday offered no relief. But somehow this morning is different. It feels different.

It’s the third day.

Suddenly the ground begins to shake! What’s happening? Another earthquake?!

Quick….get everyone together! Where are Mary and Mary Magdalene?

A peek inside the scriptures shows us an accurate account of the rest of the story as found in Matthew 28….

1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Happy Easter, friends!

Jesus has risen as He said He would!

He’s alive!

I Can Imagine The Morning After Jesus Was Crucified

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Jesus, help us believe.

(Part 2 of a 3 part series. Click here to read Part 1.)

I can imagine the morning after Jesus was crucified.

His mother, eyes and face swollen from crying all night. His family. His friends. His disciples. All who followed and believed.

The air is heavy and it’s hard to breathe. Even the birds find it difficult to sing.

Is Jesus really gone?

The image of His agony, His bloody body, the things He endured. It’s too much. It’s too hard to grasp. But the nightmare is real and there is no escaping the grim reality of what happened yesterday. Jesus died.

HE DIED! What??

This is certainly not the outcome any of them expected. This is not the way it was supposed to end.

And this morning as grief presses down hard, I can imagine another battle is raging, too. I can imagine the doubt, the fear, the confusion, the questions.

To believe or not believe?

It all seems so impossible. Everything Jesus said feels impossible in this moment. But Jesus is the Son of God! He IS, right? Or is He? Why would God allow this to happen? How could the Son of God be murdered? Nothing makes sense this morning.

As I try to step inside the minds of those who loved Him most and what they were feeling on this day when all seems lost, there’s a strange and familiar parallel. On my darkest days when I feel separated from my Savior, when my own choices and selfishness remove me from His presence, when disappointment and grief grab hold of my heart, doubt and confusion skillfully weave their way into my thoughts and cause me to question everything.

Is Jesus really who He says He is? Can He do what He said He will do? Is God real? Is this possible?

The Pharisees remembered Jesus’ impossible declaration. They remembered He said after three days He would rise from the grave. They mocked and laughed at the craziness but just to be on the safe side they seal the stone to the entrance where He was taken. This way the disciples cannot steal the body and then claim Jesus has risen from the dead.

What will tomorrow hold? Today everything seems unsure and impossible but something happened yesterday. Something beneath the surface of what could be seen with the natural eyes. Those horrific hours of darkness and the earth quaking – what was that? It was as if the earth itself was mourning. And the veil of the temple ripped from top to bottom! Something definitely happened.

Something is still happening. The disciples feel it.

Uneasiness and anticipation sweep over the city and throughout the countryside.

How will anyone sleep tonight?

The third day is soon approaching….

(Luke 23:44-56)

Prayer:

Jesus, help us believe.

I’m sorry, Jesus.

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I'm sorry, Jesus. I close my eyes and I can see the trail left in the dirt. I can hear the shuffling of His feet.

Jesus, making his way to Calvary.

The crowd is angry, unrelenting, murderous even. Shouts of hatred fill the streets.

“Crucify Him!” they say. “Crucify Him!”

Jesus’ innocence had been confirmed by Pilate, the one who held the authority to release Him, as He questioned the crowd earlier that day.

“Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in Him no grounds for the death penalty.…” (Luke 23:22).

But they continued to insist Jesus be crucified and that his fellow cell mate, a murderer, be set free.

“…with loud shouts they insistently demanded that He be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.” (Luke 23:23).

As I meditated on this scene this morning, I began to take a deeper look at the crowd. They are irrational. Out-of-their-minds-crazy. Their demands to kill Jesus are filled with rage and fury. They’re mad. They’re emotional. They’re not thinking clearly. Their words and actions are intense and fueled by passion, anger and hatred.

What has really  brought them to this place?

What has made them so angry to not only push Jesus away but to want to kill Him?

What has happened to make them so hard and rigid and bitter?

What is the root of their anger?

It’s easy to condemn those who condemned Jesus that day, isn’t it? It’s easy to read these verses and think how dare they . . . how could they. . . I could never . . . ?

But how often have I rejected Jesus? How often have I been so angry and so mad that I pushed Him away? How often have I been so mad and so hurt and so emotional and so confused and so disappointed that I would’ve spit in His face or screamed at the top of my lungs or . . .

Wait, what?

I wonder if some of those in this crowd were disappointed and angry because they felt like Jesus didn’t do what He said He was going to do? There was much expectation that Jesus would set up an earthly kingdom when in fact His plans were for a spiritual kingdom.

I wonder if some of those in this crowd were insulted and offended at Jesus’ message of repentance? Blinded by self-righteousness and pride? Or perhaps they felt judged and misunderstood the reasoning behind His message? Maybe in their own selfishness they were confused and missed His extraordinary sacrifice of love and mercy and grace?

Or I wonder if life had been cruel to some of them? If maybe they had been abused or hurt or devastated by tragedy? Abandoned by family or mistreated by friends or maybe some had even been falsely accused themselves?

Because life can be cruel sometimes, can’t it?

And when faced with the harsh realities we sometimes face here in this imperfect world, we are also faced with a choice. A choice to harden our hearts and turn away from Jesus or a choice to open our hearts and surrender to Jesus.

Hurt and disappointment and even the invitation to deny our sinful, selfish habits can cause us to accept the love and mercy and grace of Jesus or to miss Jesus.

I don’t want to miss Jesus. Even in and especially in the midst of whatever in life might cause me pain and disappointment.

Because when I miss Jesus, I miss mercy. When I miss Jesus, I miss love in its purest form. I miss grace for the hard things. I miss forgiveness of my sins. I miss joy in the midst of sorry. I miss peace when my heart is anxious and in turmoil. I miss redemption. I miss healing. I miss provision. I miss eternity.

The crowd missed Jesus that day.

Jesus was falsely accused. Despised and rejected. Hung on a cross.

And the crazy thing?  He willingly died.

For the crowd.
For me.
For you.

He was mocked, ridiculed, abused, broken, wounded, pierced…

Crucified.

And yet He loved.

“It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit. When He had said this, He breathed His last.” (Luke 23:44-46).

Friends, the good news is the story doesn’t end here. Tomorrow is another day.

And Sunday? Yeah, Sunday’s coming.

Let’s not miss Jesus.

Prayer:

Jesus, I don’t want to miss you, even in – especially in – painful, hurtful, disappointing circumstances. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the times I was angry and bitter and pushed you away. I’m sorry for misunderstanding the purpose behind the things You’ve asked me to do or asked me to give up or asked me to walk away from. I’m sorry for misunderstanding You and the reason You died on the cross. I don’t want to be blinded by my own selfish desires, by anger, by emotion. I surrender my life to You. I choose to accept Your love, Your forgiveness, and Your grace today. I choose You, Jesus. Help me to understand and to trust You even when I don’t. Thank you for dying on the cross for ME. Thank you for loving me even when I didn’t love You. Amen.

When Loving Is Hard and You Hardly Feel Loved on Valentine’s Day (or Any Other Day), Remember This

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We have forgotten anniversaries, fought on Valentine’s Day, skipped over birthdays, and much more we are not proud of. I mean, if you’ve been married almost twenty-three years and have never slammed a door, gritted your teeth in frustration, or slept on the couch, pretty please with sugar on top tell us your secret.

Over the course of these twenty-three years, our love has grown but growth doesn’t come without some discomfort and pain. We don’t always feel love and we don’t always show love but we have decided to choose love.

Love is sometimes messy and hard and uncomfortable.

Love doesn’t always look like the commercials on TV or the movies on the Hallmark Channel.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says,
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 Corinthians 13

Love is decided daily, sometimes moment by moment.  Love is a choice to not give up, sometimes give in, and always give away.

True love is true. It’s honest and dependable and messy.

It isn’t found in a heart-shaped box. It isn’t commercialized and showy or only one day a year. It gives more than flowers and balloons; it gives of itself.

We’ve found that we can love extravagantly in our words and actions and yes, even our inexpensive but thoughtful gifts (or notes on the bathroom mirror). We can love each other well every day.

Do we always succeed? N to the NO. We are two imperfect people trying to get it right who often get it terribly wrong.

Forgiveness and grace are some of the most extravagant gifts we can offer each other as husband and wife. Without them, there would be no “us.”

But in all of our shortcomings we have discovered One who has never and will never let us down.

We have found a love that never ends. A love that always forgives. A love that loves without conditions. A love that never waivers. A perfect love matched by no other. A love that enables and empowers us to love each other and others well.

A love that reaches down into our darkest, messiest, ugliest moments and offers hope.

Maybe you feel unloved today. Maybe you have had more dark and messy and ugly days than you’ve had good days. Maybe you feel alone or hurt or angry or betrayed. Maybe you can’t see hope for the future and aren’t even sure if you want to.

First, can I say I’m so sorry? I don’t know your story. I don’t know the things that have happened to you or the things that have been done to you. But please, don’t stop reading here. I have good news for you. Really, really good news.

Your story isn’t over yet.

There’s another chapter waiting to begin.

It’s time to turn the page.

God loves you. He loves you more than anyone on earth ever could. He loves you no matter what you’ve done in the past or what you did today. He loves you no matter your social status, your education level, the number of times you’ve messed up, or what others think about you. I could go on and on. There is nothing that can keep God from loving you. He IS love. And He wants to lavish His love on you today. Forever and ever and without condition.

All you have to do is say yes. Receive His love. Surrender your heart and life to the One who will never leave you and never stop loving you.

Jesus has made a way for us. He paid the ultimate sacrifice on the cross for our sins so that we can walk in relationship with our heavenly Father. He has secured eternity for us if we choose to accept it.

Can we pray together today?

Dear heavenly Father,
Thank you for loving us. Help us to understand Your love and teach us to love others. We surrender our heart and our life to You today, right now. We’ve looked for love in every wrong place. We’ve tried everything and nothing satisfies or fulfills us. Fill us today with Your love and satisfy us like only You can. Thank you for Jesus and all that He has done for us. We believe in our heart and confess with our mouth right now that He is Lord. We also confess our sins to You now and believe that we have forgiveness because of Jesus. Thank you for mercy and grace and love. Thank you for saving us and never leaving us. We love You. In Jesus’ name we pray – Amen.

Scriptures:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” Psalms 36:5-7

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;” Lamentations 3:22-25

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5

“Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.” Psalms 136:26

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:16-21

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