Tuesday: Day 36

Luke 24:41: While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”





            They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.


            What I find fascinating is that both Luke and John have post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. And both Luke and John talk about Jesus eating! I can’t imagine it was because he was simply hungry. There must be a deeper and more important reason.



            He ate in their presence because he wanted to show them that he’s real, and he’s alive!



            That, I think, is the deeper and more important reason. He’s real! And He’s alive! He was with the disciples before their eyes were opened, and now that they recognize him, he wants to show that he’s real, and he’s alive.



            John Ortberg is a Christian author who wrote, “If You Want To Talk On Water, You’ve Got To Get Out Of The Boat.” And he asks his readers to exercise their imaginations.



            Imagine that your life is over, and you are led to a small room. There are two chairs in the room, one for you and one for God (who gets a very large chair), and there’s a VCR. God puts a tape into the machine. It has your name on it and is labeled What Might Have Been.



            Imagine watching all that God might have done with your life if you had let him.



            Imagine seeing what he might have done with your financial resources if you had trusted him to be generous. Imagine seeing what he might have done with your giftedness if you have trusted him enough to be daring. Imagine what he might have done with your relationships if you had trusted him enough to be fully truthful and fully loving. Imagine what he might have done with your character, if you had dared to confess sin, acknowledge temptation, and pursue growth.


            Now, that’s certainly a stretch of the imagination! And everything depends on God, of course, and not us. The imaginative scene “fails” in many important ways.



            And yet…

 

            As a pastor, I sometimes wonder whether people truly believe that Jesus is real, and that he’s alive. I sometimes wonder whether people listen to my sermons and think that I’m saying some nice theological truths that don’t really have anything to do with their daily lives. I sometimes wonder what would happen if people truly believed that Jesus was real and alive in their lives. What might have been?

 

            It’s Holy Week. It’s a very important week for those who know Jesus and follow him. Maybe what’s important this year is to recognize in a new and fresh way that Jesus is real, and that he is alive.  

 

            Realizing that, and knowing that makes all the difference in the world, both now and forever. He is real. And he is alive.

 

Questions to Ponder:

 

• · What do you think of Ortberg’s imaginative scenario? Is it helpful? If it’s not helpful, what do you feel is unhelpful about it?
• · Think of a friend, neighbor, or relative for whom Jesus seems very real. What does their life looks like? How do they talk about their faith? If you could, would you like to have a faith similar to theirs? Why or why not?

 

 

Prayer for Today: Lord Jesus, help me believe that you are the Son of God, that you are alive, and that you are real. Please forgive my sin, my doubt, and my uncertainty about you. Come close to me, Lord Jesus, and let me see that you are real, and that you are alive. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Imagine what it would have been like in Jesus' time to follow him on Twitter...