Joshua 1 & 2
Psalm 32
Mark 16
-Devotion by John Railton (IN)
Moses, representing the law, was very much a great man and leader. He led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, through the wilderness, and eventually right up to the promised land. He saw it, but was himself denied entrance because of his own failure to perfectly obey God. This illustrates the weakness of the law, which in reality is the weakness of all people who are absolutely incapable of perfect obedience to that law. No one can enter God’s rest, the promised land, the kingdom of God on their own merit.
Joshua, who’s name means “The LORD saves” succeeded Moses and did in fact lead the Israelites into the promised land. Fast forward to Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she was to give birth to a son. He told her his name would be Jesus, which is the Greek version of Joshua. When an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, he explained the significance behind Jesus’ name. It was “because he will save his people from their sins!” Joshua was a type, or picture of Jesus, leading the Israelites into the promised land.
Psalm 32, written by a repentant King David, is a beautiful reminder of the weight of guilt, the necessity of confession, the blessing of forgiveness, and the joy of being right with the LORD! Read here the first two verses, and the last, but be sure to read the entire short Psalm. “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit!” “Rejoice in the LORD and be glad you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:1,2 & 11)
Now we come to Mark 16. We’ve been reading about the last supper, prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas’ betrayal, Jesus’ arrest, his trial, Peter’s denial, Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and burial. Mark’s climax to all this is his short, sweet, and factual report of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead! It was early Sunday morning when three women went to Jesus’ tomb, taking spices to anoint his body. The Jewish community neither then nor now practice embalming. The women evidently had no idea Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had already treated Jesus’ body with 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes. Nor did they even hope or suspect that he might be resurrected from the dead! Who would have thought?
“He has risen! He is not here!” Those were the words of the angel who was seated in the tomb. What a shock! What an announcement! It seemed too good to be true! In fact, Mark’s version tells us they ran away, fearful, and told no one! “He has risen! He is not here!” According to the Apostle Paul, our hope rises and falls on the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Paul states clearly that this truth is one of the several things one must believe in order to be saved. “He has risen! He is not here!”
Reflection Questions
- Are you solid in your conviction that Jesus was raised from the dead, that he is alive, at the right hand of God? Is your lifestyle a testimony to that conviction?
- Is there any sense in which you’ve dozed off when you should have been watching? Betrayed Jesus, as did Judas? That you’ve denied him, as did Peter? That you’ve doubted, as did Thomas?
- Are you clear in understanding that you will not enter the kingdom of God on your own merit? That it is only through the resurrected Jesus that you have hope?
- Have you experienced the weight of guilt, the necessity of confession, the blessing of forgiveness, and the joy of being right with the LORD?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your love, your plan from the very beginning to cover our sin, and for Jesus whom you sacrificed on the cross. You allowed him to become sin, so that we might become righteous. Thank you for raising him to live again, to live forever, the firstfruits of eternal life. Thank you for wanting me in your kingdom, and for making a way for it to happen. Help me to make you proud. Help me to live like Jesus. In his name I pray. Amen.
Seek Grow Love 