Okay - it's time for some audience participation. Or maybe audience pondering. Whatever.
(Though seeing how most people who read this blog are people I see in person - or who I've never met and are from a far-away country - this could be interesting.)
When I say "the resurrection" - what comes to mind?
Any thoughts, images, emotions?
How about this - how does the resurrection affect your relationship with God? How does it affect your worship of Him?
This may be a recurring topic in my life for the next few months, as I am likely writing a paper about how we should talk about the resurrection in our worship services.
And now I need to close all internet browsers and really type (the paper - it's just a blank Word document for now). But I am curious to hear any thoughts related....
And as He stands in victory - sin's curse has lost its grip on me...
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just so you know, I WILL be replying to this, but I want it to be more than passing, so give me a little while to formulate :)
okay, here we go....
Thoughts on the Resurrection--
I find it interesting that Mark initially leavs us (as in humans) fearful of the resurrection... the human response of the women at the tomb- to not tell anyone because of fear... seems to go with his way of fear (twice he flees in difficult situations)... Dr. Lowry's outline of Peter's preaching in Acts 10 paralleling the gospel of mark... or rather... that mark's gospel parallel's his sermon.. and i find it interesting what he says in Acts 10: 39-41
"We are witnesses of everything he did, in the country of the Jews and in Jersualem.. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen... He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen--by us who ate and drak with him after he rose from the dead."
I find this interresting in terms of the resurrection for this reason-- God clearly knew our need to have this act witnessed in some way (and caused him to be seen... by witnesses whom God had already chosen). But why did God choose to bring Jesue to those witnesses after the Resurrection? It would have clearly been within his power to wait until the women got to the tomb or to stir a need in the hearts of the desciples to tell them to go to the tomb to witness the resurrection.. so why is it that God does not let us, again as humans, see this?
I don't have an answer- it would interest me to look at the other resurrection accounts in the New Testement....
Okay, couldn't wait... I looked them up... hate having questions and the abiltity to look for answers and then not looking... so after some bible study, here are my not so coherent thoughts...
Matthew 9:18-26 the resurrection of the dead girl-- Jesus put everyone outside before he raised her (v. 25)... Mark 5: he allowes parents, Peter, James and John to be in the room- But in v. 43 "he gave them strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat" (side note: why does Mark mention she was 12??) verse 37- he did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James... 40b... After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was..."
Dr. Lowry said this morning that we should try to figure out what the author's point was in his telling of a story or incident... why do some accounts contain different points or emphasis? Chronologically- at least as it is written, I don't know about actual time chronology... but the raising of the dead girl comes very soon after Matthew was called to follow Jesus... could it possibly be that Matthew was not close enough to know who was "in the know" of that situation? And if Mark got some of his inspiration from listening to Peter and Peter was one of the people in the room, it would go to serve that he would know who was present--- but blows my original thought that the act of resurrection is unwitnessable to humans... Why did Jesus let these 5 be winesses- and why does he instruct them not to say anything?
Okay- so now this is just going to be random observations- i relalize much of this is not addressing your question and not going to be helpful at all... but I'm having fun with this...
Mark 15:7 "But go, tell his disciples and Peter ..." I think it's interresting that Peter is named specifically...
Luke 7-- Jesus raises a widow's son 7:11-17- in front of everyone- 16- "they were all filled with awe and praised God" Luke 8:49-56- much the same account of Jarius's daughter as in Matthew and Mark
Luke 24- talks about Peter running to the tomb
John 11- The death of Lazarus- Jesus glad he died for disciple's sake- vs 14 "Lazarus is dead, and for you sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe..." vs. 40- Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the the glory of God?" Totally lots of things in my head right now.... remember how we talked last night about Moses shining and God's glory in us through the holy spirit? and the veil, etc--- if the resurrection of a human man shows us God's glory... could it possibly be that the glory of the resurrection of Christ would be too much for us to witness?
Okay- so lots of stuff you either already knew I'm sure and lots of stuff totally off the subject and uninterresting, but new to me... resurrection isn't something I've examined before- and in answering how it affects my worship... I thought I should look at it a little.... I think it's something I take for granted... and I'm not so sure that's not because I've never been encouraged to examine it... I don't believe I've ever been in a worship service or listened to teaching or preaching that has challenged me to step back and truly look at and appreciate the awe and wonder and mystery of such an act... it's always been presented in such a way, to me a least, that it's the logical progression of things, something we should expect, and thus something that gets taken for granted... how could he have died for us and defeat the curse of death if he weren't resurrected? That's kind of what I've always seen presented to me... and what I've allowed myself to adopt as well b/c unless I'm challenged to do so, like you're doing now, I tend to accept what I'm told... bad thing, I know, and I certainly have a lot more fun looking at it myself... however, it generally leaves me with a lot more questions than answers, which can be frustrating...
Conclusion, (I'm sure you're saying finally)... I think that I would like the resurrection to be presented as awesome, mysterious, and something for which we should be humble and feel unworhty, not something we should expect as the natural progression of things...
Awesome thoughts!
I really do appreciate it...
I will hopefully post some quotes I found this weekend tomorrow...
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