One of them, whose name was Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one who has visited Jerusalem and does not know what has happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, mighty in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be put to death, and they crucified him; but we hoped that he was the one who would redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this happened.”
Luke 24:18-21
God’s promises and our perception
In 1928, scientist Alexander Fleming returned from vacation to find that one of his petri dishes had been contaminated with fungus. It seemed like a failure and wasted work. But when Fleming took a closer look, he noticed something remarkable. The bacteria around the mold were dead. What looked bad was actually powerful. That mold, penicillin, managed to save hundreds of thousands of lives during World War II and millions in the years that followed.
Three days after Jesus’ death, two disciples were walking away from Jerusalem. Their faces are sad and hearts full of despair. He said, “We hoped…” They hoped for salvation, freedom and restoration for Israel. But Jesus was crucified. To them, the cross seemed like a failure, like God’s plan was ruined.
But the cross was not a failure; This was a success. There, Jesus satisfied the wrath of God. There, he paid for every sin. And three days later, Jesus proved it with an empty tomb.
We know the feeling of disappointed hopes. We expected the diagnosis to be different. We were hopeful that the relationship would be fine. He hoped that the door would open. Sometimes God’s work in our lives looks like a doomed plan.
But the cross teaches us that it is better to trust God’s promises rather than our notions. What looked like defeat became salvation. What looked like death became life. In Jesus, your biggest problem is already fixed.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me to trust Your promises when plans don’t match my expectations. Remind me that your cross never fails, but is always my cure. Amen.
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used with permission from Zondervan. All rights reserved world wide.
