Old and New

From the Old Testament

Psalms 22 - Attributed to King David as prophecy
16 - For dogs have compassed (surrounded) me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
17 - I may tell all my bones: (the bones of one hanging from the cross became prominent, and easily seen.) they look and stare upon me.
18 - They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. (clothes)

Isaiah 35:
4 - Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
5 - Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6 - Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing:...

From the New Testament

Matthew 11:
5 - The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Matthew 27:
26 - Then released he (Pilate) Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged (whipped bloody) Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
30 - And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
31 - And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
32 - And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
35 - And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

The whole point of the Old Testament may be that God says, What other God tells you what will happen and it happens? Show me one that can that? Any other God tell you what will come and it comes? It is to show His word is truth.

He speaks through his prophets to say this will happen to Tyre, this will happen to Israel, and these things came to be reality.History itself has shown it to us. The things in this book are not just stories, they have happened.

He told of the Christ before he was born. I offered just a couple examples. There are many more.

As I go through another Easter I found hope, in Matthew 32.

"And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his (Jesus) cross."

Even Jesus, when he was here as a human male, could not complete his road alone. He was beaten raw and bloody, weakened by loss of blood and lack of water. He could not carry his burden alone. The guards found someone to help him.

The man was a Cyrene. It's a country in Africa on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, southward of the most western point of the Island of Crete. It's only mentioned 4 times in the New Testament. He was black, he was a stranger and he was named Simon, which means one that hears; one that obeys.

There was a large crowd there that day. If he was pulled from the crowd at random, a stranger in the country, how did Matthew learn his name? He must have spoken to him later. I like to think it was because he cared that someone helped his friend.

It would have been obvious to every one that Jesus was too hurt to carry the cross. That Simon, even if he was compelled, helped Jesus complete his task is a comfort to me today.

Jesus was close, but could not go on. Simon carried on with the task. He heard, he obeyed. It sounds simple, but it was a hard job to lug that wood up the hill. It probably took both of them.

The hope I find in this? We don't have to work alone. When we have a task we believe must be completed another that cares may help us.

If Jesus couldn't do it alone, why would I think I have to? What shame in looking about for help? What shame in asking for it?

None. No shame in being too weak or hurt or confused - whatever the problem is - no shame in needing someone to lend a hand. The only shame is in not completing the task.

When God needs you to do a thing He will send the help you need. Sometimes you don't even have to ask for it. The ones who see the need fill it, in caring love for Him.

God gave him back to us for a short time that we might see death is defeated. He lives. We live.

How can we thank Him for that? He defied even death for us in His love.

We can only share the story to bring others to the safe harbor of knowing that we live.

When I pray my thanks to Him on Easter Sunday it will be for showing me I don't have to be strong enough alone. It's okay to need a hand sometimes. I can look to Him and say I need help here, no shame in not being able to go it alone.

Praying and working together to bring His Kingdom to life on earth unifies all of us that believe. This Sunday I hope you will all remember how many are in buildings of belief celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. All over the world the faith still grows. On this day many are united, celebrating the power of His Divine Love that joins us all together.

Mt 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe [which is] instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man [that is] an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure [things] new and old.