In A Garden – The Love Story of Resurrection Day
Jesus is Risen
“It is true!”
Luke 24:34
Death could not hold onto Life any more than the grave could hold onto Jesus. At dawn in a garden cemetery, Life swallowed Death once and for all.
“I am the Resurrection and the Life,” Jesus had once said. Now He proved.
An angel rolled back the giant stone and sat on it, waiting for Jesus to come out. By the time Mary from Magdala arrived, things in the garden looked normal, except the soldiers had run off and the stone was rolled back from its opening. The tomb was empty but for the burial cloths.
In that quiet, little garden, God was walking around!
And, at first, He passed as a gardener.
Mary! Don’t you want to shout at her? It’s Him! It’s Jesus!
“Why are you crying?” He asked her, pretending, savoring the moment, ready to burst with the surprise of Himself. But because of her sorrow, He ended his tender charade. He said her name: “Mary.”
His voice. Surely His heart was heard in the sound. Loving . . . inviting . . . tender.
At once, Mary knew Him. So what does she do?
She throws herself at His feet—in possessive worship. She clings to Him like she will never let Him go! And, indeed, she never will.
But He has plans for her, plans for the two of them, plans for each of us.
Soon she would “cling” to Him in a whole new way—in Spirit and Truth. She would forever and ever cling to Him. But, just then, in the garden, she must let go of Him. His voice, loving and kind, said, “I have not yet risen to my Father.”
He surely laughed softly to Himself, blessed by her show of affection. She must have been clinging to His feet, weeping and crying from sheer happiness.
She must let go, but not for long. He promised her that.
And so He said, “Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.”
His own beloved ones, from then on, would know the Father on the same intimate level as the Son. Jesus couldn’t have been more delighted in the telling of that news.
Here we see a human and divine Lord Jesus enjoying Himself. While Jesus is in the garden with Mary, it seemed He didn’t know just what to do with Himself. First, He tells her to go and tell His disciples He will see them in Galilee. Then He shows up in the upper room wanting to be with them, asking them to touch Him, proving He is not a ghost, and enjoying their surprise.
Humanly speaking, can you imagine how Jesus felt after His resurrection? Surely, Jesus’ heart felt ecstatic, bursting joy. He had made the way open for His friends to call His Father their Father, His God their God. He revealed the love of the Father to them—He had redeemed humankind back to God. He wanted to return to Heaven but He was not ready to leave them just yet. Jesus loved them so much He wanted to show Himself to them and share His joy with them. He wanted, more than anything, for His own to see and know Him in reality, as their God.
In a Garden
It began in a garden, long, long ago
When the Creator gave Life and walked with His own
Now, here in a garden His holy Seed lies
Sown in the earth, for love, He has died
In a garden, the Creator had always foreseen
In a garden, to walk again, with His redeemed
Kissed by God
Besides dying for our sins and ending our separation from God by doing so, Jesus showed us God’s heart: God WANTS us.
Many years ago, when I was on a private retreat, I was listening to tapes on experiencing a close relationship with God. The teacher had this prayer exercise: “Ask the Lord what He likes about you.” I wrote the question in my prayer journal and waited for an answer. God’s words immediately bubbled up within me: “I love how you think of Me as a person.”
This amazed and delighted me. Yet how often have we heard the words that God wants to have a personal relationship with us? Of course He’s a person.
Imagine, this is what He yearns for, to be known by each of us. Once we know Him, we know we are His beloved. The closer we come in our relationship with Him, the more we realize His individual favor towards us. We discover our uniqueness and how special, in a particular way, we are to God. This understanding, this God-perspective, becomes our true identity.
There is no one else like you and no one can love God the way you can, in the expression and manner that you might choose to love Him. This loving is actually an art, and it is very individual. This goes both ways. God, the GREAT ARTIST, loves no one else the way He loves you. God is continually watching you, doting on you, causing things in your life to help you become you. The person God is creating you to be is a lifelong process. He is very involved with your “coming of age” and will be until you come home to heaven.
I’ve used a prayer journal to document my journey, and to write down words from God and to record what God is doing in my life. I just finished rewriting Writing from the Fire Within and in this book I described an experience related to my prayer journal. Even though it happened a long time ago, I learned how delighted God was in the very paper of my prayer journal.
The day the butterfly appeared, I had re-lived the experience because I had just finished writing about it. Then the Lord surprised me again with the same message: He still loves my prayer journal. I was on my way for a day of babysitting and thought to take along my prayer journal so I could pray and journal during my grandson’s nap time. As I was about to get into my car, a butterfly landed on the top of my prayer journal, pictured here. I noticed how its wings matched the design in the cover of my prayer journal. It was as though God kissed me on the cheek and said, “I still love your prayer journal.” The butterfly stayed long enough for me to fumble around in my purse, pull out my cell phone and take 3 pictures of it. Then it flew away. I knew immediately that God had sent it. I guess God not only loves the paper of my prayer journal, but He also loves the covers, too.
I think God often orchestrates things like this to show us His affection; you could say they are coincidences, but they are not that. Often we miss them because we aren’t noticing or looking for God in the events of our lives. I was thinking about prayer and journals, and how God loves any means we use to commune with Him. So, on this occasion, God sent a little messenger to remind me that He’s still watching closely for me to notice little favors, kisses,
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He sends my way. He wants us to know His heart.
Soon, I’ll have two new books published:
1) The Gardens in God’s Story: Avows Divine Romance
2) Writing from the Fire Within: A Prayer & Writing Workshop
I’ll keep you posted when they are available.
Read MoreThe Genius of Jesus
I saw this bit of a plant in the grass while walking my dog yesterday. Whatever it is, it captured my attention. I brought it home and took this close-up picture of it with my cell phone. Look at the beauty and engineering, the artwork, that went into the design of it. It goes without saying—the Creator is full of wonders and all we need to do is “see” them.
If you click on the image a couple times you can see an enlargement of it. Wow!
Do you know what this is? A flower, weed, from a tree? It blew in from someplace and I’ve never seen anything like it. Please send me an email if you know because I am curious: [email protected]
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The Art of Loving God
I’ve considered writing a book by this blog’s title: The Art of Loving God. It sounds rather mystical and religious. I don’t think I’ve grown too worldly, however I know I’m more down to earth than I’ve ever been. Maybe it’s our culture. We western Christians, especially in America, are practical, dress comfortable, and speak directly and plainly.
We keep pace with our changing world while keeping close to God. He’s made me tech-savvy. I lost my cell phone last night and realized how dependent I am on it. One can feel lost without it–without the ability to connect with others. There most certainly is a parable here.
We change with the times and seasons as God relates to us differently as we to Him. I’m in my sixties, so I’ve experienced a lot. I’ve passed through many seasons with the Lord, and Holy Spirit movements that not only affected me, but the Church. The Kingdom of God is here and still coming.
Evangelism was the main focus going on worldwide during much of my childhood years. Christian missions translated languages into written form and spread the Gospel I believe to every nation during my life. As a child, I grew up in a traditional church and adopted what my family had for generations been born into. When Jesus showed Himself to me personally at age 30, that’s when my heart became new and alive in God. These were the days when Jesus swept through our families, churches, and communities. The Jesus Movement.
The printing and production of Bibles and translations exploded to peoples and tongues. God was reawakening the church in my young adult years, and all kinds of denominations and traditions of Christian faith caught the fire. Yes, surprise! The Holy Spirit began baptizing people anew. Speaking in tongues and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, with the manifestation of spiritual gifts, became a sweeping movement across all denominations. I was in it. I think it rather unified us but not without some controversy. For me, it was about 36 years ago–right at the height of what God was doing to many.
Soon after, I discovered the Lord’s love for His people, the Jews, and I dove head first into the Messianic “movement” that included trips to Israel, Davidic/Israeli worship dancing, and I learned much about the early church and the roots of our Christian faith. This was a worldwide movement of the Holy Spirit and Messianic congregations popped up in most major cities wherever Christians gathered, not to mention many in Israel. This was strategic in God’s eyes because now the church was coming full circle–at last!
That was not all–God had more for me and the Church. There began a rebirth of mystical love. This is best described as His revelation of a deeper relationship with Him and involved the prayer of love, devotion, contemplative meditation, and a rather mysterious, wonderful bridal love for Jesus, the Great Bridegroom. Many of us came to know Him as the Lover of our souls and of the Church–and it was, and still is, blissful and beautiful.
These days now, what is God doing? Well, I think He is giving us time to grow in faith, to realize we’re part of a larger Story, to be wise in Him, steady in patience, ready for the second coming of Jesus. I mean, the world is spinning out of control. Mega churches are coming to life globally. I’m in one and it is all God! See www.elevationchurch.org. God is using our talents and our passion for Him more fully than I’ve ever witnessed. Also, persecution and martyrdom is rising. The dark grows darker while the light grows brighter. We need to seek first God’s kingdom now more than ever.
Communication technology is reaching the far ends of the earth with the Word of God. Surely we are living in the end-time harvest and the days of the preparation of the Bride.
Jesus told us to be aware of the signs of the times. So, when I look what He’s done in my lifetime, including the birth and gathering of the Jews to Israel, and the ways He’s revealing Himself to us, well, we must be nearing the last days and his return. We are at last becoming a Bride in love with Jesus, knowing all God has done to win our hearts.
God is the Artist of our lives, the Author of our days. But it is also a collaboration; we need to respond to Him. I guess if I could describe the Art of Loving God it would be to pay attention and let God love us the way he chooses and return love for love.
As A.W. Tozer beautifully put it: “God is a Person, and in the deep of His mighty nature He thinks, wills, enjoys, feels, loves, desires, and suffers as any other person may. In making Himself known to us He stays by the familiar pattern of personality. He communicates with us through the avenues of our minds, our wills and our emotions. The continuous and unembarrassed interchange of love and thoughts between God and the soul of the redeemed man is the throbbing heart of New Testament religion.”
God reaches out to us individually, strategically, globally, spiritually, supernaturally, naturally, and continuously. We are the object of His desire and purposes. Let’s be aware and respond. That’s the Art of Loving God.
***
I’m finally on Chapter 31 in the writing of Come and See. I’ve reached the last days of Jesus’ earthly life. I’ve posted the current manuscript on a page here if you wish to read it. I’d love any feedback.
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What Delights God the Most?
I am writing COME AND SEE and decided this last chapter might make a good blog. My last blog is like this one; I am still thinking about how much David and Peter’s heart affected God. This chapter, while following the chronology of events in the Bible, mirrors the same theme.
Hope you enjoy. If you feel like commenting, please do . . . Others might enjoy what the Lord shows you through the many thoughts that might come through the retelling of this amazing relationship Peter and Jesus shared.
(By the way, the background of this website is the Sea of Galilee at the place where this story is strongly believed to have taken place. I stood on the highest rise of the shore when taking this picture, and behind me is a flat plain near Capernaum, at the foot of the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus fed the multitude and, later that night, likely walked on water from here.)
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Chapter 16
“Do as You Have Seen Me Do.”
When Jesus had called the Twelve together,
he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons
and to cure diseases, and he sent them out
to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Luke 9:1-5
Simon Peter
Once I walked on water. Everybody talks about my faith, and doubt, regarding it—and the songs, poems, and who but the Lord knows the amount of art it inspired since then? It’s been preached, sung, and painted countless times. Of course, the part of my near-death by drowning is well-established.
Most agree, it took bold faith on my part to step out of the boat onto tossing waves, never mind the doubting and sinking part for now.
When I recall the experience, I see something quite the opposite. I see only one thing: Jesus’ reactions to me.
Imagine, Jesus believed in me—that I could do the same supernatural thing he was doing. It took more trust on his part to receive me onto those dangerous waves than it did for me to trust him. He knew I could do it.
That, I tell you, amazes me. You see, my faith in him so often failed me. My downfalls are historical facts of renown. I sank after a few steps only because I stopped believing I could do it. I worried the waves would be too much; I thought he would need to save me or I’d drown. And, that part was true; he did end up having to save me.
When I first saw him coming to us on the waves, I was thrilled. I called out to him, asking him to let me come to him. Seeing him, I felt invincible. He called back, “Come!”
I will never forget his look of delight in me when I leaped out of the boat.
Even though this miracle lasted only a few steps, I can’t begin to describe the exhilaration I felt.
The others in the boat could not understand what caused the preposterous thought to come into my head. Although such a foolhardy idea as climbing out of the boat seemed sudden, let me explain how it gradually came about.
Prior to my walking on the water, Jesus told us we were ready to minister to people in his name. This is what he said on the mount in Galilee, as he touched each one of us: “I give you authority to heal the sick, cast out demons, and proclaim God’s kingdom. Do as you have seen me do.” Then he sent us out two-by-two. According to his word, we accomplished signs and wonders and returned to him full of excitement, with testimonies of having done all he said we could do.
Shortly after, Herod beheaded John the Baptist. After learning of it, Jesus wished to be alone and so we set off in our boat to find a solitary place. But the crowds watched us from the shoreline and, seeing him in the boat, they trailed along with us along the water’s edge. Seeing this, Jesus changed his mind, and we brought the boat to shore so he could minister to them—teaching and healing them until it grew late. He fed all of us with five loaves of bread and two fish. We ended up with twelve baskets of leftovers after he had fed thousands of people.
After all of this, he sent us twelve off in our boat to cross the lake and he sent the entire crowd to their homes. He still wanted time alone with his Father.
In the middle of the night, seeing our struggle against the wind and waves, he came to us, walking on the water.
Seeing him then, I knew he could do anything. He had just fed a multitude from practically nothing. The fact that he had no boat was not a problem for him. He’d come to our rescue.
My expectations of Jesus soared; I had worked a few miracles in his name, just days before. If he told me I could heal the sick, I could, and did. If he told me I could preach the kingdom in his name, I did so. The idea struck me that, if he was willing, I could do the same things he did and I wanted to test my theory.
When I sank, he reached for me, and scolded me with a laugh. “Why did you doubt?”
But I saw his face beaming at me—he was delighted that I’d given it a try.
Once, I did something worse than sink. It nearly destroyed me when I betrayed him. But, as it was on the water, he pulled me up from the threatening depth that nearly took my life. His look of sorrow for me became my worst memory of him.
I’ve learned an important thing: He trusts me to trust him. Even when I denied him, he trusted me to return to him and love him more than ever.
***
Jesus had found, in Peter, a man willing to believe and do the impossible.
In Peter’s letter to the churches in 64 A.D., he wrote, “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Peter saw himself and every believer as living stones. Considering Jesus’ nickname for him, the Rock, Peter certainly was that. He became a foundation stone placed directly upon the chief Cornerstone. Peter, the first to recognize Jesus for who he was, his proclamation of faith the first. Peter was first to receive keys to the Kingdom of heaven—and he found himself in a key place in the Lord’s plans, in his Spiritual House—the Church.
Are we to believe Peter’s faith was what so endeared him to the Lord in the first place?
Let’s look closely. Jesus liked being with Peter. You see it throughout all the gospel events. He was one of the three in Jesus’ inner circle. Peter, spontaneous and emotional Peter, was honest, authentic, and dedicated. Outspoken about his feelings for Jesus, he was also the first to preach the Good News of Jesus in public, convincing a couple thousand festival pilgrims to believe in Jesus and be baptized. Peter was a man of faith-in-action. Is this what captured the Lord’s heart?
Perhaps it’s what Jesus first saw in Peter. Like King David—Peter’s heart was a heart after God’s own heart. Peter sought and found the wonder of God’s particular love for him.
Peter responded to his Lord like a wick to the flame. He returned love for love, which brightened all around him. Known for his bold, relentless faith and utter dependence on Jesus, Peter took hold of the keys Jesus gave him to the Kingdom, keys of Jesus’ own power and authority.
Read MoreIt’s Something Only God Sees
“I had always felt life first as a story—and if there is a story there is a storyteller.”
G.K. Chesterton.
We are characters living out subplots, our life-stories, within God’s Story.
I began this morning considering Simon Peter and King David. Their stories are alike. David lived before Christ’s time, Peter lived during and after Christ’s time.
Both of them were known for delighting God.
They were nobodies when God chose them. David, a youth tending sheep had been overlooked and discounted by his own father and brothers when the Prophet Samuel came looking for God’s future king to anoint. Peter was an outspoken, impulsive fisherman the day Jesus made him one of His closest friends. To Peter Jesus handed the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Accepting a leading role, Peter helped Jesus usher in God’s Kingdom on earth.
What made God choose such unlikely characters anyway? David became the most beloved king of Israel, the nation claimed by God to be his own people. He was such a significant person in God’s larger story. Jesus identified himself as the expected “Son of David.”
Peter, whom Jesus nicknamed “the rock” was the first stone (the first to believe Jesus was Messiah and Son of God) to be laid in the foundations of the Spiritual Temple of God made up of all believers in Jesus.
David and Peter were put in leadership roles. Both carried the kingdom of God forward. And, yet, both of them were a mess at times. They sinned. They disappointed God. They were unworthy of the favors given. Sometimes they walked beside God in the Light, other times they chased shadows. They didn’t merit the Lord’s love, calling, or gifts. But God saw something about them that much affected Him.
God chose them because of something only God sees.
The Lord chose David and Peter because of their hearts. That was the real attraction. God proclaimed that David was a man after His own heart. Jesus said many endearing things about Peter. He is the only man who walked on water with Jesus and was the first to use Jesus’ healing powers with words of his own mouth.
What affects God most when He sees us? Our hearts.
These thoughts are helping me to put my priorities in order at the start of this new year. I pray the Lord will look at my heart and help me put the foolish things behind me in order to enjoy walking in the Light beside Jesus, and to even walk on water with Him this year. My desire is to realize that my little life can be like David’s or Peter’s—this is my time in history to do my little bit for Him and His Kingdom. But, mostly, it is my time on earth to appreciate the Lord’s love, care, and favor. I want to live the Story God sees for me. If I live out of my heart, it’s what only God sees, but it is what He likes.
Priority One: Delight myself in the Lord.
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