Hope Because He Lives + “Choosing to Remember”
Choosing To Remember.
Yesterday, I opened my Bible up for AM reading and my eyes fell on Mark 10:33-34. Jesus is speaking to His disciples and spells out very specifically in no uncertain terms what will unfold in the not too distant future: (backing up to verse 33) “And He began to tell them what things should happen unto Him, saying behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: and they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon Him, and shall kill Him: and the 3rd day he shall rise again.”
As I read that, I had to smile!
Thinking of how FORGETFUL humanity can be. Forgetfulness gives place to fear. The events that Jesus foretold unfolded and came to pass, yet in the dark moments surrounding His arrest, His trial, His scourging, his long walk to Golgotha, and His crucifixion, they forgot what He has said. As they laid Him in a tomb, they forgot it was merely a “resting place.” He had TOLD them, “…and they third day He shall rise again,” but they forgot. The darkness of their moment caused a “memory eclipse.”
Sometimes, that is what happens. We forget what God has done, we forget what God has said, we forget to stand on the promises, because the darkness of the moment has locked our minds. Fear comes in with it’s iron-clad clutches, and fixates our sight on only the reality of the present moment. In that dark place, we have to shake ourselves, stop, and say, “I will remember…”
Just as Asaph did in Psalm 77: He is CRYING to God and says “…my soul refused to be comforted.” But he continues on: “I call to remembrance my song in the night.” (v. 6) “And I said, this is my infirmity, But I WILL REMEMBER the years of the right hand of the most High. I WILL REMEMBER the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.” Sometimes we have to INTENTIONALLY call to mind the former wonders of God…the former promises of God…the former miracles of God…the CURRENT POWER & WORD of God.
As I have considered the forgetfulness of the disciples over the last week or so, it is remarkable to see that their forgetfulness made way for irrational behavior. In the dark night in Gethsemane, after Jesus had prayed to the point of sweating “great drops of blood,” begging that the cup pass from Him, if there was any way, we see that His closest followers and dearest friends abandon Him. Judas comes into the garden with the Chief priests and scribes and elders and a great multitude with swords and staves. (Mark 14:43) He comes with a deceptive kiss in Jesus’ darkest hour, and what do the disciples do? They run. They had heard Him say, “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the son of Man shall be BETRAYED unto the chief priests and unto the scribes…” (Matthew 20:18), yet in the dark, THEY FORGOT. In the dark, they left Him. “And they all forsook Him and fled.” (Mark 14:50) Not only does their forgetfulness lead to fear, it leads to irrational behavior. Their forgetfulness allowed them to forsake the One they’d forsaken all to follow. These were not flimsy characters…they had walked away form livelihoods and livings to follow Jesus. They had left boats and tax tables to serve and pursue the One they knew to be the Christ. They were part of the devoted elite. Everything was laid down for Jesus, yet now all that is undone in the moment by the side-effects of a cloudy memory. Their forgetfulness caused them to run, to hide, to deny, and to swear….
Peter, in that dark moment, loses all decorum: “But he began to curse and to swear, saying, “I know not this man of whom ye speak…” Not only is this “irrational behavior” on Peter’s part, it was pure and complete reactionary behavior due to forgetting the words of Jesus: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me three times.” (Matthew 26:34) Jesus told Peter exactly what would happen, yet Peter forgot. It’s not likely he could have “changed” it, for Jesus had already said it would happen, but REMEMBERING certainly may have helped. The darkness of the moment causes they disciples to run, to react, to over-react, to scatter.
Jesus had told them: “All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the Shepherded and the sheep will be scattered…” (Matthew 26:31, Mark 14:27, June 16:32)
Looking at the composite painted by Jesus, He blatantly and specifically told the disciples the series of events that would unfold and even their responses to the events. His words paint a clear picture of what would happen over the course of those 3-4 days. That is easy for me to see NOW, having the gift of hindsight and the ability to piece together the words of Jesus that are written in red on the pages of my Bible. For the disciples, however, those statements and predictions went “out the window” as the reality of that dark weekend played out around them. As the scenes of the Garden, the palace of the High Priest, and the audience with Pilate transpired, their forgetfulness increased. Jesus is lead in to the Praetorium. (Mark 15:16-19) He is alone. His words, “…and they shall spit upon Him,” are fulfilled with none of His devoted followers watching. The beating, the mocking, the carrying of the cross through the streets of Jerusalem to the “place of the skull”—all fulfilled without one disciple stepping in to assist. All the words He spoke came to pass without them remembering He’d spoken them. Cowardice was a side-effect of their inability to remember.
As Jesus hung on the Cross, as He lays down His life, bearing a greater weight than any human soul can imagine, only one disciple is there as a witness. Each Gospel lists only women, with John listing himself. Though Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record the prophetic words of Jesus:
“…to crucify Him; and the third day He shall rise again.” (Matthew 20:19)
“…and shall kill Him: and the third day, He shall rise again.” (Mark 10:34)
“…and shall put Him to death: and the third day, He shall rise again.” (Luke 18:33),
the fear brought about by the crucifixion overshadowed the promise of the resurrection. Their minds “should have” recalled His words. They “should’ve” laughed in the face of danger, but the swirling questions, unmet expectations, and crippling fear took over. Their memory was shrouded by the thick darkness of that day.
Their forgetfulness allowed fear to lead to irrational behavior, but it didn’t stop there. Their fear literally turned to disbelief. I was shocked as I turned to Mark 16…. I’d initially read the other day where Jesus “spelled out” the series of events that would transpire. 3 TIMES it says they “believed not.” Seriously?!? Mary Magdalene “went and told them that had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that He was alive, and had been seen of her, BELIEVED NOT.” (Mark 16:10-11) “After that, he appeared… unto 2 of them… and they went and told it unto the residue: NEITHER BELIEVED THEY THEM…” (Mark 16:12-13) Afterward, He appears to the 11 and reprimands them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, “Because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen from the dead.” (Mark 16:14) THAT IS CRAZY! Some of the most devoted men that grace the pages of Scripture were literally blinded and paralyzed by forgetfulness. Their faith was shaken to its core. The glory of the promise had been eclipsed by the darkness of the moment.
But…their fear and irrational behavior and lack of faith did not stop God from doing what He was determined to do. He didn’t need their faith to rise again and defeat death, hell, and the grave. He already had a plan, and it would come to pass even if they forgot He’d SAID it would come to pass. I am so comforted that their dark moment and their eclipse of faith did not cause Jesus to cast them aside and replace them with more “faith-full” followers. I may have done that. But He knows how dark seasons affect humanity. He “upbraided” them for their unbelief in Mark 16:14, and in the very next verse, He commissions them… “Go ye into all the world…” He had already called them to “follow Him,” and the call would not be retracted because of their struggle. Their dark weekend would not keep Him from continuing the orchestration of His plans for them and through them. “The gifts and callings of God are without repentance….” (Romans 11:29)
The fact of the matter is that DARK SEASONS come. Sometimes it is loss...sometimes grief…. sometimes inexplicable battles in your mind and for your soul…sometimes it’s trials in myriad forms. We all face the darkness. Sometimes, it’s darkness as described of the plague in the book of Exodus: “…even darkness which may be felt.” Sometimes, it’s a darkness so thick that you feel it’s icy fingers slowly strangling your little remaining faith. But no matter how dark things are, no matter how your faith shakes and quivers, God will not leave you, and he won’t stop working with you. Your disbelief will not keep Him from commissioning you. The disciples were not cast aside, but were now positioned to propagate the gospel, having seen, firsthand, the miracle that followed that dark night. Their “night” did not stop them from witnessing cloven tongues of fire in the Upper Room or stop them from hearing the sound of a rushing mighty wind.
Their faithlessness did not deter His faithfulness.
Sometimes, in the dark, the only solution is to REMEMBER: “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope…it is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:21-23) Like Asaph, there is a turning when we say, “I will remember the years of the Lord’s right hand. Remembering His former goodness and current promises keeps us from panic. Our memory “holds our hand” until the lights come on again. “Batten down” the hatches and ride out the storm, secure in the arms of what He has promised. Remember the things He showed you before you were “here.”
“The darkness and the light are both alike unto Thee…” (Psalm 139:12)
He is not one bit moved, changed, or shaken because it’s dark for you.
Like Abraham, “be fully persuaded that what He promised, He is able also to perform….” HE WILL PERFORM IT…in spite of fear…in spite of irrational behavior….in spite of an eclipse of faith and unbelief. KEEP REMEMBERING…He’s got you in the palm of His hand! He can perform it by himself, and, like the disciples, you’ll see resurrection power!