Passion Week Meditations — Day 9: Monday
It’s now the second day of the week. What’s so special about today? As the old saw goes, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” We continue to live in a fallen world, but Jesus has made it possible for us “to be born again to a living hope” through His resurrection from the dead (1 Peter 1:3). Because He lives, we have hope.
In the forty days leading up to Pentecost, Jesus makes five more post-resurrection appearances. This coming Sunday, Jesus will appear to His disciples again — this time with “doubting” Thomas present (John 20:24–31).
Then Jesus will join with seven of His disciples at the Sea of Galilee for a miraculous netting of fish and a breakfast fish fry on the shore (John 21:1–14). After breakfast, Jesus will restore Peter to serving Him (John 21:15–25). At some point, Jesus will appear to over five hundred people, who come together in Galilee on a mountain (Matthew 28:16–20; 1 Corinthians 15:6–7). That’s when Jesus sends His followers into all the world by His “Great Commission.”
Jesus’ final appearance to His disciples takes place back in Jerusalem. He reviews with them the prophecies concerning Himself, and charges them to stay in the city until they “are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:44–49; Acts 1:1–5). Then He leads them out to the Mount of Olives on the road to Bethany (Luke 24:50–53) — what a flashback to the Passion Week and the walks they shared on that same road! All too soon, they are watching Jesus depart into heaven while two angels tell them He will “come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:6–11). This is His final farewell.
Returning to Jerusalem, they continue to testify about Jesus and the good news of salvation from sin (Acts 1:12–26). They choose Matthias as Judas Iscariot’s replacement among the twelve and continue meeting in the Upper Room and in the temple. On the Day of Pentecost, God pours out the Holy Spirit on them and Christ establishes His church (Acts 2).
From that time forward, the Spirit glorifies Jesus and guides all believers in the truth — just as the Lord promised (John 16:13–14). And, in answer to His prayer, we who believe today have believed because of the words left to us in the Gospels penned by His disciples (John 17:20–21).
Now we await the return of Jesus so we might drink from the fruit of the vine together in His Father’s Kingdom (Matthew 26:29). Yes, come quickly, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:7–20)!
An Afterword
All of us at Canyon Ministries wish to thank you for your prayers during this time when our river trips, rim tours, and hikes have been placed on hold by the coronavirus. In the spirit of our Savior’s resurrection, we look with great anticipation to relaunching our ministries in and around Grand Canyon to the glory of God. These are challenging times. But, they present an unusual opportunity to reboot and refocus. Join with us as we re-establish our foundation spiritually and financially. God has already blessed in amazing ways, enabling us to keep our staff employed for at least another month, so they can prepare themselves and the ministries’ strategic plan for relaunch.
We declare a literal six-day creation by an Almighty Creator. With Him, nothing is impossible. We also declare a literal 370-day, catastrophic, global flood in Noah’s day. After the flood, God gave humanity the opportunity to reboot and refocus, to experience the re-creation and the renewal of blessing.
Our Savior, Jesus Christ, loves to restore. He restored a judged world to the beauty we see in it today. He restores individual lives, forgives sin, and gives the peace that passes all understanding together with an unspeakable joy — beauty out of ashes.
Jesus is risen! The Spirit has come! We must go, we must give, we must serve — we must glorify Christ. As one, united in Christ, we can proclaim Him and teach His Word to the world (John 17:20–23). The world comes to Grand Canyon (over six million every year). How amazing is our God, that He brings the world to our doorstep? What an opportunity to serve such a wonderful Savior!
— Dr. Bill Barrick
