Gone but still here . . .

I’ve moved 32 times. The first was in childhood. We moved from a little house in my grandfather’s yard to a new home my built on their own place four miles away. The last time was from a large house with too much yard to a condo bungalow seven minutes away.

Moving has its perks. Now we enjoy no garden work or snow shoveling. The downside is leaving people. Sometimes our friends had a farewell party for us, but one time, after just arriving, one person introduced us to her friends with, “Don’t get to know these people too well because they will be moving soon.” That hurt.

I can understand how the disciples felt when Jesus told them He was going away. However, He wasn’t leaving with many of the emotions I’ve experienced. He knew He would return and take His friends home with Him.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also . . . .” (John 14:1–4)

The disciples didn’t understand. Their focus was on Him leaving and not the rest of what He said. He explained further, that the Holy Spirit would be with them . . .

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. (John 14:16–20)

This unity of believers with the Lord God who saved them and lives in them was too much for their minds to grasp. His statements made no sense and seemed impossible. How could He leave and at the same time be with them? How could they see Him but no one else could?

When we moved, some of our friends were glad for us. They realized our move meant a good opportunity and even though we would be missed, they were happy for us. Jesus told the disciples that His move was not a bad thing. He wanted them to rejoice about it and not be taken by surprise when it happened.

You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. (John 14:28–29)

Here is where my moves lose resemblance to what Jesus was doing. He was not moving from Jerusalem to another place; He was moving from this earth to heaven. He would no longer walk with them in person. His route would involve death. A cross and a tomb, a brief time of resurrection and then He would ascend into heaven. No moving van, no suitcases. Death would take Him from where He was to where He was going. For the disciples, this was not good news — until later, after it happened.

I try to imagine what they were going through and how Jesus was thinking. This was traumatic for they had not grasped that He would die much less rise from the tomb and appear to them. His move was not like our relocations. His return was not like ours (we moved to the same place five times). What Jesus told them was impossible in their thinking. Yet it happened. Paul described it in a nutshell:

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (1 Corinthians 15:3–8)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, I know now what the disciples eventually realized. You left this earth by death but came back to life and are here, never to leave or forsake Your people. You are alive and made real in my heart by the power of the Holy Spirit. I know Your presence. I know Your voice and Your love. I also know that there will be at least one more move for me — from here to there, to be with You forever — a wonderful thought for this sunny spring day!

First Lessons

A radio preacher said that new Christians often have amazing encounters with God and surprising answers to prayer. He said this happens because God is teaching them. After they learn the lesson by sight, then they are better able to walk by faith. In other words, as we become more mature in our faith, we have less visible demonstrations of God and more opportunities to trust Him without them. 
 

This is a biblical reality. God knows how to build and sustain our faith. He first did this right after Jesus rose from the dead.

He(Jesus) presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3)

The disciples needed assurance that He was alive. The Bible says Thomas expressed that he had to see Jesus for himself. The others needed to see Him also, even though there is no record of them saying it. How else could they be certain they were not imagining things because of emotional and wishful thinking, as they later were accused? 

Jesus accommodated them. He not only appeared to them and other believers, He stayed with them for forty days. A day or two with someone who should be in a tomb might be the fantasy of a grief-stricken person, but forty days? That was enough to put all fears and doubts out of their hearts. This is a prime example of what the preacher said. God was teaching them the fundamental reality of Christian faith; Jesus rose from the dead.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (1 Corinthians 15:3–8)

Paul included the resurrection in the above passage that describes what was of “first” importance. He also included the fact of Jesus’ appearance to him and to more than five hundred others. From that first “lesson” those who saw Him never doubted the reality of Jesus being alive.

However, as early as A.D. 55, some were questioning that Jesus rose from the dead. No doubt these were people who had not seen Jesus for themselves. Paul had to tell them that unless they believed what the others saw and proclaimed, then their “faith” was useless, with or without a “lesson” to verify it.

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:12–19)

In my Christian life, the first lessons included a profound revelation of Jesus and who He is. After that, God showed me that He would use all things that happened in my life to shape me into the image of His Son. Other Christians might have different first lessons, but for me, those two (and a few others) have made a lasting and deep impression on my faith.  

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Lord, I’m always amazed at Your wisdom. You know what Your people need to see and hear so that we can walk through life trusting You, no matter what happens to us. The early disciples often were challenged on the reality of Your resurrection. I often have been challenged on my belief in Your identity and regarding the purpose of many events in my life. Those first lessons have kept me certain of what I believe about You and about Your goals for me. Thank You!