Luke 24:17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk and are sad?
Well hello there my beautiful Friends! It’s Easter Tuesday! Goat Race Day down Buccoo, in that land of paradise, sweet Tobago, God’s little acre! Oh what a glorious celebration of life! Crabs running; goats running; parties hopping all over the little village; everybody having a good time! And if yuh get there early enough, you just might get a chance to visit the world renowned Buccoo Coral Reef, and catch an exhilarating and relaxing dip in the cool, clear, shallow waters of the famous Nylon Pool close by. Famed for not only its beautiful blue water, but also its shallow nature, though a ways out to sea. Hn, hn, hn! I’m chuckling cause I just remembered my last Goat Race, being rather inebriated and partying down the place with a friend’s sister. But that was many moons ago, when I was a young lad. Now I can neither imbibe as much or party as heartily. But doh make the mistake and write me off nuh, cause I can still hold mih own. (smile) Yes mih Friends, the joys and pleasures of youth! But these two followers whom Jesus appeared to on the first Resurrection Morn, while they were trudging along to Emmaus, a village about five miles away from Jerusalem, they certainly weren’t joyful. ‘And they talked together of all these things which hath happened.’ (Luke 24:14) Like all Jesus’ followers, they too were confused, afraid and emotionally fragile. Jesus had been their leader, their lifeline, but then He’d been crucified, leaving them in a void, adrift and leaderless. Then to further muddy the waters, they’d heard that He was alive, but nobody had actually seen Him. And now, as they walked along this stranger, Jesus, comes up to them and asks why they’re so sad. "But their eyes were holden, (restrained) that they should not know him.’ (Luke 24:16) That seems to be harsh and undeserved; Jesus appearing to His confused and scared followers in an unrecognizable form. But I guess He had His reasons. And who am I anyway to question them, although His first words to the two bear out my contention. ‘What manner of communication are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?’ One of them, Cleopas, asked if he was a stranger to the area, if he hadn’t heard what happened? For only a total stranger could be unaware of all the ‘goings ons’ of the past weekend. But Jesus simple asked, ‘What things?’ And they explained: ‘Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.’ They told of His wrongful condemnation and death. ‘But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel:’ Ah my people, though many believed Jesus was a genuine prophet, these followers had pinned all their hopes and dreams on Him being the Messiah, Israel’s Redeemer. But with Him dead for three days, they were having a hard time, their confidence in Him and His teachings was being sorely tested. Then they related that that was the third day since His death, how the women and the disciples went to the tomb but found His body missing, seeing visions of angels instead. (Luke 24:18-24) Imagine the sadness and sorrow on their faces and in their voices nuh, as they told their woeful tale. But surprisingly, instead of empathizing, Jesus rebuked them. ‘O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.’ (Luke 24:25-27) His rebuke centred on the fact that though they rightly believed He was the Messiah, they were too focused on a glorious deliverance and didn’t take seriously enough the Old Testament Scriptures that not only prophesied of His glory, but also His suffering. Without a full grounding in the entire Old Testament, one couldn’t grasp the real significance and identity of Jesus. I still maintain that Jesus was a bit harsh on them, especially since His followers were largely uneducated and of low estate. But luckily Friends, today we don’t have that problem since the whole Bible is printed simply, in numerous languages and anyone with reading skills can find one he can understand, or if not, there are many more people now versed in the Word that can help him. But sadly, there’s still a major problem; too many of us still are not one hundred percent sure of Jesus’ resurrection and all the good things it entails. But as a friend wrote me today quoting, ‘The perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.’ (1 Cor.15: 53) Meaning, before we can ever see God, we have to undergo a profound change; become immortal and imperishable. And this is the glorious message of Easter. Jesus died, then rose again, successfully accomplishing that change from perishable and mortal, to imperishable and immortal, guaranteeing both then and now, that all who believe in Him will experience the same dramatic experience when they shed this earth’s mortal coil. Thus assuring that ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ (1 Cor.15:54) Now the question is my brethren, do we sincerely believe this? If we don’t, then we’ll never see God, but be forever thrown into outer darkness and damnation with Lucifer and his cronies. However, if we sincerely believe; ‘have Easter faith, resurrection faith; the conviction that it will happen; and personal faith; the conviction that it will happen to each believer personally,’ then we’re away and home free. Cause ‘Easter is the evidence that God is far stronger than Satan, that good is stronger than evil, that truth is stronger than the lie, that LOVE is stronger than hate, and that life is stronger than death. Thank God for Easter.’ Oh Friends, those are not my original words, but they sure proclaim my sentiments beautifully. You see we can only receive salvation and eternal life if we believe in big capitals; ‘BELIEVE!’ And Easter is the time all our doubts and fears are put to rest, giving us a solid confidence that Jesus has fulfilled His promise of redemption through His death and resurrection. Unlike His early followers, we’ve had it handed to us on a silver platter, so let’s be grateful and warmly embrace that sacrificial gift nuh. That’s the only wise and sensible thing to do. Much LOVE!…only BELIEVE…that’s all he asks of us…only BELIEVE…
Well hello there my beautiful Friends! It’s Easter Tuesday! Goat Race Day down Buccoo, in that land of paradise, sweet Tobago, God’s little acre! Oh what a glorious celebration of life! Crabs running; goats running; parties hopping all over the little village; everybody having a good time! And if yuh get there early enough, you just might get a chance to visit the world renowned Buccoo Coral Reef, and catch an exhilarating and relaxing dip in the cool, clear, shallow waters of the famous Nylon Pool close by. Famed for not only its beautiful blue water, but also its shallow nature, though a ways out to sea. Hn, hn, hn! I’m chuckling cause I just remembered my last Goat Race, being rather inebriated and partying down the place with a friend’s sister. But that was many moons ago, when I was a young lad. Now I can neither imbibe as much or party as heartily. But doh make the mistake and write me off nuh, cause I can still hold mih own. (smile) Yes mih Friends, the joys and pleasures of youth! But these two followers whom Jesus appeared to on the first Resurrection Morn, while they were trudging along to Emmaus, a village about five miles away from Jerusalem, they certainly weren’t joyful. ‘And they talked together of all these things which hath happened.’ (Luke 24:14) Like all Jesus’ followers, they too were confused, afraid and emotionally fragile. Jesus had been their leader, their lifeline, but then He’d been crucified, leaving them in a void, adrift and leaderless. Then to further muddy the waters, they’d heard that He was alive, but nobody had actually seen Him. And now, as they walked along this stranger, Jesus, comes up to them and asks why they’re so sad. "But their eyes were holden, (restrained) that they should not know him.’ (Luke 24:16) That seems to be harsh and undeserved; Jesus appearing to His confused and scared followers in an unrecognizable form. But I guess He had His reasons. And who am I anyway to question them, although His first words to the two bear out my contention. ‘What manner of communication are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?’ One of them, Cleopas, asked if he was a stranger to the area, if he hadn’t heard what happened? For only a total stranger could be unaware of all the ‘goings ons’ of the past weekend. But Jesus simple asked, ‘What things?’ And they explained: ‘Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.’ They told of His wrongful condemnation and death. ‘But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel:’ Ah my people, though many believed Jesus was a genuine prophet, these followers had pinned all their hopes and dreams on Him being the Messiah, Israel’s Redeemer. But with Him dead for three days, they were having a hard time, their confidence in Him and His teachings was being sorely tested. Then they related that that was the third day since His death, how the women and the disciples went to the tomb but found His body missing, seeing visions of angels instead. (Luke 24:18-24) Imagine the sadness and sorrow on their faces and in their voices nuh, as they told their woeful tale. But surprisingly, instead of empathizing, Jesus rebuked them. ‘O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.’ (Luke 24:25-27) His rebuke centred on the fact that though they rightly believed He was the Messiah, they were too focused on a glorious deliverance and didn’t take seriously enough the Old Testament Scriptures that not only prophesied of His glory, but also His suffering. Without a full grounding in the entire Old Testament, one couldn’t grasp the real significance and identity of Jesus. I still maintain that Jesus was a bit harsh on them, especially since His followers were largely uneducated and of low estate. But luckily Friends, today we don’t have that problem since the whole Bible is printed simply, in numerous languages and anyone with reading skills can find one he can understand, or if not, there are many more people now versed in the Word that can help him. But sadly, there’s still a major problem; too many of us still are not one hundred percent sure of Jesus’ resurrection and all the good things it entails. But as a friend wrote me today quoting, ‘The perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.’ (1 Cor.15: 53) Meaning, before we can ever see God, we have to undergo a profound change; become immortal and imperishable. And this is the glorious message of Easter. Jesus died, then rose again, successfully accomplishing that change from perishable and mortal, to imperishable and immortal, guaranteeing both then and now, that all who believe in Him will experience the same dramatic experience when they shed this earth’s mortal coil. Thus assuring that ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ (1 Cor.15:54) Now the question is my brethren, do we sincerely believe this? If we don’t, then we’ll never see God, but be forever thrown into outer darkness and damnation with Lucifer and his cronies. However, if we sincerely believe; ‘have Easter faith, resurrection faith; the conviction that it will happen; and personal faith; the conviction that it will happen to each believer personally,’ then we’re away and home free. Cause ‘Easter is the evidence that God is far stronger than Satan, that good is stronger than evil, that truth is stronger than the lie, that LOVE is stronger than hate, and that life is stronger than death. Thank God for Easter.’ Oh Friends, those are not my original words, but they sure proclaim my sentiments beautifully. You see we can only receive salvation and eternal life if we believe in big capitals; ‘BELIEVE!’ And Easter is the time all our doubts and fears are put to rest, giving us a solid confidence that Jesus has fulfilled His promise of redemption through His death and resurrection. Unlike His early followers, we’ve had it handed to us on a silver platter, so let’s be grateful and warmly embrace that sacrificial gift nuh. That’s the only wise and sensible thing to do. Much LOVE!…only BELIEVE…that’s all he asks of us…only BELIEVE…
SCRIP-BITS 