WATCHWORD:
36 And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 37 But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! 38 “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? 39 Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” 40 As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he ate it as they watched. Luke 24:36-43
Meditation:
I Can Only Imagine
Barabbas stood on a sand dune, high above the shore, and watched a fisherman bring his boat onto the beach…John had said that Peter would be coming ashore soon. He watched as the man pulled his boat onto the sand, carefully spread his nets to dry, then started walking toward a group gathered around a fire on the beach.
He saw that one of the men was John, then he recognized another man, a man he had last seen dying on a cross. Oh, my Lord, he thought, it was Jesus! He is alive! He is not a spirit; he is a real person. Barabbas dropped to his knees and wept. Through his tears, he saw that Peter, too, was kneeling, and he seemed to be crying. Then Jesus stepped close, touched Peter’s shoulder, and the two stood together. Their conversation went on for a while. Peter appeared sad, tears lining his face. Yet, when the two parted they embraced, as close friends. Peter stood there, a look of unbelief on his face, as Jesus walked down the beach and out of sight.
Peter joined the other men, all of whom looked stunned, shocked as if they had seen something difficult to process, to understand, and believe. Barabbas realized that those men were Jesus’ disciples, and, for the first time, they had witnessed their Master, alive. [Chapter 17 — A Life for Barabbas]
On a recent Sunday, the pastor asked us, at the start of his sermon, “When you think of Jesus, what image comes to mind?” I would venture to say that no one imagined a ghost. Maybe a bearded man in a long, plain tunic and sandals, looking a lot like actor Jim Caviezel.
Put yourself in the sandals of the disciples. All had fled when Jesus was arrested, except for John. Peter hung around for a while until he denied Christ, just as Jesus had predicted, then he decided to go fishing! John was the only one of the twelve to witness the killing of Jesus. They, of course, heard all of the gruesome details, and knew their Master was dead and buried. The message from the women, that he was alive and would meet them in Capernaum, was hard for them to process. No wonder they were startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! When he asked for a piece of fish and ate it, they knew he wasn’t a ghost, but…Who was this Man?
This whole scenario calls to mind the lyrics of “I Can Only Imagine” – Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing Hallelujah, or will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine.
It is hard to imagine what those disciples were thinking at that moment. The Resurrection stood before them, but could they even think about that? They had wondered before, “Who is this Man?” when they had witnessed healings, teachings, miracles, but this was different. “Who is this Man?” doesn’t capture the moment. Indeed, who was He?
How does one dwell in the presence of the Most High God? How do we live in His presence every moment of the day, and every minute of the night as we sleep? Is it possible to live in His presence continuously? We can trust and know that when we ask to dwell in His presence, it is His deep desire to dwell with us. This is His heart for us. We can believe and trust that He is here and He is near.
One final thought, an impossible thought: Can we even imagine what is on the mind of God? The Divine Plan laid out at the beginning of Creation, had now reached a completion point. The resurrected Jesus stands on the beach with the first of His followers. His message to us, and to all, is the same as to those few disciples: I am alive. I will meet you where you live, now and forever.
I can only imagine when that day comes
And I find myself standing before the Son
I can only imagine when all I will do
Is forever – forever worship You.
I can only imagine.
Amen.
Bulletin Board:
Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine.
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, will You teach me how to remain in the secret place of Your presence? Will You guide me and remind me, and teach me how to live in this place of Your holy presence? Lord, will You remind me constantly to keep my eyes upon You? Will You give me constant reminders that You are here with me, that You are before and behind me, always surrounding me, always near and always here? Keep me in constant awareness of You. You are my Lord and Savior, and it is in Your name that I offer this prayer. Amen.
