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Held in Hope by a MemoryHeld in Hope by a Memory
by Phil Ware
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I'm not sure how we remember what we remember. This is especially true about biblical truth. This week we're going to see a collection of things that grab our hearts and help us remember something — whether that memory stimulus is a Bible bookmark, the story of finding lost things, the smile of a performer in the orchestra pit, the work of friends to bring another friend to Jesus, or even an accident that turned out great. In each case, the writer's memory grabbed a hold of something special in the story and made it much more than a memory — it became a tool of God that brought joy and reflection.

I can't think of a better collection of seemingly random stories to lead us to Jesus' resurrection. This powerful event, this story that changes everything for us who are believers, is a surprising moment when God's joy spilled over into our world and rewrote the ending to all of our stories. It is our ultimate bookmark. It brings us untold joy because in this place, this victory, life is found in the middle of death and beats it. This moment of music pulls all the rest of our lives into harmony with God. This powerful unfolding of God's might was unveiled among a company of friends who had to coax along a reluctant friend named Thomas to re-meet his living Lord. Most of all, it is the story of a horrible accident — an unconscionable miscarriage of justice — that brought all of us the best break we'll ever receive.
For me, the one incredible tidbit of delight in this story comes from an unlikely place; it occurs at the tomb of Jesus before anyone outside the heavenly viewing room knows that Jesus is raised. The event involves Mary Magdalene and the angels. Let me share the verses with you:

Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels sitting at the head and foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. "Why are you crying?" the angels asked her. "Because they have taken away my Lord," she replied, "and I don't know where they have put him." (John 20:11-13 NLT)

Did you catch the sparkle of this little gem of faith? Look carefully at what Mary said to the angels in response to their question. She says, "Because they have taken away my Lord ..."

Did you catch the sparkle of this little gem of faith?
Wow! She doesn't expect Jesus to be raised from the dead. She is coming to honor her friend even though all she held dear appears lost. More than a bookmark in her life, she comes to a tomb that holds hostage all her hopes. She is coming to remember all that Jesus had done while preparing his dead body for decay. Yet in the middle of her coming, while Jesus is still dead in her mind ... she never relinquished his hold on her heart as her Lord — "my Lord"!

Isn't that the bottom line of the resurrection for all of us? Stuck in the darkest night of our soul, in the place where all seems lost and all hope has been stomped underfoot by the hosts of hell, we still hold on to Jesus as our Lord, then while we're not expecting him to do anything, he comes and reveals himself as the gracious, risen, and living Savior — our Savior.

And everything is changed. A new bookmark is made. All music is re-tuned. Each friendship is re-defined. And the worst of bad breaks is made more than whole. And why? Because Jesus is Lord!

 
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      © 2005 Phil Ware. All rights reserved.

      Title: "Held in Hope by a Memory"
      Author: Phil Ware
      Publication Date: March 14, 2005

 
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Phil Ware Phil Ware is minister of the Word at Southern Hills Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. For the past 10+ years, he has also been co-editor of HEARTLIGHT Magazine. For more details, click here.

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