Spiritual Heartburn

Luke 24:32

On the day of Christ’s resurrection, He appeared to two disciples while they walked the 7 miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Their eyes were withheld by God from knowing who Jesus was (Luke 24:16), so they spoke to Him as if He were any ordinary stranger making the journey. As they told Him of the events of the past three days, they revealed their doubts about the rumors of resurrection that they had heard and they appeared as if they were ready to abandon all hope. Christ speaks to them, and in doing so, shows each of us how we too can see Him now that He is alive forevermore.

Jesus could have simply revealed themselves to Him by speaking to them as old friends and by showing them His hands and His feet, but this gives you and me no help in having our own personal revelation of Jesus Christ. To reveal Himself, He begins at Moses and all the prophets and “He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). This means that Jesus opened the Old Testament up to them as a way of finding Christ. Hidden in the codes of the Law and the symbolism of the Tabernacle and the prose of the Psalms was the Savior of the world.

If this is how Jesus preached in a post-resurrection world, perhaps we should take note! He ministered of Himself in all of the Old Testament, giving us a preaching template. We should shine the light on the hidden mysteries of the Bible, finding Jesus in every possible place. This journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus would have taken several hours by foot, so one can imagine all of the fascinating things that Jesus brought out of the scriptures in this amount of time.

Still blind to the fact that they were walking and talking with Jesus Himself, the two disciples beg Him to abide with them for dinner. They do not ask because they think He is Jesus; they are not yet aware of this, but they desire to be around Him because He has revealed Christ to them through the scriptures. This method of winning men still works. Show men Jesus in the Bible and they will want to be around you; saints and sinners alike. People love to have Christ revealed to them when He is “altogether lovely” (Song of Solomon 5:16).

As soon as Jesus breaks bread with them “their eyes were opened, and they knew Him” (Luke 24:31). When Jesus body is broken before our spiritual eyes, they are opened to great revelations of His love and grace. As we present a crucified Jesus; broken for the sins and sicknesses of man, we provide people with the opportunity for powerful revelations of Jesus Christ. When we feast on this type of bread (revelation) we too will say as these disciples, “Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32)

Spiritual heartburn is the only kind of heartburn that you never want to get rid of! When you eat of His grace and glory, your heart burns with the warmth of His love for you. As you feast on the crucified Lamb, your spirit man longs for more and more of His saving knowledge. This is a longing that is the ultimate paradox in the universe: it provides you with absolute satisfaction while never leaving you satisfied.

As you feast on His goodness today, see Jesus in every little corner of your life. Notice the burn down in your heart as you have fresh revelations of His love and favor. Savor this moment, for Jesus paid a great price for that burn.

The Thorn in the Flesh

2 Corinthians 12:1-11

I have counseled many believers who claim that God has given them a thorn in the flesh. They speak of their chronic back pain or their various disabilities of body or mind as God’s way of keeping them humble. Through these testimonies, it appears that God is always switching sides; one minute fighting for us while the next minute, fighting against us. Rest assured your Father is better than that!

Paul states that he was given “a thorn in the flesh”, but does not tell us what that thorn is (2 Corinthians 12:7). While he never gives details about this thorn, he does however tell us more than is usually preached from this passage. He specifically describes his thorn in the flesh as being “the messenger of Satan to buffet me”. Messengers deliver messages which should be obvious. This takes away the possibility that Paul’s thorn was bodily weakness or repulsive appearance or poor vision as many commentators have claimed.

A messenger of Satan came against Paul “lest I should be exalted above measure”, which indicates that Paul viewed what the enemy was saying against him as a way to remain humble in spite of all of his previous revelations (verses 1-6). Paul does not blame the thorn on God, but gives God glory, seeing that God can teach us valuable lessons even when Satan is the one delivering the message.

After having sought God for deliverance from the stinging words of this messenger, Christ says to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). God’s promise is that for every message that the enemy delivers to Paul to weaken him, God will offer an abundance of grace to counter it. The more that Paul is attacked; the more that God pours in His grace. This causes Paul to “gladly therefore…glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (verse 9).

Once Paul has seen how powerful that God’s grace is in his weakest hour, he welcomes the weak hour! He is so excited about persecutions and distresses that he says, “I am become a fool in glorying” (verse 11). In other words, “It is ridiculous how much grace and favor is coming my way whenever the enemy attacks. Because of this, I welcome the attacks and people think I’m crazy!”

Do you have a thorn in the flesh? It is quite possible, but let’s identify it correctly instead of slapping that label onto something that it is not. Your sicknesses and diseases have been paid for in the body of Jesus Christ (Matthew 8:17), so God CANNOT take sicknesses off of Jesus and put them onto you to teach you a lesson. He loves you more than you love your own children, and even in their worst moments, would you wish cancers and tumors onto them?

Perhaps there are attacks that continue to be leveled against you causing you to cling ever tighter to God’s grace. This may very well be a thorn in the flesh, sent by the enemy to torment you, but God is turning it into a beautiful opportunity to both teach and prosper. As soon as you see it for what it is, the door to taking pleasure in the moment is opened to you and you are ready to say, “when I am weak, then am I strong” (verse 10).

There is no need to ask for a thorn in the flesh, Satan will find you eventually. When it arrives, be prepared for God’s abundant grace to be even more evident in your life as the power of Christ rests upon you.

Not What You Do, But Who You Are

Romans 14:17-18

When the Bible refers to the Kingdom of God, it is rarely speaking of Heaven. Most often, it is talking about that composite whole that makes up the Christian experience, not to be attained down the road, but to be witnessed within the heart and life of each child of God.

Jesus said, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, ‘Lo here!’ or, ‘Lo there!’ For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20, 21). The Greek word that Jesus uses for “within you” is ‘entos’ meaning, “in the midst”. The kingdom of God had already been promised to David and spoken of by the prophets, but Israel would reject it. Now, the kingdom of God lives in the hearts of men; someday it will come in the clouds (verse 24).

If the kingdom of God is within us, then what does Jesus mean when He says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33)? It the kingdom of God is within us, yet we are still seeking that kingdom first and foremost, how can these things be?

The answer is completed in Paul’s writing to the church at Rome, while speaking about what men can eat and drink now that they are saved. Some thought it was wrong to eat certain meats because they had been forbidden in Judaism, while others thought that it was fine. Paul doesn’t just come out and say “Eat this” or “Don’t eat this”; instead he offers that believers under grace live by a higher set of standards than this.

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17). You have the Holy Ghost living inside of you as a believer, so your life is greater than arguments over “right and wrong”. Instead, you are to follow after that which identifies with the three characteristics that you have inside of you: righteousness, peace and joy.
If the decision that you are about to make brings no peace and joy, avoid it! You are the righteousness of God in Christ, so you live by that which speaks to the righteousness of God in you. When there is a feeling of death or disturbance about a situation, it is the Holy Ghost in you ministering to you so that you will move away from the issue. We do not need a list of “Do’s and Don’ts”; we have the Holy Ghost!

“For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men” (Romans 14:18). This next verse tell us that if we serve Christ by going after that which ministers to righteousness, peace and joy in our hearts then this is “acceptable to God” and we will be “approved of men”. This world cannot help but gravitate towards believers who go after peace and joy. These believers are not full of hate and condemnation and sinners move naturally toward that flow of love, for it is most like Jesus.

I have heard some preachers comment that if the world approves of you then you are doing something wrong. Don’t listen to such nonsense, especially in light of Paul’s statement that believers that follow after the kingdom of God in their hearts will have the approval of men. May we believers be known more for who we are than for what we do. Only then will we properly represent our Heavenly Father and have all things added to us.

Renew Your Mind

Romans 12:1, 2

It is perfectly reasonable for God to ask believers to give Him their whole body, soul, mind and spirit. In light of the price that Jesus paid for us at the cross, that is not too big a request. Paul calls it our “reasonable service”, for you and I are already holy by the blood of Jesus, thus when we give ourselves to Him, we are “acceptable”.

Now I am no different than any other pastor in that I want every person in my church to live a life of honor before the world. I want each Christian to show forth the characteristics of Christ and to let their fruit speak of His grace and favor. Part of this desire is so that the church will be strong but there is also a part that wants it because I want to see that the message of grace and favor works. By experience and by testimony I can tell you, it works!

While we pastors may come up with a long sermon series on how to live right, there is no greater verse in the New Testament for believers to read and know than Romans 12:2 when it comes to looking less like the world and more like Jesus. Paul starts by telling you what not to do and then explains how:

1. “Be not conformed to this world” – The Greek word for “conformed” here is ‘sunschematizo’ which means “to pattern after a certain thing”. Paul is telling believers not to pattern the way that they live after the way the world lives. This doesn’t have anything to do with our dress or our homes or jobs, but rather it involves structuring our lives around the same principles by which sinners govern themselves. It is not to “this world” that we are most loyal, but rather to the next one.

2. “But be ye transformed…” – There is a transformation that must take place within a believer that is much like the one that took place the moment that we were born again. At conversion, our old things passed away and everything became new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Now, we must have another transformation that is ‘metamorphaomai’ in Greek meaning “to reflect the inside”. Our outside needs to begin to reflect our inside.

3. “…by the renewing of your mind” – Here is the answer to how we cease to be conformed to the world and begin to reflect on the outside what is happening on the inside. We must renew the way that we think about who we are in Christ. This word appears only twice in the Greek New Testament, the other time being in Titus 3:5 where we have been renewed by the Holy Ghost. When we change what we think of us to line up with what He thinks of us, we start to reflect on the outside what the Holy Ghost has done on the inside.

4. “That ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” – This portion of scripture is not telling us to go out and find the perfect will of God for our lives. In connection with the previous statements within the verse, and in light of the Greek meaning of “prove”, we find something completely different. “Prove” is “to recognize as genuine after examination”. When our mindset becomes as His we will prove to the world what it means to be truly good and acceptable and perfect inside of the will of god. When sinners examine us they will have to conclude that we are what we say that we are, and all because we think of ourselves the way that He thinks of us.

Need a bit of help with changing your mind? Just know what He thinks about you. He sees you as righteous and forgiven because of the blood of Jesus. Still not enough? Then take what Paul said to the church at Philippi:

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God” (Philippians 2:5, 6).

The Chastening of the Lord

Hebrews 12:7

There is a distinct difference between receiving chastisement out of wrath and anger and receiving it out of love. All chastisement that the believer receives from the Lord is out of God’s heart of love and compassion; not a result of God’s anger. Jesus was wounded for our sins and also, “the chastisement of our peace was upon Him” (Isaiah 53:5). This means that Jesus was disciplined so that we could have peace. God can’t discipline us for the same reason and still remain righteous in His dealings with His Son, therefore all discipline on us is to profit us and make us partakers of His holiness (Hebrews 12:10).

Did you know that the same Greek word used for ‘chastisement’ is also used for ‘nurture’ and ‘instruction’? It appears as nurture in Ephesians 6:4 when Paul tells parents to raise their children in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord”. It is used as instruction in 2 Timothy 3:16 when Paul tells Timothy that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. Placing ‘nurture’ next to admonition (which means ‘exhortation’), we see that Paul wants parents to show their children a loving God. In his use of ‘instruction’ to Timothy, he can’t be showing that the Bible beats people, for a book has no power to do so, but it certainly can ‘instruct’.

Remember, it was the translation from Greek to English that brought us these different words. The translators could have used the word ‘nurture’ throughout Hebrews 12, and we would have less confusion regarding the chastening power of the Lord. The author used the same Greek word in each passage, but our rendering of it into one word or the other has a profound effect on our interpretation of these passages.

Why must we always view ‘chastening’ as God beating us senseless? Or why do we assume that it means that God sometimes takes our job away or breaks our car or gives us a disease so that we will be less prideful or more giving? Would you do this to your child? If you wish to teach your little girl not to play in the street, do you shove her in front of a truck and then say, “That’s what happens when you play in the street. Maybe now you will listen to daddy”? That kind of parenting would get you locked up!

The fact that we are sons of God means that we are going to receive true chastisement from our Heavenly Father. This chastisement will instruct us in the ways of righteousness and show us a little more of Jesus every day. As our Father, He deals with us in much the same way that we would deal with our own children. The word ‘chastise’ is ‘paideuo’ in Greek and it means “child-training”. God is training us up as children and the quicker that we think of Him as a Father to little children, the quicker that we will see Him as good.

I think that in our Western culture, we had several generations of distant fathers, and this caused us to view our Heavenly Father in the same light. Dads were seen but not heard from for quite some time, and they were only brought into situations when there was discipline needed. That discipline usually came of the physical variety, and thus our perception of God became that He only steps in when we have done something wrong and then His wrath will be felt. You are His special child, and He is NOT a distant Father. He is right next to you at all times, training up the child in the way that he or she should go. Walk tall believer, Daddy has got your back!

Fearful Expectation of Judgment

Hebrews 10:26-28

This passage is often used to come against the message of pure grace, saying that if people knowingly sin after salvation then there is no forgiveness for that sin. This is reading into a passage what is not there, as a quick look at this verse and the surrounding verses will show.

While verse 26 does not describe a specific sin, verse 29 tells us exactly what that “sin” would be: “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be though worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”

The individual who should expect “judgment and fiery indignation” is the one who walks on the blood of Jesus’ covenant. In other words, he who says “No” to the sacrificial work of Jesus is the man who should expect the wrath of God. John told us as much in John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him”.

We should also notice that in verse 26, it never tells us that there is no more forgiveness for us if we sin, but rather there “remains no more sacrifice for sins”. As this book is written to the Hebrews, it is a stern warning to Jewish believers that there is no longer a need for them to continue sacrificing animals. To put bullocks and lambs on the altar is to step on the blood of Jesus, as if His blood was not enough.

Paul’s instruction to the believer comes earlier in the chapter, when he tells us that we can “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22). If we can draw near to God in full assurance of our faith, knowing that we have been washed over by the water of the Word, why should we suddenly live in fearful expectation of the judgment and fiery indignation of God? These passages are to two different groups of people based upon the wording used in each.

Because of the blood of Jesus, you never have to back into the presence of God. Instead, you have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19). No born again believer is going to trample on that sacrifice and count it as useless! We have no reason to fearfully expect judgment, for we have “full assurance of faith” that Jesus was judged in our place.

Messages and teachings that make you frightened of your loving Father should be shunned. Wouldn’t you teach your own children to ignore people that say bad things about you? You shower them with such love and affection that they could never believe they should fear and tremble in your presence. True fear of God is like true fear of your parents when you are a child: you know that they will not break your legs or take out their frustration on you, but you also know that they are your final authority. He parents us even better than we parent our own. Let’s learn from Him, shall we?

God’s Gifts Bring Provision

Luke 2:1-15

The story of the birth of Christ is probably the most famous story in the world. Celebrated as Christmas, this birthday marks the arrival of God in human flesh; bringing joy and peace on earth, and goodwill from God to man. As great as this story is, we sometimes miss the lengths to which God goes to provide hope and provision, not only to the world through the gift of Jesus, but even to Mary and Joseph in their hour of need.

The Magi, or Wise Men, that come to the birth of Jesus are a vital part of the story of Christ’s birth. Often misplaced at the manger, these men traveled the farthest to see the child, and were still on the road when the shepherds gathered around the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes. It wasn’t until nearly two years later that they arrived, bearing gifts from the Far East. Luke 2:11 confirms that when they found Jesus, He was “in the house”, not the manger and that He was a “child”, not a baby.

Upon arrival in Palestine, the Wise Men (who could have numbered more than the traditional 3), went to the palace of Herod to inquire as to where they might find the boy. Herod knew nothing of the arrival of Jesus, but is instantly driven to jealousy at the prospect of a Jewish king. At the instruction of the scribes, Herod sends them to Bethlehem. Isn’t it interesting that the scribes knew when and where the Messiah was supposed to be born, yet they refuse to believe that Jesus is the one?

The Wise Men give the family of Jesus three gifts, all which attest to a different aspect of Christ’s purpose on earth: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold speaks of the royalty of Christ, identifying Him as King of kings. Frankincense was used in the sacrificial offerings, and thus spoke of the divinity of Christ, seeing Him as God worth worshipping. Myrrh was the original antiseptic of the ancient world, often used to bring relief to people in pain and to embalm the dead. This spoke of Jesus’ sufferings which He would take for all mankind.

Joseph and Mary were considered poor, even for that time. We know this because Luke tells us that when Mary brought the baby Jesus into the temple to be dedicated, she brought turtledoves or pigeons as her sacrificial offering. Leviticus 12 allowed this for the poorest of God’s people, while the wealthiest were to bring a bullock. The gifts of the Magi must have seemed like a fortune (as they probably were) to these humble people in Bethlehem.

God had a greater purpose in the arrival of the Magi than to show forth the three-fold aspects of Christ. When Herod learned of Jesus’ birth, he ordered all of the baby boys age 2 and under “in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof” to be slaughtered (Matthew 2:16). Jesus and His family need to be out of there, now that the attack is on to kill Him. Before the arrival of the Magi, there would have been no funds available to make a long journey into Egypt to escape the sword of wrath, but now they have a surplus of funds, making it possible.

Notice that God is not responding to Satan’s attack; but rather Satan is responding to God’s Plan. The Magi began their journey a full two years before Satan even figured out that Jesus was on the earth. Once the enemy made a move on Jesus, it was too late, as God had given provision for the journey of protection. When you see Satan rear his head in your life, rejoice! If Satan is moving, it is because he has just learned of God’s provision and grace that is on its way. Hallelujah!

Eating the Body Unworthily

1 Corinthians 11:27

When I was younger, I was afraid to partake in the communion ceremony until I had spent a considerable amount of time on the altar, “taking care of” any and all sinful deeds and thoughts that I had committed. I believed that if I put the bread in my mouth and drank of the cup without properly purging my heart of all sin then I would get sick or diseased, having dared to put God’s holiness in an unclean vessel. Due to this fear, communion didn’t represent anything lovely to me. In fact, I kind of wondered why we would even bother!

As God began to open up the revelation of His grace and favor to me, communion was one of the first things that took on a whole new meaning. If I was truly made the righteousness of God, independent of my works, then I was ALWAYS the righteousness of God, even when bad thoughts crossed my mind, or I did something wrong. If I am always righteous, then I am always qualified to partake of the body and the blood of Jesus through Holy Communion. Then what does Paul mean when he writes about eating and drinking “unworthily” (1 Corinthians 11:27).

The answer is found within the passage, but in two separate ways. The first way is the most obvious: Paul never says “unworthy”; he says “unworthily”. These are two different words with two entirely different meanings. To partake of communion “unworthy” would mean that we are not worthy to take in His body and blood because of our lifestyle. To partake of communion “unworthily” means that we are eating and drinking without knowing why.

The second way to find the answer is to read on just a bit further. Paul says in verse 29, “For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body”. The definition of “unworthily” is found in the last part of that verse: “not discerning the Lord’s body”. When we do not realize that Jesus bore our sicknesses and diseases in His body on the tree; and we do not know that we are eating into us His health and wholeness, then we are partaking “unworthily”.

This does not mean that God then puts cancer and disease on us to teach us a lesson. The “damnation” that we eat and drink to ourselves (verse 29) is what is already in the earth as a result of the curse. Anytime that you think that God is in the business of putting disease and pain onto people, just remember how many people that Jesus touched and GAVE leprosy to. NONE! Jesus was not in the business of taking men’s lives, but saving them.

The broken body of Jesus and His shed blood has been given to all believers through the finished work of the cross. The communion ceremony is ours, whenever we need it, to observe that broken body and shed blood. Just as Israel ate all of the lamb and there were none feeble among their tribes (Psalms 105:37), we have His body, broken for us (Mark 14:22). We have His blood as our justification (Romans 5:9) and it is the seal of the New Covenant. Partake of Holy Communion as often as you like, observing that Jesus bore your suffering so that you could bear His health.

The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

John 13:23

My key text records the phrase, “One of His disciples, whom Jesus loved”. This is one of five instances in the book of John in which we hear of this “disciple whom Jesus loved”, and we find him only in this book. Consequently, the name of the apostle John never appears in this book, while we learn in the final chapter that the author is “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. This lets us know that John wrote the book and that he is that disciple whom Jesus loved.

It is interesting that Matthew, Mark and Luke just refer to John by his name, but John refers to himself with this title. Is this cocky on John’s part? Is it foolish? What are we to think of someone who refers to themselves in their own writings as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”? Did Jesus love John more than the other disciples? If so, does He love me more than you or vice versa?

The answer is that Jesus loves all of us the same, for “There is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11). The difference for John was that he practiced a working knowledge of the Savior’s love for him. Rather than spend his time boasting of his love for Jesus; or working to love Jesus more, he learned to rest in Jesus’ love for him. Great things would occur in the life of John because of the knowledge that he was deeply loved. Let’s look at a few of the moments in which John calls himself, “the disciple whom Jesus loved”:

1. John 13:23 – Peter asks “one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved” which disciple would betray Jesus. The text just told us that John was lying against Jesus’ bosom, so why does Peter ask John to ask Jesus, when Peter is nearly as close to Jesus as John? The only conclusion can be that Peter (who boasted of his love for Jesus rather than Jesus’ love for him) felt too distant from the Master for such an intimate question. Practice resting near Jesus’ heart of love for you and people will turn to you for answers, perceiving that you are close to Him.

2. John 19:26 – Standing at the cross next to the mother of Jesus is the one “whom He loved”. There are no other disciples waiting there, only the one who has an awareness of just how loved that he is. Equipped with this love, he is able to stand firm at the crucifixion while all of the others flee. He is also given the intimate task of watching over Mary, the mother of Jesus. A working knowledge that you are loved leads you to the ministry of the Lord.

3. John 21:20 – One of the final moments in the earthly ministry of Christ revolves around a revelation concerning the “disciple whom Jesus loved”. Peter asks what that disciple will do to which Jesus responds, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me” (John 21:22). This led to a rumor that John would not taste death, but would be alive when Jesus returned. This rumor was no doubt fueled by the fact that John lived to be over 100 years old and died of natural causes; long after the other disciples had met their martyrdom. The knowledge that he was beloved brought a revelation of long life to this special disciple. If it was good for him, why not for us?

When John wrote his little epistles (1, 2, 3 John), he filled them with the knowledge of God’s love for the believer. He has been rightfully called the Apostle of Love, for no other disciple seemed to grasp God’s love for mankind quite like the Apostle John. May each of us learn to see ourselves as the Christian whom Jesus loves; resting close to His heart; prepared to be used for ministry; and receiving fresh revelation of how to love life and see good days. You are more than just loved, you are beloved!

Wrong Doctrine; Right Heart

John 20:11-16

On Resurrection Morning, Mary Magdalene stood outside the tomb of Jesus weeping, for she saw that His tomb was empty and she did not know where He was. Her first assumption is the natural one: Jesus’ body had been stolen in the night and moved to another location. She was there to anoint His body in the Hebrew custom, and now she would have to go home without having accomplished her task.

In her state of trouble and fear, she seems unfazed at the two angels that speak to her from within the empty tomb; one seated at the head and one at the feet. Just like the cherubim’s that cover the Mercy Seat on the Ark, these two angels now sit at the place of God’s mercy and justice. With the tomb empty, Jesus is alive, meaning that He is now able to live in the hearts of all mankind. It may have been lost on Mary Magdalene, but may it not be lost on us!

Mary turns to leave the tomb and sees Jesus, though she “knew not that it was Jesus” (John 19:14), supposing Him to be the garden keeper (verse 15). In His glorified state, Jesus obviously had a different look about Him, though it becomes obvious that He retains the same physical qualities that He had while on this earth (John 20:27). They hold a brief conversation, within which we learn an important lesson into the heart of God.

“Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?” (John 20:15) is the question that Jesus poses to Mary. She doesn’t recognize Him and answers, “Sir, if you have taken Him from here, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away” (John 20:15). It had become common knowledge that Jesus had been buried in a borrowed tomb, so the assumption might have been that the gardener had come and removed the body so that it could be buried in a family tomb, now that the Jewish feast of Passover was finished. Her response shows that she has no suspicion that Jesus has resurrected, but rather that He is still dead in another location.

Notice that Mary does not believe in the resurrection of Jesus. She walked with Him and talked with Him, but she still has problems with her doctrine. In spite of the obvious flaw in her faith, Jesus reveals Himself to her by saying her name, “Mary” (John 20:16). There was something about the way that He said her name that made her heart leap with joy. The intimate sound of Jesus whispering your name will still warm the heart of even the coldest sinner. There is nothing like knowing Jesus, except perhaps the revelation that He knows you!

With this serious doctrinal flaw (not believing in the resurrection), surely Jesus would not give a revelation of His love, right? We are often taught that if there is a problem in your doctrine that God will not bless you. In fact, I used to hear it preached by men that I greatly respected (and still do respect), that “God will not bless error”. They meant that if your doctrine is wrong, your blessings are limited. According to that teaching, Jesus should have just answered “Sorry mam, I haven’t taken Him anywhere”. It would have been an answer perfectly acceptable to Mary based upon her question. Thank God that Jesus sees past our doctrinal flaws and peers all the way into our hearts!

You may not have it all figured out today (join the club!), but you can rest assured that Jesus knows your heart, even when your doctrine falters. He will give you a revelation of His love by saying your name when He sees that your heart is hungry for more of Him. Seek Him and you will find Him, even when you are seeking in the wrong places.