Victory

Receive the benefits of his victory

Psalm 51:10-19

I love this prayer of David and have often prayed it myself. David, like us all, had messed up. He had cried out for forgiveness and now he cries out for victory. When we sin we do not lose our salvation but we may lose the joy of our salvation (v.12a). David does not want to be defeated by sin again.

All this starts with ‘a broken and contrite heart’ (v.17b). You can be absolutely certain that if you come to God in this way you will not be rejected: ‘A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise’ (v.17b).

David prays that he might live a life of victory. It is worth noting that David’s prayer is not purely personal. He prays that he might also have an impact on the city (v.18).

Recognise Jesus and his victory

Luke 24:1-35

How can you and I encounter Jesus today?

The resurrection of Jesus is a historical event. It actually happened. But it is not just a historical event. As people experienced the risen Jesus at the time, you too can experience his presence today. This passage tells you how.

This was the day the world changed for ever. Jesus was raised on ‘the first day of the week’ (v.1). Thereafter, the first day of the week (Sunday) was to become the day of rest and worship.

In this passage we see two key pieces of evidence of Jesus’ victory over death:

Jesus’ body was absent ‘They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus’ (v.2–3). The angels said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!’ (v.5–6). Indeed, as he predicted, on the third day he would be ‘raised again’ (v.7). (Sometimes the New Testament states that Jesus ‘rose’ from the dead. More often it is in the passive; ‘he was raised’.) When the disciples are told by the women ‘they did not believe’ (v.11). However, we can picture Peter’s excitement – he ‘got up and ran to the tomb’ (v.12). He too saw that the body of Jesus was gone. He ‘saw the strips of linen lying by themselves’ (v.12b) – the tomb itself was not empty but the body of Jesus was absent. Peter must have begun to realise at that moment that Jesus had won a great victory. Jesus had died, but death was not the end. Death is not cancelled but it is definitively conquered. Jesus himself was present Jesus himself was seen. This was not just a ‘spiritual’ presence. His physical, resurrected, transformed body was present with his disciples. The first appearance we read of in Luke’s Gospel is on the road to Emmaus. Jesus reveals himself to the two disciples in two ways. First, he reveals himself through the Scriptures: ‘And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself’ (v.27). This must have been the most amazing Bible study in the history of the world. Jesus went through the Bible explaining that it was all about him. Have you ever had a sense of your heart ‘burning within’ (v.32) as you have been listening to the Bible being explained, or as you have been reading it yourself? Sometimes, when I am reading the Bible or listening to a talk explaining the Bible, the words suddenly seem so relevant to me and to my life that it feels as if God is speaking directly to me. At that moment it seems like my heart is ‘burning within’ me.
Second, he reveals himself through the bread: ‘When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him’ (v.30–31). Later on they explained ‘how Jesus was recognised by them when he broke the bread’ (v.35). Luke’s description of this encounter is probably deliberately told in a way that echoes the account of Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. It is supposed to encourage us that we too can encounter Jesus in the ‘breaking of bread’ when we celebrate Communion together. The Scriptures and the sacraments are two of the ways in which we can encounter Jesus today. Jesus will continue to reveal himself to us as we study the Scriptures and as we break bread together. If you want to experience the presence of Jesus – make sure that you do these things on a regular basis.