Over the past few weeks, my prayer time has focused on the end of my days. Now, don’t go calling mental health authorities and telling them I am having thoughts of ending it all but rather hear me out. As noted in the past two sermons, Jesus willingly went to the cross and in doing so eliminated the power of the grave. You see, Sheol was that place where all went when they died in ancient Judaism but around 100 BC the Pharisees posed the notion that there is a reward for following God’s ways in the afterlife called Olan Ha-Ba (World to Come). There was also the teaching that when the Messiah came, there would be a bodily resurrection (T'chiyat Ha-Metim). I got this bit of information from an article from Rabbi Howard Jaffe. Now, lets take a look at a piece of scripture from Matthew 27:50-53 NLT:
Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
According to their very own understanding and teachings from a century before, the dead in God were raised from the graves and they did not take off for the hills but rather they wandered around and made themselves known to the residents of Zion. There was no denying two things; Jesus is the Messiah and the T'chiyat Ha-Metim is real. What the Pharisee had declared and the Rabbi taught was the truth and yet they did not declare Jesus as the Messiah. The grave could not hold them and they arose, Sheol was under the rule of the Son of God and no longer something to be feared. Molly Skaggs sings a song called “Ain’t No Grave” where she declares there “ain’t no grave gonna hold my body down, when I hear that trumpet sound, I’m gonna rise up outta the ground.” Truth is this, the followers of the Lord Almighty in the Jewish nation and the Christian nation have seen the promise fulfilled the day Christ died on the cross. He has risen and the grave holds absolutely no power over the children of God. I think Paul said it best in his letter to the Thessalonians;
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thes 4:16-17 NLT
My prayer thought was this; will it hurt when we are washed absolutely clean from our sins and iniquities and step into the perfection of Glory? Gone will be the doubts and fears, the pains and sorrows and we will enter His gates with infinite thanksgiving in our hearts. As the crippled beggar rose up on healthy legs at the Gate called Beautiful, so shall we dance in His Glory.
This week, we welcome Pastor Eryn as she brings us all a message of hope. Please join us either in person or online at 10:30 AM this Sunday. The service will be broadcast online on our website (https://www.mainavefellowship.ca/socialplatforms), or you are more than welcome to join us in person at 402 Main Ave. W in Sundre, AB.
Blessings,
Our Mission “To live the love of Christ”
