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Hear the devotional for today here: https://bit.ly/3d6eqvc
36b Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence. 44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24:36b-48 NIV)
Happy Monday, ConCafe Family! May this time of Easter serve to strengthen your faith, dear Reader in ways that will surprise you and others! We continue to lift up those battling Covid-19; those who love those suffering from that dreaded disease, and those who attend to their needs. We lift up doctors, nurses, specialists, NPNs, hospital staff, et al. May the Lord bless and protect them all!
Friends, I cannot emphasize enough how powerful is that television series on Jesus called The Chosen. I discovered that if you have the Peacock TV app on your television, you can download The Chosen app within Peacock, and watch the series on that. It is amazing! I do not get any thing from those who air that show, but I do get a lot from watching the drama of those around Jesus. I have to say that Nicodemus has taken on a new appreciation from me; which is amazing because he rates high in my book to begin with. He says some things, that though fictionalized for the sake of this series ring true about how we should see the wonder and the "more" behind the Law. He and his wife have an amazing discussion about Jesus' power to drive out demons. Also, the disciples are shown to be, and we should know this but we tend to forget, fully human. They argue, fight, carry on, and then get blown away by the way Jesus proves Himself to be Who He truly is. The catch of fish after an all-night fishing excursion is what makes even Simon declare himself to be in the presence of the Messiah. Fishing is also shown to be alive, which it was, but the importance of a good catch is stressed for economic and personal reasons. So, the broiled fish that Jesus eats here is of some significance.
We are in the Easter season and the part of that which stresses that after He arose from the dead, He appears to many. And His message stayed clear; proclaim the Good News to all. And the prelude of that message, "Peace be with you." To see a man once dead, especially if you were a witness to his death, would scare many. And the idea that people back then, like now, that there might be ghosts, is shown when the disciples think that Jesus Himself is a ghost. And unlike ghosts, Jesus knows their hearts and minds, and asks them why they were troubled? They had been in the presence and power of the Living God, and to have seen Him rise from the dead should have made them stronger people, but human thoughts and fears got the best of them. Jesus also asks them to see and touch His body and bones; yet they still could not believe what they were seeing. Then, to further prove He is not a spirit being only, asks for something to eat. And chances are that Jesus knew exactly what they had to eat; fish! Grill tilapia (we can make it grilled catfish for my true Southern brothers and sisters! Sorry, fried catfish was not on the menus yet). He sits at their table and eats the fish. And when finished, He continues with attempts to explain Himself and His ministry to them. "Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." He opened their minds so they could fully understand the Scriptures. Have you ever asked God to open your mind before you read His word? It helps! Then Jesus shares where in their scriptures where it says that "the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at the Jerusalem." And He states to them, "You are witnesses of these things."
Witnesses. They had seen, and felt, things that could not be fully explained. They were there at miracles they would never fully understand. In the series, the first miracle is shown in a way that truly blessed me; Jesus and His disciples go to this wedding, which has shown the behind-the-scenes pressure on the groom's parents in getting all the final details worked out, hiring the right wine stewards, who are shown to be a young couple just starting to build their wine business and they were told that only "about 40 guests" would be there; soon they realize that the truer number to be double that. The in-laws are shown to be arrogant people, who are not yet convinced their daughter has married the right guy. Then the wine runs out. You can feel the pressure on the host family, who in turn pressure the wine stewards; add the arrogant in-laws who are wanting more wine. Jesus is shown a bit flustered by His mom's request that He "do something!" It happens in a way that no one knew how. They only understood the end result; a wine unlike any wine they had ever tasted. Much in the way God has taken our lives and done with them things that have blessed and astounded others when they did not expect much to begin with. And whatever that has been in your life, you are a witness. You have seen and heard and experienced what God only can explain, but you can say, "Look to God and trust what He can do." And in so doing, you will bring a blessing to many.
PRAYER: Loving Father, increase our faith, grant us boldness, and use us as wonderful witnesses of what You can do, and will do in the lives of those who ask; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Tell someone about what God has done in you!
Receive my blessings of love and joy,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
