The Most Powerful Master Key!
<A Journey of Holy Scents>
It has been great to walk a journey of Lent with our three churches through the Lenten Luncheon gatherings, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday service. Many church members from three churches joined and worshiped together! Each church has its own scents and we can smell them. While I have been through the Holy Week, I could smell the different scents each day. I would like to share my poem about it with you as my prayer in the beginning.
A Journey of Holy Scents
Youngeun Joyce Kang
The scent of Palm trees spread to Jerusalem
People shouted “Hosanna
Hosanna” with Palm branches
The scent of Fig trees
spread on the way to the Temple
Jesus rebuked Israel's
religious leaders who had no fruit
The scent of costly
ointment was spread on Jesus’ head
People rebuked her, but
Jesus let the world have that scent
The scent of Olive trees
spread to the Mount of Olives
Jesus prayed until his
sweat became blood in Gethsemane
The scent of Vine trees
spread on the cross
Jesus’s blood was shed
like wine
The scent of silence
spread on the tomb
The most silent Sabbath
we have ever had.
And...
Then...
The scent of Easter
Lilly spread in the church
The most beautiful new
life is in my heart
<Powerless, and Powerful>
Did you have power last Friday? Houlton lost power for a few
hours. When we lose power, we realize how much our lives depend on power.
We could not have light, and heat, we could not cook, and we could not use
electricity. (Phone, I-pad, computer, and any device) When I became powerless
by electricity, I came to the true source of the power in my life. The more I
feel powerless, the more the work of the Holy Spirit is powerful.
Nowadays I feel powerless to communicate with our youth-age
children. They are not children anymore. They need to know more, to have more
explanation, respect, freedom, and separation from younger children. Whenever I
have challenges with it, I feel powerless, and I come to the powerful God. While I am preparing for the Easter sermon, God showed me the most powerful master key turning on power through His resurrection.
Do you have power in your life? If not, or if it has been losing, may today be the day to have power by His resurrection. May God give you the most powerful master key to turning powerless people into powerful people today.
<Jesus is the Son of God proven by His resurrection>
The first reason why Jesus' resurrection is the most powerful master key is it makes us Christian. It is evident that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the Son of God proven by His resurrection. Henry Latham, who wrote “The Risen Master” who had witnessed burial customs in Constantinople during the 19th Century. He noticed that the bodies were wrapped in linen cloths in such a manner as to leave the face the neck, and the upper part of the shoulders bare. The upper part of the head was covered by a cloth that had been twirled about it like a turban. We can see the burial customs through Lazarus' resurrection in John 11:44.
John 11:44 “His hands and feet bound with linen strips, and
his face wrapped with a cloth.”
Jesus was wrapped with linen in the same way. When Peter and John saw the empty tomb, they saw the linen was not unwrapped.
John 20:7 He saw the linen wrapping lying there, and the
cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled
up in a place by itself.
That means nobody took Jesus’ body. It looks like
evaporation. Nobody on earth did imagine and had an experience. He is
risen!
Rome 1:4 “And was declared to be Son of God with power
according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ
our Lord!”
It’s proof that Jesus is the Son of God. It’s the first fruit of the resurrection,(1 Corin 15:20) and He promised we’ll resurrect the dead when He comes to us again. Jesus’ resurrection is the highlight of the Christian faith.
"If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. (1 Corinthian 15L17)"
Jesus' resurrection is the most powerful master key to making us Christian.
<We understand everything by His resurrection>
John 2:22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples
remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word
that Jesus had spoken.
Disciples did not understand His words at all, even though Jesus told them numerous times about His death and resurrection. However after
they saw Jesus’ resurrection, they understood everything. They remembered everything that He said. It was the last piece of the puzzle to see the whole picture of God's plan of salvation.
Jesus' resurrection is the most powerful master key to making us Christian.
<We are witnesses by His resurrection >
Esther said to me in the morning, "Mom. Today is a very special day, Easter. I really want to see God" Do you think Esther can see the Lord today like Mary Magdalene on the first Easter Sunday? Mary Magdalene did not know He was Jesus at first. When
Jesus said as usual “Mary!” She knew His voice. He was Jesus! He is risen and He is alive!
She became a witness and said “I have seen the Lord!” with excitement, and joy not
compared with sorrow and suffering when she was powerless with Jesus’ death, and absence.
There was a disciple who could not see the resurrected Jesus with others. He had doubts, and he said he would not believe unless he put his finger in Jesus' hand. Jesus appeared to him, and told Thomas, “Peace be with you. Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it on my side. Do not doubt but believe.” After Thomas put his finger in Jesus’ hands and side, he said. “My Lord and my God” He became had faith that He is the Son of God, and he accepted Him as his Lord, master, and owner of his life. Jesus said “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” (John 20:26-29) Jesus told us we can still believe Him without seeing, and He said those are blessed! Esther can be blessed more than Thomas.
There are many witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) There are 11 disciples and women, Five hundred brothers and sisters at one time. He appeared to Paul. However, how can we be witnesses without seeing?
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit
has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
God will give us power through the Holy Spirit to live as His witnesses. We can say the same word as Mary Magdalene "I have seen the Lord"
Jesus' resurrection is the most powerful master key to making us Christian.
<Powerless & Powerful my life>
How was your journey of Fast to Feast during Lent? Coffee, Fitbit, Facebook, to-do list, anger… The more I empty my power, the more I feel God’s power. When I feel powerless with the interaction of my older children sometimes, I feel God’s powerful work to give me another new life.
Do you believe that the Son of God died for us, and rose
again for you?
Do you understand what he said in the Bible?
Do you have the power to live as His witness?
Jesus’ resurrection is the most powerful thing to give us
a new life (John 20:31)
“But these are written so that you may come to believe that
Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have
life in his name.”
May we use the most powerful master key to open the door of our lives! Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment