Psalm 16
English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible
1 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.
4 The sorrows of those who run after [acquire] another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.
5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being [glory]rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption [the pit].
11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
This first week of Easter Season, I've been thinking about the overwhelming events the disciples and the "great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for Him" where going through. The people of Israel were waking to realize - they are the new lambs of God. Washed and cleaned by Him!
By now the soldiers who were bribed were all ready telling everyone His disciples had stolen His body at night. People were living the reality -
Matthew 27:
45 darkness over all the land until the ninth hour
51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
Luke 31:
34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
43 And he [Jesus] said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
John 21:
21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
John 19:33-34
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.
- - - - - This was not your typical, blood-letting Roman governmental event of correction.
What else was being said in this week of growing Good News to these people who had stayed with Jesus following and lamenting?
Matthew 28:
2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.
5 But the angel 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 has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
How would the people react to this Good News:
Matthew 28:
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted
Mark 16:
10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
12 After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
(28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”)
Luke 24:
11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.
When we look at the beginnings of the 500 people Jesus eventually revealed Himself to as alive, we see they doubted. Doubted. They did not drop to their knees each time and believe.
The Good News did not fail. It did not stay by fires at night, warm and comfortable. Idle talk to warm the hearts of life everlasting. Told to small children at night to cover over the 'scary -ness' of death. A little faint glow of nectar far, far away. A never, never land for us all to go to when we die and they throw dirt with a thud on the grave. No - these people invaded the Temple. Multitudes filled the 26 acres of the Temple grounds and miracles poured forth in the powerful name of Jesus Christ. Families - married couples - gave up their comforts, their homes and traveled to new places, risking and incurring death to bring others the impossible Good News they were so unwilling to believe even when they saw it for themselves. Why would they do it? Why didn't they weep and moan that if they Saw This and Didn't Believe This, How Could they Be Asked to Share This?
This is the Fire of the Holy Spirit - taking joy in the Spirit and proclaiming God can do the impossible. Even giving Good News to people who did not witness it for themselves.
Luke 24:
36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.
John 20
31 written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Mark 16:8 leads to this question :What would a risen King have to say to the people who had seen Him die?
8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
John 20:16
Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Jesus is giving His 2nd adoption. John was His first adoption and Mary Magdalene is His 2nd. His new lamb. He gives her His Father and His God - to be her Father. Jesus adopts Peter next and charges Him to take care of His lambs.
Luke 24:
25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”
(Isn't it interesting Jesus Christ departed to let them process and discover and believe. He acted as salt - flavoring! A Savior and not like the teenagers like to declare these days - not zombie Jesus coming to inflict His will on them. The world is just gravely ... off kilter. The stories the evil one will use to inflict ridicule upon Him. And the young and timid use to proclaim their faith.)
We are not called, most of us, to travel to new lands to serve Him. We just put out our hands in faith and say, Lord, let me do Your work today. Admit to Him, you just don't see a way to do it. Yet when He gives You the way and the right to be heard, help someone Know the Love of God. Tell them of His mercy to the people who weren't there for Him at His death, but lived for Him after they had time to realize the Good News. Believers of Jesus Christ, today, have the fire of the Holy Spirit.
As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.
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