Too good to be True!

Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ John 20:17

This is probably an Easter scripture, but this verse was the verse that came alive to me this week. I’ve been thinking about this verse for the last 3 days.

Jesus spoke these words after his resurrection. When one reads this verse, it almost feels like Jesus was placing man on the same level of relationship that Jesus himself had with the Father, needless to say that Christ is the fullness of God Himself.

I was reading the book of Job last week, and some of the words that describe ‘man’ in the book of Job, are as follows: maggot, leaf, worm, shadow etc … Personally, this seemed more appropriate to me! These words sat better with me, really!!

Then, in my quiet time with the Lord, when this verse leaped out to me, I found it a bit too hard to digest.

By saying, “My Father and Your Father, My God and Your God,” it almost seems like Jesus was particularly making a point. He was emphasizing to Mary that she had the same degree of proximity to God as Jesus Himself had, when he walked the Earth.

That’s HUGE!

Until then, meeting with God even through priests and prophets required several sacrifices, and it was almost nearly IMPOSSIBLE for the Common Man to have access to God.

Now that the blood of Jesus was shed, it made those who believe spotlessly clean, just as clean and spotless as Christ Jesus Himself!

That news is a “too good to be true” message for anyone who is hungry for God!

I learned to play the guitar with the help of a tutorial which my Mom got for me when I moved to the US. In my desperate hunger to learn to play some instrument, I took this CD and played it on our DVD player and started playing the first few chords. D…G…A…D. The most simple, basic chord pattern.

I did go on to pick up a few more chords from then on. But truth be told, I’m just a simple strummer. I don’t know to play anything fancy in the guitar. But what I play, I play with all my heart to my King.

I remember one day, just picking up my guitar to tune it. I was supposed to be leading worship that evening for a Bible Study group. I sat down on our twin bed, to tune and practice the songs for worship.

As I started playing and singing, I was just engulfed in such a strong presence of God. It was just a normal afternoon, nothing fancy about it. But God showed up!

Ever since, there is one question that refuses to leave my heart. It’s perhaps a mystery. In every possible angle, I’m a sinner, wretched and unclean, unworthy of anything good. That’s the solid truth for all of us. But, how is it possible for a Holy God to come near us and even more unimaginable is, how is He able to dwell inside of us?

The answer is one that we all know!

The BLOOD OF CHRIST makes all the difference in us! Without the blood, we are maggots, dead leaves, and all that the book of Job describes man to be.

But with the BLOOD of JESUS, we are Sons and daughters of the Most High God, TOGETHER with Christ our Lord!

It’s an indescribable gift, too great to digest indeed!

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:13