There are two stories going on in your life – the Upper Story and the Lower Story. We all live in and see life from the perspective of the lower story. No matter how hard we try, we can only see so far down the road because humanity’s viewpoint is linear, horizontal, limited. All our decisions require some sort of faith or trust in what we cannot control around the corner. The Upper Story is how the things look from God’s perspective. His viewpoint is panoramic, vertical, unlimited. Not only does he see around the next bend in the road, he is sees it all from beginning to end. The goal is to align our Lower Story to God’s Upper Story because when we do, God promises it will be a good story.
SUMMARY
Ashamed. Afraid. Absent. Mere hours after they pledged never to leave Jesus—even to die with Jesus—the Eleven were nowhere near the cross as the sun began to set. The Roman soldiers were still there though and pierced His side to prove Jesus was very, very dead. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, an unlikely duo, show up at the cross. These two members of the Sanhedrin shed their secret discipleship and took responsibility for burying Jesus’ body. Wrapping Him in enough spices for a king, they laid Him in a nearby tomb. Remembering Jesus’ words, the Jewish authorities and Pilate secured the tomb and posted a guard there to keep the three-day resurrection story from gaining any traction.
Early Sunday morning, a small band of faithful women approached His tomb wondering who could remove the rock that sealed the entrance. Imagine their shock as an angel announced to them that Jesus was not there, “He is risen, just as He said!” Hearing the news, Peter and John sprinted to the tomb. They, too, found it empty. As Mary Magdalene remained weeping, Jesus appeared to her. Later the same day, an unrecognized Jesus approached two downcast disciples on the road to Emmaus. Evidently all of Jerusalem was abuzz with the events of the last three days. The One whom they had trusted to redeem all of Israel had been crucified and they were disappointed. Some silly women even had an unbelievable angelic vision and the tomb was empty. But what’s a guy to do except head home to Emmaus? Jesus admonished the two for their unbelief. Then He used Moses and the Prophets to teach them about the Messiah. Jesus dined with them that evening. When their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, He disappeared from their sight, but they finally got it! So they headed back to Jerusalem at full speed and full of joy to report their experience to the Eleven. They were interrupted there by yet another Jesus appearance. An empty tomb and two appearance reports later, the disciples still cowered and mistook Jesus for a ghost when He spoke to them. “Touch me and see,” He said as He showed them His hands and feet. When Jesus re-explained the Old Testament in light of all that had happened, He opened their minds so they too finally understood.
Thomas was not about to believe these second-hand stories. He wouldn’t believe it until he saw the nail marks for himself. A week later, Jesus graciously appeared to Thomas and the others just so he could touch the scars for himself. Thomas confessed, “My Lord and My God!” Yes, now he believed that Jesus was the God-man and that He was risen indeed.
Sometime later, Jesus appeared to the disciples by the Sea of Galilee. Having caught nothing all night, Jesus told these fishermen to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. The miraculous catch was so great that they could hardly get the fish into the boat. It prompted Peter to bail out and head to the Lord. Over a beach breakfast, Jesus three times asked Peter if he loved Him. Then He told Peter three times to care for His sheep. The Eleven met Jesus on a Galilean mountain where He commissioned them to continue to carry out His mission by saying, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
As God, Jesus had all authority to now commission His disciples to carry out the building up of His new community of believers who would be identified with the Triune God. They in turn could accomplish their mission because, as Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23), He would be with them to do so. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ vindicated Him as the Son of God. It is the cornerstone of the Christian faith and the climax of God’s great story of redemption. The redemptive work was finished, but now there was more work to do to spread the good news, and this ragtag group of disciples were just the ones to do it, armed with the supernatural power headed their way.
QUESTIONS
- Do you have any meaningful Easter traditions that your family celebrates?
- Read about the disciples on the road to Emmaus (p. 384- 385). What part of that story stands out to you the most? How has Jesus’ presence appeared out of the blue to you?
- As Jesus talked with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, they later reported that “our hearts [were] burning within us while He talked to us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us” (p. 385, Luke 24:13-35)? Has your heart ever burned with insight into God’s word? What did you learn in those moments?
- Jesus in essence explained the Upper Story to the downcast disciples on the road to Emmaus and to the Eleven (p. 384-386). How have you been changed by watching the thread of the Upper Story weave throughout the Old Testament?
- Are you experiencing the symptoms of being on a tough journey: exhaustion, emptiness, feeling trapped? Does one or more of the “D” words – disappointment, disillusionment, discouragement, depression, despair, doubt, defeat – describe your faith journey right now? If so, how does the resurrection of Jesus bring you hope? What truths about his power and love speak to you?
- Woody Allen once said, “I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying.” How does the world view death and dying? How does Christ’s resurrection address Allen’s concerns?
- After writing a whole chapter on the resurrection, Paul concludes that in light of our future resurrection, we should “stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,” (1 Corinthians 15:58). What one thing can you do this week to stand firm in your faith in the resurrected Christ, fully committing yourself to whatever He asks you to do?
- Who in your FRANC file (Friend, Relative, Acquaintance, Neighbour, Colleague) needs to hear your story of how the resurrected Jesus makes a difference in your life?
TAKE-AWAY
It is because of Jesus’ resurrection that we can believe everything He said before He died, and everything He has promised to us in the future. His resurrection is the source of our hope now and forever. The world does not need to see another display of good intentions or the best that human effort can produce. The world around us, those we know and those who are watching us, they all need to see the amazing power of God at work, the very power available to us through the resurrected Christ.
PRAYER
Resurrected God, thank you for conquering death in your resurrection and providing an eternal relationship with you. Lord, help me to see the ways you are alive and active in my own life. Help me to see when you are present, just as you helped the disciples on the road to Emmaus. God, help me to be a witness to the ways you live in me through all that I do and say when I encounter others. Amen.
