Easter Fools: What Knowing Fool Am I?

I can’t believe Easter fell this year on April Fool’s Day.  Then I thought, “What kind of joke must that have been to those who loved Jesus, who saw him crucified and buried?!” 

“Jesus is Risen!....April Fools!”  Was someone trying to play a trick on everyone?!  Was this some kind of joke?

I imagine I was sitting with the 11 disciples, grieving and mourning the loss of our teacher and friend.  I imagine all the confusion and conversation we must have wrestled with as we tried to recall his words.  Don’t mess with a mourner; don’t tell me he is not dead.  I saw him die.

Some scientific-minded skeptics do doubt the resurrection, and they have worked hard to prove the mis-informed historicity of Jesus’ resurrection. 

But the Bible clearly explains (to those who will receive it as authentic eyewitness testimony) that Jesus was indeed crucified, dead, and buried.  Gospel accounts made sure to include the details about how they sealed and guarded the tomb so no one would try to steal the corpse to claim he had indeed risen.

Yet, the tomb was empty Sunday morning.

What kind of fool am I?  Do I really believe that one who claimed to be the Christ is indeed alive? 

Or maybe there’s another kind of fool....

During our Easter sermon this morning, Pastor Bob made the point that there are two kinds of knowing.  You can know data and facts, or you can have an experiential kind of spiritual knowing.  I never noticed this before in Luke 24:

Two walked on the road to Emmaus discussing all that had happened in recent days.  Though Jesus himself came up and walked with them, they were kept from recognizing him.

“[Jesus] asked them, ‘What are you discussing together as you walk along?’. . . .

One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, ‘Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?’ Luke 24:17-18.

They explain the facts of the prophet Jesus, his crucifixion, and the empty tomb, yet they have the audacity to say to Jesus “Don’t you know?”

We can know facts, but we can miss knowing Jesus, even if he is right in our midst.

What kind of fools are they?

"Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” Luke 24:25

Wow!  I imagine I am talking with the resurrected Jesus and he says “how foolish you are...” 

Am I slow of heart to believe too?  Am I this kind of fool, who knows all the facts about Jesus but doesn’t even see with spiritual eyes?

The Proverbs talk about fools too:


“He who trusts in himself is a fool...” Proverbs 28:26

Jesus, before he was killed, had said: “Trust in God; trust also in me” John 14:1. 

A fool is one who trusts in himself and not in Jesus. 

Proverbs says: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes...” Proverbs 12:15

Jesus once said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” John 14:6

A fool is one whose own way is right in his own eyes, not the way of Jesus.

Why, then, did Jesus call Cleopas and his friend “fools”?  What kind of fools were they?  Slow of heart? 

They did not see Jesus in all of the Scriptures.  They did not see that Christ had to suffer before glory. 

I am so glad that Jesus is also patient to walk along with us as we journey toward a different kind of knowing.

“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them.  Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him....” Luke 24:31

Somehow, this moment of breaking the bread opened their spiritual eyes to see that Jesus was right in front of them.  That it truly was the risen Christ. 

Their hearts burned, on fire with spiritual awakening!  The direction of their lives changed, as they turned a 180 from Emmaus and headed back to Jerusalem:

“It is true!  The Lord has risen and appeared...” Luke 24:34

I love how Pastor Bob pointed out verse 35: “Jesus was known to them when he broke the bread” (ESV). 

Cleopas had asked Jesus, “Don’t you know?” but now it is Jesus who makes himself known to them.

What kind of Easter fool do I want to be?

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to use who are being saved it is the power of God.”  1 Corinthians 1:18

Those who know data about Jesus but don’t know the risen Jesus may think I am a fool for believing in one I cannot see, for believing that Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. 

But those who think I am a fool, are perishing.  They are the real fools. 

It will be no joke when Jesus says to some who claimed to know him:  “I never knew you.  Away from me!” Matthew 7:23

I don’t want to be foolish in Jesus eyes for being slow of heart to believe, or a fool who claims to know Jesus but has no saving experiential knowledge.  I want to be foolish in the world’s eyes for staking my life on the Gospel of the cross and the empty tomb.

I don't want to be a knowing fool.  I want to be a knowing fool. 

What kind of Easter fool do you want to be?

The Curtain and Shadows

I’ve been chipping away at the difficulty of memorizing Hebrews 7 for the last three weeks.  Today, as I cracked into chapter 8 I was amazed at how the Holy Spirit lined it up with Good Friday & Easter this week!

I felt like I was watching a display of fireworks that gets bigger near the finale as the Holy Spirit led me to discover powerful truths in the paths of Hebrews.  If you haven’t read or studied [or memorized!] this book, I hold it out to you as a rich store of treasures to uncover!  Join me!

I only have time to share with you a tiny peek at one or two jewels.  To help you appreciate the beauty of the jewels, I wish I could tell you all that I have learned so far about the importance of Jesus as our Great High Priest! 

The writer is trying to get us to see that all the Old Testament laws and regulations for worship are just copies and shadows of the Reality that is found in Jesus!

The animal sacrifices...point to the necessity of the shedding of blood for forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9.22).
The tabernacle....points to the true sanctuary: heaven itself (Hebrews 9.24)
The old covenant written on stone....prepares the way for the new covenant written on our hearts (Hebrews 8.6-12)
The priests who offered the sacrifices for sin....point to the Great High Priest, Jesus, who offered himself for sin (Hebrews 10.11-12)
The need for the blood of an unblemished lamb...points to the blood of the perfect Christ, shed (on Good Friday!) on the cross (Hebrews 9.13-14).

What is the point of all this?  The aim is to draw near to God...for worship and fellowship.  We can’t draw near unless we are perfect, and we are not perfect because of sin. 

Easter is about hope! 

“The law made nothing perfect.  And a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.”  Hebrews 7.19

Because of Good Friday and Easter, we have hope, by which we can draw near to God in worship!

This is where the firework display of Jesus’ got bigger and brighter for me!

Because I noticed this: 

“He sacrificed for their sins
once for all (remember the words from the cross: “It is finished”!)
when he offered himself.”
Hebrews 7.27

There it is!  The Priest IS the sacrifice!  Before, the priests had to bring a sacrifice for their own sins and for the sins of the people (Hebrews 7.27).  This Priest, Jesus, perfect, holy and unblemished (7.26), went into the Most Holy Place with a blood sacrifice...his own blood (9.12)!  His sacrifice was himself on the cross of Calvary!   This is “Good” Friday= “Good News”!.

“He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves;
but he entered the Most Holy Place
once for all [Easter...the resurrection...it is finished!]
by his own blood,
having obtained eternal redemption.”
Hebrews 9.12

As I meditated on this, I noticed the word “entered”.  Try to track with me, this is really really cool!

What did he enter?  The Most Holy Place [a.k.a. Heaven itself--the Real and True Most Holy Place].
With what did he enter?  Blood...his own blood [Good Friday, think cross].
Through what did he enter?  THE CURTAIN

“Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place.”
Hebrews 9.3

Have you ever thought about the curtain before??  This curtain was all about separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, representing God’s throne room, God’s presence (Exodus 26.31-34).  That means we ourselves cannot get into God’s presence unless we pass through the curtain.  And in the OT, only the High priest could do that, and only once a year, and only with an unblemished sacrifice (Hebrews 9.7-8).

Watch this display of light:

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place
by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain,
that is his body....”
Hebrews 10:20

BOOM!  Fireworks!  Amazing!!  Check this out:

“With a loud cry, [from the cross], Jesus breathed his last. 
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”
Mark 15.37-38

Jesus IS the curtain!  The curtain is his body!  He entered so we could enter!  When he died on the cross, the temple curtain was actually torn and ripped in an unusual way, to show that the way into God’s presence is now open through Jesus!  It also shows that the shadow of former worship is past, and the reality of true worship is here!

Now, get ready for the grand finale, because this is not all!  But first let me summarize what we have so far:

Jesus is the High Priest, who goes into the Most Holy Place.
Jesus is the sacrifice, who offers himself unblemished, his own blood.
Jesus is the curtain, which opens the way to draw near to God, his body.

See this:
Body=Curtain
Blood=Sacrifice

Are you ready for the Grand Finale?!.......

Body+Blood=COMMUNION

Curtain+ Sacrifice=Draw near to God

OH!  AMAZING LOVE!  How Can it be!?  That Thou my God shouldst die for me!

my NIV study Bible (Zondervan)

When you see the words “body” and “blood” in Hebrews 10.20, do you hear Jesus on the night he was betrayed?  As I write, it is Maundy Thursday, the very night of the Last Supper....the Last Passover!  As in, Jesus fulfills the Passover, and that is why it was the last!

“Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.”  Luke 22.7  (and Jesus is that lamb!).

“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”  Luke 22.19-20

Bread+Cup=Communion
Jesus the High Priest+Jesus’ body (curtain)+Jesus’ blood (sacrifice)=draw near to God

The connections are a glorious display of the beauty of Jesus!  What a reason to celebrate!  What a reason to rejoice and, even more, to be confident that we, too can enter into God’s presence through faith in Jesus. 
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.  It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf.”  Hebrews 6.19-20

He entered the curtain to the Most Holy Place so we could enter heaven itself to be in God’s presence forever (9.24)!  Hallelujah!

Without Jesus, without Good Friday and Easter, we could never be made perfect (Hebrews 7.11, 18-19).  And if we are not perfect, then we cannot draw near to God in worship (Psalm 15).  But we all sin, so we cannot ever cleanse our own consciences from acts that lead to death, which is what we all deserve for our sin (Hebrews 9.14, cf. Romans 3.23 & 6.23). 

BUT!

“A better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God!” Hebrews 7.19

When we take communion, it actually is FOR communion---fellowship with God, drawing near to God. And it is all because of the body of Jesus (the curtain), and the blood of Jesus (the sacrifice).  Think about this next time you dip the bread in the wine at communion!

So, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience...” Hebrews 10.22

Have you put your faith in Jesus today?  Have you trusted in Him as the only way (Hebrews 9.8) to draw near to God?  If no, then I invite you to receive Jesus by faith today!  If yes, then, brothers and sisters, we have confidence to enter the throne of grace today where we find mercy and grace to help us in our time of need! (Hebrews 4.16).

Join me in worshiping our Great High Priest, Jesus, as I sing this song that I wrote, given to me by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, with the words from Hebrews 4.14-16.

Great High Priest

“Jesus came into the world as the Son and the final High Priest, not to be the best and last ‘shadow’ as a priest.
He came to fulfill and end the shadows because He is the Reality.”
(Dec. ’96 Piper)