Luke 24:50-53
Luke 24:50-53 “Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. They worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.”
At my church during communion, they have a photo or a silent video on the screens in the front of the sanctuary. Lately it’s been a picture of a table out in a field, and it has a silver goblet and a plate with a round loaf of bread on it. This week, though, they had a picture of three empty crosses on a low hill, with the sun setting behind them. In the foreground, tall grass waved from a soft breeze.
I looked at the picture and thought about the message those crosses were giving. “It is finished.” The work of Jesus was completed, and He was no longer on the cross. The two thieves who flanked Him were gone from their crosses, and all the witnesses to the crucifixion had left the scene.
The disciples had moved on, discovering in the risen Christ hope and salvation and new life. They witnessed Him, ate with Him, and watched Him ascend into heaven. And then, filled with the Holy Spirit, they preached about Him.
They spent their time in the Temple. They spent some time in prison. They spent time in prayer and fellowship. But they didn’t go back to the place of the crucifixion.
Each day’s sunrise, each day’s sunset, each day’s breeze on that hill testifies to the emptiness of the cross. Jesus has gone away. But His departure didn’t leave us forsaken. It filled the disciples with great joy and made them praise God.
Their joy is our joy. Their praise is our praise. Their faith in the Christ who dwells on high is our faith.
What do you see when you look at the empty cross? Do you stop at the vision of His death? Or do you see the glory His death brought about for Him and also for those who believe? Look again and see the message that the empty cross tells.
Brenda
At my church during communion, they have a photo or a silent video on the screens in the front of the sanctuary. Lately it’s been a picture of a table out in a field, and it has a silver goblet and a plate with a round loaf of bread on it. This week, though, they had a picture of three empty crosses on a low hill, with the sun setting behind them. In the foreground, tall grass waved from a soft breeze.
I looked at the picture and thought about the message those crosses were giving. “It is finished.” The work of Jesus was completed, and He was no longer on the cross. The two thieves who flanked Him were gone from their crosses, and all the witnesses to the crucifixion had left the scene.
The disciples had moved on, discovering in the risen Christ hope and salvation and new life. They witnessed Him, ate with Him, and watched Him ascend into heaven. And then, filled with the Holy Spirit, they preached about Him.
They spent their time in the Temple. They spent some time in prison. They spent time in prayer and fellowship. But they didn’t go back to the place of the crucifixion.
Each day’s sunrise, each day’s sunset, each day’s breeze on that hill testifies to the emptiness of the cross. Jesus has gone away. But His departure didn’t leave us forsaken. It filled the disciples with great joy and made them praise God.
Their joy is our joy. Their praise is our praise. Their faith in the Christ who dwells on high is our faith.
What do you see when you look at the empty cross? Do you stop at the vision of His death? Or do you see the glory His death brought about for Him and also for those who believe? Look again and see the message that the empty cross tells.
Brenda
posted by BreadBakers at 12:21 PM
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