Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:5-6 

Repeatedly, the message throughout the Scriptures is “do not fear.” But fear still comes in many forms. Why were these women fearful? They may be fearful of standing in the presence of God’s holy angel, even as the shepherds were on the hills of Bethlehem. They may be afraid of death, or maybe even life itself—where we are going, what tomorrow will bring. Or they may just be fearful creatures as many of us, in fact, are—fears that others may even sinfully exploit and manipulate. Fear is a constant companion for humanity. 

Our hope, however, is grounded not in our own strength of will, but in God who keeps his promise. Jesus, raised from the dead, is on the move after the resurrection to bring this promise to all people and to crush the reign of fear and death. “Come, see the place where he lay.” There is no death here, and there is nothing to fear. Life wins over death, and life itself is filled with the hope that all who shelter or cower in fear’s stronghold will be lifted up. 
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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

And in his name the Gentiles will hope. Matthew 12:21 

As Isaiah had proclaimed long ago about the coming Messiah, Jesus’ mission is to bring justice and hope to all peoples and nations. This proclamation runs in the face of any opposition that wants to keep people under their thumbs. Jesus fully intends to free the peoples of this world. He will not allow those who have been hurt to go unnoticed or unattended. He will not let the light of hope fade from the eyes of those who are caught in the web of despair. 

 We are, of course, aware of many—maybe even ourselves—who suffer from abuse and neglect, who despair and see only gloom. We are grieved by the terrors that strike peoples through acts of violence and harm, even as we are grieved by those who have given up on life altogether. We have felt the scar of death. Jesus’ mission continues, nonetheless, in the community of faith that will not give up or leave others behind. All who look to the servant Lord have the “sure and certain hope in the resurrection of the dead.” Even when Hope itself is crucified, he lives for us and for all peoples.

Behold the man! John 19:5 

Jesus, beaten and wearied, stands publicly before all wearing a crown of thorns and a purple robe. Is it meant only to mock him for the charge that he was a king for his people? Is it meant to elicit sympathy from a hardened crowd that only cried for his death? Are we to see here some poor hapless fellow like so many, shamed and tortured by their oppressors? Or are we to behold something more in this moment? Is Jesus now publicly displayed as the One people longed to embrace—the Messiah who will save us? 

 Jesus is the man of hope for us not because he shirks from the scars of suffering. He is the man of hope precisely because he places himself in the midst of our suffering. He takes our sins with him in his path toward the cross. We may behold that the garments of royalty are a prelude to his coming into his kingdom for us and for all people in their suffering and death. For all who journey through the time of trial, trusting Christ as their Lord and Savior, there is a crown of righteousness laid up for them. Behold, the man—of hope!
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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Let us also go, that we may die with him. John 11:16 

The hardest thing to own is death, particularly our own. The disciples of Jesus were afraid to go near Jerusalem because they had seen what had happened the last time they were there. Jesus was almost stoned to death, and there’s nothing to say that rocks may also fly toward those who are close to him. But Jesus makes his way there because of the death of Lazarus, and through Jesus, death is not to be feared. Thomas may not have been fully aware of the profound truth of his bidding, but it has been the bidding of the Church ever since. 

We risk because of all that our Lord risked for us. Jesus risked more than doing miracles of grace. He risked death on the cross, for our sake and for the sake of the whole world. And he has the scars of ownership of his own to prove that these are not to be feared. We face the risk for this truth and for its promising fullness for all who may hear it.
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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24 

Jesus never told his disciples to charge up ahead of him and face the opposition head on. That would have been setting them up for failure, and there is more than enough evidence that they, and we, have failed enough many times over. No, what he said is “follow me.” And following means that we do not take the lead. That place is reserved for him. 

His disciples struggled to hear about bearing the cross, as do we, his disciples today. There seems to be no victory in it all, only humiliation and death. It makes us look like losers. To which the gospel promise speaks, “Good! Now you can deny yourself and all false ambitions about being winners over others, and find instead that your real place is with the One who lost it all because he loved all who have found themselves lost at the bottom.” That is the path through death to resurrection, where winning comes by losing. 
 

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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

I am the vine, you are the branches. John 15:5 

It is important for us in grasping the true sense of ownership that we recognize our place. We are branches, attached to Jesus as the Vine. We find our source in the Vine and in the Vine alone. We are not in a position to boast. If the branches fall off or are pruned from the vine, they will wither and die. 

 Connections make a difference in our lives. We have parents, teachers, mentors and leaders who have all contributed to make us who we are today. Through them, some doors have been opened in our lives. Christ is the one through whom we become new people, born in baptism, nourished and sustained, and encouraged to branch out that others may find through us Christ’s love. Martin Luther said that “when the heart is born anew in Christ, fruits will follow naturally, such as the confession of the Gospel, works of love, obedience, and patience.” Share the great connection in Christ!
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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Neither do I condemn you. John 8:11 

The woman to whom Jesus speaks these words is not a woman without a sinful past. Those who would condemn such acts were ready to pass judgment, though they also sought to see if Jesus would defend her. “Let those without sin cast the first stone,” Jesus said (John 8:7). He is the hope of Israel and the fountain of living water who comes for us all in our trespasses. As he writes in the sand, one by one the accusers leave the scene. No judgment is given, save one: “Neither do I condemn you.” 

 We have many sins that we know to be true. All of us deserve the judgment of death and condemnation, for we are all people who have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But Jesus owns us in the midst of our condemnation. He stands with us as we face our time of trial. He is the Advocate who pleads for us, even with the scars on his hands and side on the cross. Life is his judgment for us, and life is the final verdict. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1)
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Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,