Be Still And Know

Ephesians 3:20-21 The resurrection of Jesus is so completely amazing that it needs to challenge every aspect of our thinking about life. If God was like us then it would be understandable if we expected only ordinary and predictable things to happen in life. But he isn’t like us. He was able to bring his son Jesus back to life again, and so we need to stop expecting just the ordinary and predictable things to happen. William Carey was a Baptist and the founder of the modern missionary movement. He lived in Northamptonshire and worked as a shoemaker at the end of the 18th century. Carey was overwhelmed by the greatness of God and, in order to become more useful to the Lord, he learned many languages alongside running his shoe business. He taught himself Hebrew, Italian, Dutch and French. He famously once said: “Expect great things of God; attempt great things for God.” His amazing life changed the course of mission work throughout the world. It happened because his faith in a great God was matched by h

Ephesians 2:8-9 I remember my first pay packet as a teenager. It was a small brown envelope and it contained what, at the time, seemed to me like a considerable amount of money. It wasn’t really very much but I had never had a job before, and it compared favourably with pocket money! I had received that money because I had done many days of hard physical work in a warehouse. And it may well be that you can see a clear connection between all that you own and the hard work that you have put in. For this very reason it can be very difficult to accept that our salvation is completely unlike this. Because however hard we work, and however nice we are, we will never be able to earn salvation. The problem is that we are all sinners. We have all fallen short of God’s standards. The fact that some people seem to be much worse than others is neither here nor there. No amount of hard work will earn us salvation. All we can do is to accept the gift of God, which Paul describes as grace. Grace is the totally undes

Ephesians 1:19-20 I love everything about Easter. Winter has gone and we can see evidence of new life springing up all around us. It is as if creation is joining in the celebrations of Easter and confirming the promise of new life in Jesus. Easter is a happy time to share with other Christians and the services are full of confidence and hope. We are absolutely right to enjoy this wonderful time of the year, but we need to be careful that we don’t leave it behind us and move on to something else, because we are always an Easter people. What happened when Jesus rose from death is an ongoing reality. It is hard to imagine a greater miracle than Jesus’ resurrection! There is an absolute finality about death and from the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion there is no doubt that he died on the cross. The Romans were experienced executioners but to make doubly sure that he was dead one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side, causing a sudden flow of blood and water. Humanly speaking that was surely the end

John 21:20-22 Having received his commission from Jesus to care for his sheep and been given an insight into his future, Peter then became curious about others. He asked about how it was going to be for the disciple whom Jesus loved, who we assume to be John. Jesus’ response was sharp and definite. Effectively Jesus said: “Mind your own business”. It was nothing to do with Peter. All he needed to know was that he was called to follow Jesus. Let’s face it, we are all curious about the people around us. We would be fascinated to know what their future will be. But Jesus’ words remind us all that our responsibility is for ourselves; we don’t need to know what will happen to other people. That is in God’s hands. As John drew his Gospel to a close, he wanted his readers to know that their greatest need was for each one of them to keep their eyes fixed on following Jesus. In our busy, noisy world we face endless demands on our time and attention, and it is very easy for us to lose our focus on following

John 21:17 We cannot be sure why Jesus asked Peter three times whether he loved him. Many people have suggested that it mirrored Peter’s three denials before Jesus’ crucifixion. It is suggested that this was Jesus’ way of helping Peter to find cleansing from that time of abject failure. There is great encouragement for us all in the fact that Jesus was willing to forgive someone who had let him down so comprehensively. Peter had a hugely significant ministry ahead of him, but it couldn’t begin until he knew that he had been released from the burden of his failure. Every time Peter affirmed his love, Jesus told him that he was giving him a job. Peter was instructed to take care of Jesus’ sheep and feed them. Whenever someone follows Jesus, they are also given responsibilities to serve others. The idea of Christian faith being a private matter that simply gives a person a warm relationship with God and a secure future for all eternity is foreign to the New Testament’s teaching. Every follower of Christ

John 21:4-6 I was brought up by the sea and so it isn’t surprising that I started fishing when I was a boy. We always set out with huge expectations of what we would catch. If you have ever gone fishing you will know that, whenever someone walks by, they are bound to ask: “Have you caught anything?” It’s the obvious question but the last thing that you want to admit is that you have caught nothing. You feel a complete failure – an experience I often had! In this account, Jesus asked the predictable question. Even though he spoke to them, it seems, at first, that the disciples didn’t recognise him. He then advised them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. Another thing that people who walk by you when you are fishing like to do is give advice. Jesus duly gave his advice and, interestingly, since they didn’t know it was him or that their newfound adviser knew anything about fishing, they did as he said. The result was that they brought in an enormous catch. Most people don’t love change

John 20:25 I suspect that we all have some sympathy for Thomas and are not inclined to blame him for his reluctance to believe that Jesus had risen from death. We know that there was often a competitive spirit among the disciples, and they were no doubt happy to brag that they had seen the Lord. I am sure Thomas desperately wanted to believe that they were right, but he needed to be sure and so he asserted that he needed evidence. More than a week later, Jesus came to the disciples who, once again, were meeting behind locked doors. He invited Thomas to see the evidence and to put his hand into the wound in his side. John doesn’t record whether Thomas took Jesus up on this offer or not. Thomas simply exclaimed: “My Lord and my God!” (v28). He was absolutely convinced. Jesus observed that Thomas believed because he had seen him and added: “blessed are those who believe without seeing me” (v29). Clearly, we don’t have the opportunity to check the evidence in the way that Thomas did. So, what are we s

John 20:19-20 John records three occasions when Jesus met with his disciples after his resurrection. Here is the first of them and it occurred on Easter day itself, the day of resurrection. The disciples were understandably nervous. The authorities had organised the crucifixion of Jesus and so, logically, they were quite likely to come after his disciples next. The disciples had heard from some of the women that they had met the risen Lord but it would seem that they were unsure what to make of this incredible news. Into this nervous, fearful situation came the risen Jesus. Suddenly and miraculously he was standing there with them. One can hardly begin to imagine the riot of emotions that they must have experienced in that moment. On the one hand it was everything that they most wanted. The death of Jesus was devastating for them so the thought that he was alive again was absolutely wonderful. But then they had to deal with the fact that dead people don’t rise from death. Into this amazing situation J

Luke 24:30-32 As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognised him. And at that moment he disappeared! They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” Isn’t it a great moment when the penny drops? Suddenly everything makes sense. This was the experience of these two followers of Jesus. The stranger whom they had met as they trudged wearily home to Emmaus had given them a long explanation from the scriptures, but it was only as he broke bread that, suddenly, everything became clear. Their mysterious stranger was none other than Jesus himself! In my experience, it can take a long while for the penny to drop in our Christian lives. It is perfectly possible to hear about God’s love, forgiveness, patience and generosity for years without them really making much sense. It is often only in the rough and tumble of life that deep sp

Luke 24:13-16 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from him. It was getting towards the end of Easter Day and the light was fading as these two people trudged back home. It had been an incredibly strange time for them. Their hero Jesus had died in horrifying circumstances two days previously. They had heard some women report that Jesus had risen from death, but they didn’t know what to make of it. Suddenly a stranger started walking alongside them – they had no idea that it was Jesus. Even when the stranger accepted their invitation to go back to their home, they still didn’t realise that it was him. This beautiful account will strike a chord with most of us. There have probably been many times when we have felt alone, but in fact Jesus was walkin

Luke 24:1–3 Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As dawn broke on Sunday morning the women were determined to get to the tomb as early as possible to anoint Jesus’ body. Imagine the shock when they got there to find that it was empty. Their astonishment and surprise was then magnified many times when they met two men in dazzling robes. They questioned the women as to why they were looking for Jesus in the tomb, because he had risen from death. We cannot be exactly sure where the tomb that Jesus’ body was laid was. In Jerusalem there are two main places that are identified as the possible site of Jesus’ tomb and one of them is in a beautiful garden, called the Garden Tomb. I have been there many times, and the guides always take pleasure in telling the visitors that the one completely authentic fact about the tomb is

Luke 23:55–56 As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law. There is something beautifully impressive about these verses. The women must have been totally devastated by the death of their Lord. I would imagine that they were experiencing a mixture of devastation and anger mingled with fear that the Romans might be coming after them next. But, amid all of this, they were concerned to do the right thing and anoint the body of Jesus. On the Friday itself there was very little time to do anything. Jesus had died at 3pm and the Jewish Sabbath began at about 6pm. Joseph of Arimathea asked for the body of Jesus – he probably did so to avoid the corpse being left to the dogs and vultures, which was normal practice with the bodies of criminals. Joseph was a member of the Jewish Council bu

Luke 23: 44–46 By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last. These incredible words take us to the heart of Good Friday. This is the most incredibly, amazing, wonderful day that has ever happened, in which God showed us just how much he loved us. Anyone can use words of love, but words can be cheap and easily said. It’s only when we see actions that we know that love is real, and when we consider how Jesus died on the cross we discover the full extent of God’s love for us in sending his own Son to give everything for us. Jesus’ death on the cross changed everything. As he died, the thick curtain in the Temple was torn in two. That curtain was the barrier that ensured that people were kept out of the Holy of Holies. Only the High Pries

Luke 22:19–20 He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.” I am glad that meals were so important in Jesus’ ministry. He loved spending time with people in the relaxed atmosphere of a meal and so it is very significant that, on the night before he died, we find him having supper with his disciples. Jesus knows that his death is only hours away, but he doesn’t want to miss the opportunity to have one final meal with those who had walked with him throughout his ministry. They had no idea what Jesus’ words meant as he took the bread and wine and said that they represented his body and blood. Only later would it all fall into place for them. People often tell me that their church i

Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted, and they promised to give him money. I don’t know about you, but I find these words almost too hard to read. Knowing how wise, good and loving Jesus was, how could anyone betray him? And Judas Iscariot wasn’t just anyone. He had been one of Jesus’ disciples for nearly three years. He had heard his teaching and, time and again, had seen him perform the most incredible miracles. How could he possibly conspire with those who wanted to kill Jesus? Luke tells us that Satan entered into Judas. No one knows exactly what was going on in Judas’ mind. Perhaps he was tempted by the money. Or he may have become disillusioned with Jesus because things weren’t working out in the way that he had expected and wanted. We just don’t know. What we do know is that he gave Satan’s temptations house room. He allowed t

While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” At this point, Jesus was only a few days from his death on the cross. It must have been dominating his thinking, and yet he noticed a poor widow. I suspect that no one else spotted her because everything about her was unremarkable – particularly her gift. It was such a tiny gift; most people would have thought that it was hardly worth giving. But Jesus saw it very differently. Alongside the big gifts of the rich people, her gift was very small indeed but Jesus knew that she had given everything she could. She had, in truth, given more than anyone else. This beautiful little story is so precious because it gives us a deep insight into how Jesus works. H

Luke 19:41–42 I will never forget my first visit to Jerusalem. A disabled friend of mine asked me if I would take him to Israel as his carer. He needed me to push his wheelchair, drive the hire car and lift him from place to place. We stayed in a hotel on the Mount of Olives and arrived there in the dark. Driving through the chaotic traffic in Jerusalem for the first time was a hair-raising experience! The next morning I pulled back the curtains and was completely overwhelmed by the sight of the golden walls of the old city, set against a deep blue sky. It was one of the most amazing moments of my life and it was so easy to imagine the time when Jesus looked over the city and wept. Indeed, not far away from the hotel there is a beautiful modern church in the shape of a teardrop, which enables modern pilgrims to reflect on that poignant moment in Jesus’ life. Jesus longed for peace. That lay at the heart of his mission. He came to bring peace between humankind and God. Of all places, Jerusalem, the

Luke 19:36–39 Palm Sunday was a day full of surprises. Many people had hoped that Jesus might be the one who would kick the hated Romans out of the land. It would have suited them well if he had turned up on an impressive war horse and led a rebellion. But that wasn’t Jesus’ way. Instead, he turned up on a donkey of all creatures. Donkeys are undoubtedly attractive and loveable but you would never start an uprising with one! As he did so often, Jesus turned people’s expectations upside down; indeed everything that would happen in the coming week was going to shock them to the core. People reacted very differently to Jesus on Palm Sunday. There were some who showed him the respect of laying their coats on the road and who shouted and sang their praises. They recognised that Jesus truly was the Messiah, sent by God to bring hope to the nation. But then there were the Pharisees who were appalled by this outburst and who encouraged Jesus to rebuke his noisy supporters. But Jesus informed them that the pra

Psalm 33:1–2 Many of the psalms surrounding this one are full of descriptions of the psalmist’s pains and problems. He talks often about his enemies and those who are out to kill him. He tells us about his health problems and his times of depression. When we come to this psalm, however, the atmosphere is very different. The psalm bubbles with praise and confidence in God. Praising God can be done in any number of ways, but it is interesting how often it is associated with singing. This has been true throughout history. We read about the angels singing at creation (Job 38:7) and, when Moses and the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, they burst out in song, celebrating God’s deliverance (Exodus 15:1–19). Singing was integral to the life of the people of Israel and the Levites were given the responsibility of leading the singing. In the New Testament we find frequent references to singing too, and Paul encouraged his readers to “be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual

Psalm 32:1 King David is very reflective in this psalm. Some commentators suggest that he wrote it some years after his disastrous adultery with Bathsheba. That agonising episode led to the murder of Bathsheba’s husband and caused untold grief. When Nathan the prophet confronted David with his sin the king turned back to God and discovered the wonder of his forgiveness (2 Samuel 12). It is thought that Psalm 51 was written at this critical time in David’s life. He pleaded to God for his mercy and forgiveness. He asked God to purify him and to wash him whiter than snow. He wanted God to restore him and to make him new. In Psalm 32 he appears to be standing back from the experience of forgiveness and reflecting on how completely wonderful it is. David thought back over those days when he had refused to confess his sin. He recalled how his body wasted away and how he had groaned all day long. His strength had evaporated like water on a summer’s day (vv 3–4). But when he confessed his sins, his life was t