It Doesn't Make Sense!

"But all who knew Him, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things." - Luke 23:49

If any of you are like me, when you read something like this you automatically wonder what must have been going through these people's minds. The scene was set right after Jesus had taken his last breath on the cross and His mother Mary along with several others had just witnessed the most brutal death in the history of all humanity. If I had been in their shoes, I think I would have made the statement "It doesn't make sense!" After all, Jesus was sinless. He didn't do anything deserving such a death. To add to the drama, in Luke 1 the angel Gabriel appreared to Jesus' mother Mary and told her "Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you." If I were the one observing Jesus dead on the cross, I think I would have asked the question "Lord, how is this favor? How are you with this?"

One of the things I love about sports is how God uses it to teach us about life. Maybe it is a bad call by a referee that many of us have reacted to and made comments like: "Are you serious?! That is a horrible call! That doesn't make any sense!" Or maybe it is a serious injury that you don't believe that the athlete being injured deserves to go through. I talked with a Mom last night who had her son go through a knee injury at their football game last Friday night. She was frustrated by the timing of the situation especially considering her son was playing on the varsity team with his brother and they were supposed to have a successful season together. "That doesn't make sense!" she said. But apparently God has another plan.

Three days later Jesus rose from the dead. According to Romans 4:25 He was raised for our justification. Amazing love! Amazing grace! All of a sudden it all makes sense! We can trust God with His plans for our lives both on and off the field. He has never broken a promise and He has always been faithful. He can be trusted and He has proven it time and time again. "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" - Philippians 4:4-7

Nate Lewis
FCA - Area Representative
Western Nebraska