“Show Me Your Glory” by Steve Lawson
Let’s jump back in history two thousand years and try to guess what we would be doing if each of us were one of Jesus’ disciples on the evening of His resurrection. Actually, we have no need to speculate because John 20:19 tells us that evening on the “first day of the week the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews.” Their Lord to whom they had devoted the previous three years had suffered a horrible death and they thought, with good reason, they would be soon arrested. During their time with Jesus they had known fear such as when a storm on the Sea of Galilee threatened to capsize their boat. On many occasions the words and actions of Jesus amazed them. In the locked room, the motley crew lacked their leader.
John (who was present in that locked room) informs us their fear turned to peace as Jesus appears to them. His simple words, “Peace be with you,” caused that fright to vanish. John then adds, “The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” A week later, Thomas who had not been in the locked room then, encountered the risen Jesus. Thomas has his famous doubt taken away and turns to worship His Lord and God.
I write this on the day after our glorious celebration of our Lord’s resurrection. I intend for you to bask in another wonderful aspects of our Holy God. As the disciples knew (and yearned for) God is personal. Jesus had called each of them by name. So Jesus has called each of His sheep (those who trust in Him alone for salvation) by name. He also knows every one of them by name.
This facet of His character exists because of His “omni” characteristics mentioned in the previous lesson. God can know intimately all of His chosen people since He remains all-present, all-knowing and all-powerful. Biblical theology has always maintained, as we saw in an earlier study, that God eternally exists in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This Trinitarian God enjoys relationships with His people.
Steve Lawson teaches that God “is intensely personal. He is not an inanimate object or impersonal force. God is a personal being who knows, feels, and acts. He is not stoic. That is, He feels His affections to the maximum degree. He is fully alive, an infinite ocean of boundless being.” This is the God who has loved His people with an everlasting love. He showed in love in the entire redemptive work of Jesus – His incarnation, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension. Therefore, we have no reason to fear. Our God has conquered sin and death. As He raised Christ from the dead, so all in Christ will be raised. Enjoy that true hope! Pastor Gillikin