By Andrew Stoddard
It was a cold, damp, and uncomfortably windy Chicago night. I was walking home from the Gold Coast Starbucks where I worked. It was only a few blocks, but man, at that time of night and during that time of year, the chill could cut you to the bone. I was less than pleased by the entire situation.
To top it all off, John Cusack had visited our store that day, and I had missed him. I don’t know if I was taking out the garbage or cleaning our back room; either way, by the time I came back to the front of the store, I discovered all my coworkers clamoring about our recent celebrity guest. What a bummer. So many questions about High Fidelity and Say Anything that I never got to ask him. Probably never will.
Now, I’m fairly certain that a chance encounter with John Cusack wouldn’t have fundamentally changed my life, but it would’ve been a great story. Definitely a better story than the one I’m telling you now: “The Time I Didn’t Meet John Cusack.”
Disappointing? Sure. Life shattering? Not so much.
On the other hand, missing an encounter with the resurrected Jesus—now that is a big deal. For the life of me, I cannot understand the reaction of the guards at the tomb in Matthew. Let’s quickly recap: an angel shining like lightning appears, he rolls away the stone covering the tomb, the guards are so terrified that they completely pass out.
So far, I don’t fault them. Admittedly, that would have been a startling experience.
Here’s where I do fault them though. When they came to, instead of looking for the resurrected Jesus, they decided to try to help the chief priests cover up the resurrection. WHAT?! Why?
Instead of responding to this divine encounter, they chose to pursue temporal comfort and safety. They knew that not only their jobs, but also their lives were on the line. So they decided to collude with the powers that be instead of pursuing the only power that truly matters.
I missed a chance to meet John Cusack; the soldiers missed an encounter with the resurrected Christ! When they awoke, they had a choice to make. Though they had witnessed an intensely powerful and spiritual series of events, they chose not to pursue spiritual awakening.
What a sharp contrast to the centurion who was witness to the crucifixion of Jesus a few chapters earlier. “When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and exclaimed, ‘Surely He was the Son of God!’” (Matthew 27:54).
On my best days, I like to think I’m more like the centurion at the cross, who sees Christ and can’t help but utter a confession. However, I know there are times when I walk in the way of the guards at the tomb, who have encountered the power of God, but prefer to pursue earthly comfort and safety.
The temptation we all face in the wake of those encounters is to seek comfort or familiarity rather than seek Christ. When we do this, it makes us temporarily comfortable, but spiritually numb. Don’t make the same mistake the guards at the tomb did! In this season of resurrection pursue hope and life. Draw near to the resurrected and risen Jesus. He alone has the power to set us free.
written by Andrew Stoddard
54 thoughts on "Encounters with Christ: The Unbelieving World"
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Adam says:
Father, thank you for the resurrection. You possess power over death and we do not have to be afraid. Help me see you at work today and offer you praise for what you are doing.
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Brian Becker says:
That God reveals himself to all creation – that even unsuspecting soldiers had opportunity from God to decide how to respond.
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I think of Jacob – wrestling with God. I don’t want to run from God and avoid his presence, and miss out on him changing me. I want to stay in his presence – intentionally.
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It the good and true news that Jesus is alive – and that changes everything. That if we embrace the resurrected Christ he can make all things new regardless of our current state.
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That our sinful, default mode is selfish ambition. That we need a power greater than ourselves to free us from the chains of apathy, greed, and selfishness.
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Thank you Jesus for making all things new. Thank you for the power of the cross and resurrection. May I be changed by your grace and mercy. Holy Spirit use these moments to to fill me with new life. Renew my mind, and empower my steps to follow after you.
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Mark says:
It is the message that God Uses. To change the eternal destiny of people. It’s importance exceeds all our selfish desires.
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His power and knowledge are far beyond our understanding. His actions through history are far more important than we usually think them to be.
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Try to keep eternal perspective every day.
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Our perspective is skewed. We need to continually try to see things through God’s eyes.
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Lord I need you every hour. Help me to be the man, husband, papa and witness you want me to be.
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Wes says:
Man is susceptible to poor decision-making when we act on our own will. With God, however, we seek the truth.
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The Gospel is the one reliable truth in life. Nothing else satisfies.
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Response is a means to answering God’s call to go… So, I will go.
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His power and purposeful relationship with me is so much greater than the worldly comfort I idolize.
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I will pray for strength to pursue the truth that is found in God, not fill myself with inferior comforts the world gives.
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Matthew Reeves says:
That there he has risen and that gives me the free opportunity to meet with him daily, because he is alive!
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It all pivots on this moment!!
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We can be hardheaded toward the power and reality of the resurrection
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Ask to see and receive the power and prescience of the risen Christ daily
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