John 20:12-18 ~ My Father and your Father

Psalm 122

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
 "May those who love you be secure. 

May there be peace within your walls 

 and security within your citadels." 

For the sake of my brothers and friends,

 I will say, 

"Peace be within you." 

For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, 

I will seek your prosperity.

This morning, I woke up thinking about the Garden of Eden and the Tomb Garden. This is Jerusalem's Botanical Garden.

John 20:12-18

And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, 

one at the head and one at the feet. 

They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” 

She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, 

and I do not know where they have laid him.”

Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing,

 but she did not know that it was Jesus. 

Jesus said to her, 

“Woman, why are you weeping? 

Whom are you seeking?” 

Supposing Him to be the gardener,

 she said to Him, “Sir, 

if you have carried Him away, 

tell me where you have laid Him, 

and I will take Him away.” 

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” 

She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” 

(which means Teacher). 

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.’” 

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, 

“I have seen the Lord”

—and that He had said these things to her.

Genesis 3:8-9

And they heard the sound of the Lord God 

walking in the garden 

in the cool of the day, 

and the man and his wife hid themselves 

from the presence of the Lord God 

among the trees of the garden. 

But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

Jesus always brought with Him, immediacy. The word, immediate, was a frequent Word near Jesus Christ.  The Bible often discusses the Timing of God.  Many prayers, in the Scripture and ours, don't seem to be answered immediately in God's Plan.

These two verses are like the Biblical discussions of Adam. Adam ends as the fall of mankind has begun. Healer, Wonderful Jesus comes to be our Gift and Salvation. 

Paul, in the Holy Spirit, discusses Adam for a long time. And we can wonder, why.  Instead of Scripture repeating, this is the heart of Salvation. God's Love. The repair of the breach of Salvation. This is the immediacy of North and South and East and West to go forth in God.

A Garden. Seeking the Lord. The Lord answers. Jesus has made the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus is opening Heaven and His Father's Love. Our Father, The Christ of God, Jesus makes sure. Jesus creates the way to His Steadfast Love.  

In Jesus, we do not have to find the Lord. In Him, we live, move and have our being.

Our Rector at St. Martin's Episcopal Church is Dr. Russ Levenson, Jr. Russ did a marvelous interview

on National Fox News.  We are all, so sad, Russ is retiring. And even hope we would find him as Rector Chairman or Rector Emeritus, still visiting us.  

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6349965726112

Abba, Father,

Know the Scriptures,

Know the Power of God.

And we will believe in the One He has Sent.

Surely, He took on our infirmities 

and carried our sorrows; 

yet, we considered Him stricken by God, 

struck down and afflicted.  

But He was pierced for our transgressions,

 He was crushed for our iniquities; 

the punishment that brought us peace 

was upon Him, 

and by His stripes 

we are healed. 

Each Day we are Blessed 

to ask for more

More Heaven on earth.

More Give us This Day.

More Daily Bread.

The Universe is upheld

by the 

Power of Your Word.

May The Lord God Almighty

His Son Jesus

surround and uphold us

in This Peace.

The Peace is Upheld by God Himself 

and 

we ask

His Blessing and Favor.

Gently, we hand You our Cares

knowing Your Hands hold

this so well.

Tenderly.

And we are Loved and Filled.

We give thanks for

Your Sacrifice

to bring those unworthy

to be adopted into Your Family.

Knowing we are not perfect,

have weakness,

flaws 

and sins.

And draw near to you with confidence

in Jesus Christ

according to Your Will

Your Word

Your Steadfast Love

and Your Promises in Jesus.

Dwell in us

and help us to be Pleasing to You

Dwell in those we Love and Honor

and help us to seek You first

and we will end well in Jesus Christ.

In the Highest Name 

of Jesus Christ,

Amen

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Our Lord Jesus

EASTER 2024 ~ John, Matthew, Corinthians, James, Luke, A Crowd of Witnesses!

 

 

† 

John 20

 

Now 

on the first day of the week 

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb 

Matthew 28:1-10

 

Now 

after the Sabbath, 

toward the dawn of the first day of the week, 

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

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. 

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

And for fear of him 

the guards trembled and became like dead men.

But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid! 

For I know that you seek Jesus!

Who was crucified. 

He is not here!

 For 

He has risen, as He said! 

Come, see the place where He lay. 

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!” 

So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, 

and ran 

to tell His disciples. 

And behold, 

Jesus met them and said, 

“Greetings!” 

And they came up and took hold of His feet 

and worshiped Him. 

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

“I am ascending to My Father 

and your Father, 

to My God 

and your God.” 

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, 

“I have seen the Lord”

—and that He had said these things to her.

John 19:26-27

 26 When Jesus saw 

His mother and the disciple whom He loved 

standing nearby, He said to His Mother, 

“Woman, behold, your son!” 

Then He said to the disciple, 

“Behold, your mother!” 

And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

Now 

I would remind you, brothers, 

of the Gospel 

I preached to you, 

which you received, in which you stand, 

and by which you are being saved, 

if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you as of first importance 

what I also received: 

that 

Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 

that He was buried, 

that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 

and that He appeared to Cephas, 

then to the twelve. 

Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, 

most of whom are still alive, 

though some have fallen asleep. 

Then He appeared to James, 

then to all the apostles. 

Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me.

John 17:17-19

Then Jesus answered, 

“Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 

Was no one found to return

 and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 

And He said to him, 

“Rise and go your way; 

your faith has made you well.”

He appeared to more than five hundred brothers 

~ Narrow Path! ~

God is Love

Matthew 20

“For the Kingdom of Heaven 

is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning 

to hire laborers for his vineyard. 

2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, 

he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5 So they went.

 Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.

 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 

8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 

10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 

But He replied to one of them, 

‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?  Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge My Generosity?’ 

So the last will be first, and the first last.”

James 2:12-13

So speak and so act

 as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty! 

For judgment is without mercy 

to 

one who has shown no mercy. 

Mercy triumphs over judgment!

Luke 6:36

Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

James 2:13

For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. 

Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Matthew 5:7

 

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Abba, Father, 

Know the Scriptures,

Know the Power of God.

And we will believe in the One He has Sent.

Surely, He took on our infirmities 

and carried our sorrows; 

yet, we considered Him stricken by God, 

struck down and afflicted.  

But He was pierced for our transgressions,

 He was crushed for our iniquities; 

the punishment that brought us peace 

was upon Him, 

and by His stripes 

we are healed. 

Each Day we are Blessed 

to ask for more

More Heaven on earth.

More Give us This Day.

More Daily Bread.

The Universe is upheld

by the 

Power of Your Word.

May The Lord God Almighty

His Son Jesus

surround and uphold us

in This Peace.

The Peace is Upheld by God Himself 

and 

we ask

His Blessing and Favor.

Gently, we hand You our Cares

knowing Your Hands hold

this so well.

Tenderly.

And we are Loved and Filled.

We give thanks for

Your Sacrifice

to bring those unworthy

to be adopted into Your Family.

Knowing we are not perfect,

have weakness,

flaws 

and sins.

And draw near to you with confidence

in Jesus Christ

according to Your Will

Your Word

Your Steadfast Love

and Your Promises in Jesus.

Dwell in us

and help us to be Pleasing to You

Dwell in those we Love and Honor

and help us to seek You first

and we will end well in Jesus Christ.

In the Highest Name 

of Jesus Christ,

Amen

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Our Lord Jesus