“SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

We have now come to the second lesson in the “AND BEYOND !!!” part of the Sermon on the Mount.

Let me introduce this week’s lesson with a most unusual illustration. The date was Friday September 25, 1992 and the place was Beaver Meadow, New York, a very rural community about one hour south of Syracuse in the central part of the state. I was in the 7th year of my service there as pastor. It was about midnight. My wife and I were “long gone” in sleep when we were suddenly awakened to the noise of fire trucks and other emergency vehicles. We quickly dressed, ran outside, and followed the noise of the trucks. At the same time, we also heard a most unusual sound – one which we hoped we were wrong in our evaluation.

But we were correct – the garage of the neighbor directly across the street AND next to the church was on fire! The night was enjoying a confusing blend of light (from the fire) and dark (from the night). Mingled with the light and dark were the voices. There were voices of anguish from the family and community members who were concerned not only with the location of the fire, but also with the preservation of the family’s house to the north and of the community church immediately to the south of the burning garage.

It was a COLD early fall night. We quickly went to work! We set up tables and chairs and throughout the long night supplied drinking water and brewed massive quantities of coffee for the firemen and other emergency workers.

By morning the garage was a complete loss. Not only was the owner’s business gone – his woodworking shop from which he created amazing pieces of oak furniture. The elderly family dog – well, actually, he was the entire neighborhood’s dog! – had succumbed to the smoke just inside the garage door.

The next day we all commented how much light and darkness mixed together without distinction. My wife and I were blessed to serve in the pastorate here, and yet, and yet!, for a brief moment the light of the fire and the darkness of the night combined to show us just how quickly light and dark can mix in the hearts of those to whom we were called to minister, and to whom we were trying to make an eternal impact.

In a nutshell, that is what Matthew 5:14-16 is all about. LIGHT and DARK. They are designed by God to be distinct from each other. But our Savior is quick to note that sometimes, SOMETIMES, in His children they appear confusingly together. Sadly, though, the distinction God wants for His children is forgotten. Listen to that distinction during the Egyptian plagues in Exodus 10:23, “They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” And when describing the separation of Israel from the Egyptians who were following, Moses wrote (Exodus 14:20), “So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.” As the Israelites were always in the light, God’s design is that the Christian as well is always to be in the light.

As I prepared for this message/lesson, I learned much about His usages of LIGHT and DARK in the Good Book. Allow me to collate a few of those amazing passages.

FIRST, let’s look at WHERE WE ARE – IN DARKNESS! Job said of the leadership of the nations (12:25a), “They grope in the dark without light…”. The prophet Isaiah warns (5:20a), “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil who put darkness for light, and light for darkness…”. Our Savior gives the heavenly assessment (the complete passage is John 3:19-21), “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil… But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” The prophet Isaiah put it all in perspective as he looked forward to the coming of the Messiah (9:2)- a prophesy which our Savior said referred to Himself (Matthew 4:16): “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.” In direct contrast with the offer of His light, the darkness of the world is a vivid picture of death without Jesus.

SECOND, let’s look at WHOSE WE ARE – IN CHRIST! Even in the Old Testament, the psalmist David cried out about his relationship with his Savior. Note the amazing start of Psalm 27:1a, “The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear?” Once again, our Savior gives His interpretation, His application to Himself (!!!) (John 8:12), “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Throughout the psalms, the authors show the connection with our identification with the Savior, Listen to this sampling: “Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your tabernacle.” (43:3). “For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.” (36:9). “Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance.” (89:15). So how is the child of God to reflect Whose we are, an identity that should be on display from the moment we trust Jesus as Savior? Listen to the Apostle John’s wonderful words (1 John 1:7): “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” We belong to the King of kings! He is pure LIGHT. And in His light we are, for we are “in Christ!

THIRD, let’s look at WHO WE ARE – THE LIGHT! We are a refreshing brightness! (How can that be?). David quoted the Lord’s words about himself in 2 Samuel 23:3b-4, “‘He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds,

Like the tender grass springing out of the earth, by clear shining after rain.’” The Christian in turn is a REFRESHING BRIGHTNESS in a dark world! In 2 Kings 8:19, in spite of the description of King Jehoram’s wickedness, God gives a sobering evaluation of the nation: “Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah, for the sake of His servant David, as He promised him to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.” The Christian in the world is like the remnant of Israel – he is to be a REMNANT OF GODLINESS AGAINST SIN. In the book of Esther, the nation had won the victory against the evil of one of the members of its leadership. In turn, it was said of itself, “The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor…”. The Christian in the world is to be what we have – LIGHT: HOPE AMONG THE HOPELESS! And the Apostle Paul gives a reminder of the Christian’s position, as he says in Romans 13:13, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” Armor? What does that make the Christian? He is a SOLDIER OF LIGHT AMIDST THE DARKNESS OF THE WORLD!

TO CONCLUDE, let’s look at WHAT WE HAVE – EXAMPLES OF

ENCOURAGEMENT! How is it even possible for soldiers of LIGHT to be light in this dark world? Where are we to look when we KNOW that we ARE to be LIGHT, when there is so much DARKNESS around us? We look to the Good Book to see others who have gone on before, those who were LIGHT while living in the real DARKNESS of their world! Let’s listen to two of the classic lines of two of God’s choice servants:

Listen to DANIEL: “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” (Daniel 6:10). In the midst of DARKNESS, Daniel knew where to find LIGHT – by maintaining his custom of walking with the Lord in prayer,

Listen to JOB: “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” (Job 1:20-22). Do you hear him, dear people? Eventually in this wonderful book, we will walk with Job as he loses EVERYTHING, even the support of his wife. Yet in the big picture, when he had NOTHING in the world, HE HAD THE LORD! And so do we.

The children of LIGHT who serve the King of kings in DARKNESS can follow our SAVIOR Who IS LIGHT! The children of LIGHT can be encouraged with those who have also served the King of kings in DARKNESS. Choice servants like Daniel and Job – and many others – are there in scripture to remind us that we are not alone!

Press on, child of LIGHT, in the DARKNESS of the world around us, a world without God and without hope. Be the LIGHT in the DARKNESS that will point those who are lost and without hope to the One Who is PURE LIGHT, the One Who gave Himself for our sin at Calvary,

Remember WHO YOU ARE…

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16).

Ask yourself: “WHO AM I and WHOSE AM I?”

“THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor,

how shall it be seasoned?

It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out

and trampled underfoot by men.”

—Matthew 5:13

We have now come to the “AND BEYOND !!!” part of the Sermon on the Mount. Having finished the 8 beatitudes (“blessed…”), the Savior now invests several of our chapters discussing how the believer is to be different in the world wherever He has wisely placed us.

Today’s study takes us initially to the kitchen, and with the subject matter being “SALT”. Now, I’m a real aficionado when it comes to the kitchen. Back in 2002 when I was pastoring my first charge in a small town called Beaver Meadow, NY, my wife suddenly developed cancer. She would need surgery and as a result would be bedridden for several weeks following the surgery. [BTW – that cancer no longer exists, PTL!] The church ladies asked if they could help to make meals while my bride was recovering. I wisely said, “I’ve got it all taken care of! We’ll have hot dogs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; and we’ll have hamburgers on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. On Sundays? Oh then we’ll have leftovers. I’ve got it all taken care of!”. Needless to say, the kind ladies and their families fed us well!

SALT! The Lord Jesus is taking us into the kitchen of His usefulness. When He says, “you are the SALT of the earth”, He is making a number of distinctions:

* The “YOU” is the Christian – the individual making an impact in the day to day living.

* The “YOU” is NOT primarily the Church (local or universal); while a lighthouse in the community, it is not as evident as the Christian on a day to day basis.

* The “EARTH” is the world and its system, quite distinct from the Christian.

* The distinction is always to be evident. We are in it to win it but not a part of its system – we were bought out of it!

But when the Christian has lost its “FLAVOR/SAVOR” – its strength, its distinctions – he is now useless, and the world (and Satan) has gained another victory.

THIS MAY SOUND HARSH: The world is FULL of useless Christians who have given up being SALTS. Today’s verse is designed to REFRESH, to REVIVE, and to PRICK as a warning of what could happen.

I’M NO CHEF! Thankfully the Bible shows several uses – pictures – of SALT which should remind the Christian of what he is to be:

First, SALT shows an AGREEMENT.

“As for the offering of the first fruits, you shall offer them to the Lord, but they shall not be burned on the altar for a sweet aroma.  And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.” Leviticus 2:12-13

This is the harvest season! And the description of “first fruits” means that these are lifted up to God at the start of the harvest. It is an act of faith – letting God know that the farmer/citizen is trusting God for the bounty of the REST of the harvest!

The “SALT of the covenant” is a recognition of GOD’S provision. SALT thus becomes a wonderful picture of what God has provided.

“There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ

Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His

mercy He saved us…” Titus 3:5a

This is the Father’s greatest agreement, that He has provided a Savior AND He has provided salvation in the Savior – His Son the Lord Jesus – ALONE!

But further, it is an agreement that salvation is in Christ and NOT in the church.

NOTE THE WARNING HERE: When the Christian forgets, casts aside this agreement, he has lost his focus, his SAVOR, and he is now USELESS.

Second, SALT shows a JUDGMENT.

In Genesis 19, we find God’s judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities which He was going to destroy due to their extreme and willful wickedness. By the grace of God, Lot’s family was spared from the destruction. But they were given a warning. Listen to the Holy Writ:

“Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain.” [v. 17c].

Of course, we know Lot’s wife’s ultimate response:

“his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of SALT.”

It reminds me of the story of the little Sunday school boy listening attentively to the teacher describing the above incident. He politely raised his hand, and when called upon recounted, “the other day my mom was driving, and she looked back and turned into a telephone pole.”

Of tremendous interest is the look of Abraham just moments later:

“ Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace.” [v. 28].

Why was Lot’s wife judged and turned into a pillar of SALT, but when Abraham looked at the destroyed towns, he was NOT judged? The answer is simple: Lot’s wife looked with longing; Abraham looked with horror while observing the holiness of God on display.

SALT shows a JUDGMENT.

Third, SALT shows an HEALING.

In 2 Kings, a situation developed where water was no longer drinkable. This was a most dangerous situation – for without good water, the ground could not be cropped and the people would also die of thirst. Elisha the prophet was used of God in a most unique way. His instructions were most unique:

“Bring me a new bowl, and put SALT in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he

went out to the source of the water, and cast in the SALT there, and said, “Thus

says the Lord: ‘I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or

barrenness.’ ”

As the SALT was used of God to be an instrument of healing bad water, so the Christian is to be a SALT, an healing influence of hearts for eternity. He is also to be a healer of lives for today. He makes a difference. He IMPROVES his world, his job, his community. Do WE?

Finally, SALT shows a SEASONING.

I’m no chef, but a little SALT DOES make eggs taste better!

Listen to this amazing verse:

“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with SALT, that you may

know how you ought to answer each one.” [Colossians 4:6]

The Christian is the GRACE – the presence of Christ – here through the tongue. He adds flavor to the arena in which he has been wisely placed by the living God.

As SALT also acts as a preservative, keeping food from decaying – even so, the Christian is an instrument who holds back sin and in turn changes lives into something useful for God! You’ve seen in personally: when you walk into a room, what happens? The swearing stops! Or you hear, “oh, I’m sorry, pardon my French!”.

The reality is that where SAVOR is lost, SIN WINS.

The Christian is in a battle to be SALT. How are YOU doing in this battle?

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor,

how shall it be seasoned?

It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out

and trampled underfoot by men.”

—Matthew 5:13

“THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”

Beatitude #8: “Blessed are the persecuted – REALLY?”

“10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you,

and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven,

for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

—Matthew 5:10-12

We have come to the last of the 8 beatitudes of our Savior’s “Sermon on the Mount” {SOTM!) found in its entirety in Matthew 5-7. This study has a question mark (?) at its end – for who in his right mind would want any part of being persecuted? Sounds, well, PAINFUL!

“I HAVE MY RIGHTS!” Well, we’ve been through much – not only in the past year or so with the Covid-19 pandemic. In the past 30 plus years, we have been inundated with RIGHTS: Woman’s Rights (well, what about “men’s rights”? Just asking for a friend). Gay Rights. Animal Rights. Whale Rights. Manatee Rights. Raccoon Rights. To everyone involved in each of these issues, these are important rights.

BUT the worse rights of all: MY RIGHTS!

The Lord Jesus Christ approaches this subject in a most unusual way, through the eyes of…PERSECUTION!!!

What is it? Webster’s Dictionary defines “persecution” this way:

1. To harass with cruel or oppressive treatment
2. To maltreat or oppress because of race, religion, or beliefs
3. To annoy or harass

OK, I GET THAT. So who gets persecuted, according to the Scriptures? Let me give a few illustrations, right from the Word of God:

DAVID In the midst of persecution, he found encouragement in the WORD of God. See Psalm 119:86: “All Your commandments are faithful; They persecute me wrongfully; Help me!” And Psalm 119:161 “Princes persecute me without a cause, But my heart stands in awe of Your word.”

David also found hope through the WORKS of God:

3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;

He has crushed my life to the ground;

He has made me dwell in darkness,

Like those who have long been dead.

4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;

My heart within me is distressed.

5 I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all Your works;

I muse on the work of Your hands.

6 I spread out my hands to You;

My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah

—Psalm 143:3-6

PASTORS Listen to Jeremiah:

As for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd who follows You,

Nor have I desired the woeful day;

You know what came out of my lips;

It was right there before You.

17 Do not be a terror to me;

You are my hope in the day of doom.

18 Let them be ashamed who persecute me,

But do not let me be put to shame;

Let them be dismayed,

But do not let me be dismayed.

Bring on them the day of doom,

And destroy them with double destruction!

—Jeremiah 17:16-18

EVEN THE APOSTLE PAUL! Listen to a portion of his testimony:

8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—

—2 Cor. 4:8-9:

But the question must be asked, WHY DO THEY GET PERSECUTED? There is a common bond, a linking thread which connects all of the above: GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS, or, better, HIS RIGHTS (Matthew 5:10) and HIS SAKE (v. 11).

But what about MY rights? Have you read Isaiah lately?

But we are all like an unclean thing,

And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;

We all fade as a leaf,

And our iniquities, like the wind,

Have taken us away.

—Isaiah 64:6

So WHY do I get PERSECUTED? First, I have God’s righteousness! Have you read Psalm 4:1 lately? “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness.” How about Psalm 7:17? “I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” And how about Psalm 15:1-2?

Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?

Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

2 He who walks uprightly,

And works righteousness,

And speaks the truth in his heart…”

God’s righteousness doesn’t leave me empty. In Him I have all things! I encourage you to read through the book of Proverbs each month! How? Read the chapter which corresponds with the day of the month! Today is the 5th, so today I read Proverbs 5! Look at Proverbs 28:25-26:

He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife,

But he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered.

26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,

But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

Let’s wrap this up! Our text says “REJOICE” when persecuted for His rights. For His sake – NOT for our rights nor for our sake.

The Lord Jesus already gave us great insight in John 15:20:

Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’

If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they

will keep yours also.

The one who has turned over to God all of his rights, his goals, his ambitions, will find that the rights and glory of the Lord to be more than satisfying!

The one who makes God’s rights his own rights will become all that is summed up in one word: BLESSED! “Makarios”! “Happy” because I belong to the King of kings!

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you,

and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven,

for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

“CHALLENGES OF AN EARLY MORNING” (Matthew 28:1-7)

An Easter Sunday Message by Semi-Retired Pastor Jeremy Stopford

Originally preached April 12, 1998 (really!)

Beaver Meadow (NY) Christian Church

OUR TEXT: Matthew 28:1-7

1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn,

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid,

for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

How many of you are MORNING people? You know who you are – you just love to get up as early as possible. You function best in the early part of the day. You’re the kind that when all your friends are just getting with it, you say, “I’ve got 8 hours of work done already!”. Then there are the NIGHT people! Are you one of those? You are the kind that think nothing of staying up well past midnight, sleep for 8 hours (or longer), and then start all over again.

The story of the Savior’s Resurrection Day is a morning person type of story. Matthew initially looks at the resurrection through the eyes of two people. No doubt, THEY are morning people! (My 20th century guess is that all people of the first century were “morning people” – what else did they have to do?). They are identified as “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary” (Matthew 28:1). We know a little about each one.

“Mary Magdalene”, or better, “Mary of Magdala” – a region in Israel – is set aside in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke as one “out of whom He had cast seven demons”. Who knows what horror her life “before Christ” was like!

But we DO know, according to Luke 8:2-3, that along with two ladies named “Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna” (and apparently many others) “provided for Him from their substance.” Whatever funds she had in her life now were under the Lordship of Christ! (ARE OURS? Hmmm.). John’s gospel gives a wonderful picture of the poignant meeting with the risen Lord and this Mary (John 20:11ff).

The second visitor to the tomb in Matthew’s account is a woman called “the other Mary”. The gospels of Mark and Luke describe her a little more fully as “the mother of James the less and of Joses”, disciples of the Lord Jesus.

Though little is known of these ladies, it is apparent that the Lord did a GREAT CHANGE in their lives – so great, they sought to be both at the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus and as well at His graveside even days later.

There are at least four brief lessons that every seeker or follower of the Lord Jesus should learn from the lives of these two women that first Easter morn.

First, we have the need to remember the day and still walk by faith! In the gospel of Matthew we have met these two Christ followers before. Do you remember when? Go back to 27:56 where these two were among those who beheld the events of the cross “afar off”.

And after the Savior died, they also sat “over against the sepulcher (27:61). They knew exactly where the Savior’s tomb was. They would remember that day. WHAT DAY? What day of the week was it? Well, we do know that the Savior rose “on the first day of the week” (28:1). That would be on the Jewish – and our – calendar as SUNDAY.

And we do know that He said He would be in the tomb “three days and three nights”, according to the prophecy of Jonah (Matthew 12:40). So on what day of the week did the Savior die? Our problem is that we look at this through Western civilization eyes and not through Jewish eyes.

Fortunately for us, we can understand time through the words of Jonathan, Saul’s son. Look at a blurb from 1 Samuel 20:12: “When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day…”. So Jonathan saw time through today (Day #1), tomorrow (Day #2) and the third day (Day #3).

Through that visual, the day of the week that the Savior died was…FRIDAY! The Lord loves to challenge His followers through the use of the expression “the day” or “this day”. “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). “Sufficient unto the day is its own evil” (Matthew 6:34). “I must work His works while it is day”. (John 9:4). “Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). And the favorite of many, “This is the day that the Lord has made” (Ps. 118:24). Remember the day – and walk by faith!

Second, we need to be available to see the holy among the ordinary (re-read Matthew 28:2-5). Do you have any idea how often angels appear in Scripture? An amazing 283 times! Angels surrounded our Savior – we see them in Scripture at His birth, at the time of His temptation; throughout His earthly ministry; at His death; and now at His resurrection. These girls were in on a majestic viewing, weren’t they? That reminds me of the new pastor’s visit upon a younger woman of the church. He knocked on her front door. She was expecting one of her suitors and so shouted out to him, “Is that you, ANGEL?” The quick pastor responded, “No ma’am. But I’m from the same department!” And yet, Hebrews 13:2 challenges us: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” The ladies saw the holy – the angel – among the ordinary – a tomb. And so must we on a daily basis! We must have our spiritual eyes OPEN to the hand of the personal, loving God on each day! Have you put to practice the words of Psalm 119:62? “At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, because of Your righteous judgments.” Wake up in the middle of the night and can’t sleep? You should review the day you’ve just gone through. When did the Lord show Himself in real ways, yet you simply took those ways for granted? You pray for safety on the roads before leaving the house? Do you ever THANK HIM for giving you that safety once the trip is over? We need to see the holy among the ordinary!

Third, we need to cast aside earthly fear that we may see only Jesus (Matthew 28:6). Read that passage really slowly. Besides these two, there are the guards – ROMAN guards. They are there guarding an “empty tomb”. They were to FEAR no one! Yet when the angel appeared, “the guards shook for FEAR of him, and became like dead men.” But what about the girls? The angel brings comfort by saying those royal words of heaven, “FEAR NOT”. I looked it up – do YOU have any idea how many times the expression “FEAR NOT”appears in Scripture? An unbelievable 67 TIMES! Yet you and I live in a world filled with what? FEAR! What – or better WHO – is the Answer to the fear of man? The Lord Jesus! Just as these ladies found at the empty tomb the promise of eternal hope is through the Risen Savior, even so should we. And if we have, we should be like the woman at the well (John 4). When she met Jesus, she wanted to tell EVERYONE about Jesus! We need to cast aside earthly fear that we may see only Jesus!

Finally, we need to be obedient to simple tasks that higher purposes may be realized (Matthew 28:6-7). The angel’s words were simple: He’s not here…He is risen (as He said)…Come (see for yourselves)…Go (quickly!) and tell! Did the angel say “walk 1000 miles and tell everyone you see along the way that Jesus is risen?”. No, he began with a simple task: see for yourselves that what Jesus said would happen HAS happened! As the Apostle Paul would later define the gospel, in 1 Cor. 15:1-4, Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose again the third day JUST AS HE SAID. That is the gospel, the GOOD NEWS! The angel’s simple task was to begin with those with whom they were familiar – the one’s hurting because of life. The disciples – all of whom had fled at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion – were fearful men. But now, but NOW they would soon be not only in the presence of these first eyewitnesses. They would be in the presence of their risen Savior! Yes, God through this angel gave them a simple task. The resurrected Savior gave them the power to share. And Who gets the glory? HE DOES!

Remember the day – and walk by faith!

Be available to see the holy – among the ordinary!

Cast aside earthly fear – and see Jesus!

Be obedient to your simple assignments – and see the higher purposes!

And Jesus gets the glory!