Isaiah sees a day when the Lord will restore Jerusalem, when
their enemies' cities lie in ruins and the Lord returns to His city. In that day, the enemies, strong people with
fortified cities will glorify the Lord and ruthless nations will fear Him. The prophet sees on that day that the feast
will be for all peoples, not only Israelites who were born into the covenant
but all peoples. As the writer of the
Revelation put it, "a great multitude that no one could number, from every
nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages." Remember that these were waving palm branches
and "crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on
the throne, and to the Lamb!'"
Sounds a bit like Jonah's cry from Sunday doesn't it? He is risen, he is
risen! Tell it out with joyful voice: he has burst his three days' prison; let
the whole wide earth rejoice: death is conquered, man is free, Christ has won
the victory.
Jesus tells the disciples things they cannot hear or
understand at this moment. Why? He tells them that they may remember these
things after the resurrection and rejoice and trust Him after also the
ascension. All that He has promised will
be done. Because they know that He told
them that there would be a time for weeping and lamenting when He was not with
them but that after that there would come a time for joy that nothing could
take away, they can also trust that He will send the Helper, Comforter, Holy
Spirit. Indeed, He has overcome the
world, He overcame it by righteousness first and that was "rewarded"
by the resurrection. The world of sin
brings the pain of death, sin was first overcome in His sinless life in order
to overcome death, the penalty for sin.
The resurrection and outpouring of the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost were game-changers. The apostles
knew now that they had nothing to fear except God and that fear was now mixed
with the reality that in Jesus they were reconciled to Him. Fear of man was no longer an issue, eternity
was secure so they boldly proclaimed the Word.
The council could threaten but what difference did threats of earthly
punishment hold when they knew that eternal bliss lay ahead. They no longer looked to these as their lords
and masters who must be obeyed, they looked to the one who had saved them from
sin and death as Lord and who they expected to do signs and wonders and healing
as they proclaimed His Word. Let us love
and sing and wonder. Let us praise the
Savior’s name. He has hushed the law’s
loud thunder. He has quenched Mount
Sinai’s flame. He has washed us with His
blood.
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