From the Pastor's Pen

Pastor Sally’s Devotional 3/29

| March 29, 2021

Dear friends,

 

As I was studying the text for Sunday’s Easter message, one of the books I was reading pointed to a bit of scripture related to Jesus’ resurrection that surprised me!  It comes from John 14 which is right in the middle of Jesus’ farewell speech on the night before he died.  Among the many things he said to them that night, he said,

 

18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ( John 14: 18 – 20)

 

This chapter 14 in John’s gospel is packed with lots of last words of Jesus.  I just hadn’t seen these words in quite this way before.  One of the terrible realities of death is the desolation of being left behind when a loved one dies.  Jesus surely knew that his disciples would feel this desolation after his death.  They would feel very much alone.  So when Jesus tells them he will not leave them alone, but will come to them, his words shout resurrection to me.  He says the world won’t see him anymore but his disciples will.  Again, the words shout resurrection.  But the most poignant phrase for me is the last one – verse 20.  Jesus wanted them to know and us to know that we would never be alone.  We are “in him” and he is “in us.”

 

It is Easter week, and I am pondering all that resurrection means in this week.  For me resurrection is always about the presence of the risen Christ who is with me and with us.  We are not alone.  God will never abandon us.

 

Peace,

Pr. Sally

 

 

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