“Why don’t you go for a short hike over there while I shoot some B-roll. It’s a pretty good view.”
I was in the middle of a visit to our dear field workers in the Holy Land and sometimes on these visits, we simply tag along with whatever they have going on that day. In this case, it was driving into northern Israel and getting some B-roll footage to finish out a video project.
So, I take their suggestion and walk further down the path. For some reason, this path was pretty popular with tour groups, and I wound my way between them on my hike. I then got to the top of the hill, perched on a cliff overlooking the Sea of Galilee. There’s a little display naming the hill. “Hold on a second,” I thought. I opened my phone and Googled the name.
I couldn’t believe it.
I was standing on the spot where Bible scholars believe Jesus appeared to the disciples after the resurrection and gave them the Great Commission. I was standing on what should have felt like sacred ground. But, it felt so ordinary.
Living in light of the resurrection can feel the same way so often. The sun rises, the days pass, and the routines set in. The earth still seems to turn at the same pace, the mundane parts of life still need doing.
Yet, at the same time, everything has changed. Right? Right?!
This is what Paul was addressing in today’s passage. Initially the news of the resurrection can be so incredibly life-changing for those who hear it and believe. It is such an incredible truth as well as hope. But as time goes on, what felt so extraordinary can become to feel ordinary and lead us to have mixed feelings about it, or whether it even happened.
But yet, the resurrection of Jesus marks a new ordinary. A new reality. A new hope.
As you start today, reflect on what impact Jesus’ resurrection has had on your life. How has that changed over the years? What is its impact today?
For reflection:
- Spend time today in awe and reflection of Jesus’ resurrection. Reflect on the questions above in light of this new reality and hope.
by Pastor Dan Ryan
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