52 Weeks of ForwardSample

When Following Hurts

By Pastor Terry Townsend

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth." Colossians 3:1-2 (NLT)

Our group of five was the only one at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. Because it was deserted, the guide said, “Take all the time you want. Any questions?” We stood pensively under a rock outcropping that looked like a skull. I asked, “If Jesus was buried in this tomb, where would He have been crucified?”

The guide answered, “Look over the fence,” so I did. The bustling polluted East Jerusalem bus station was on the other side, nothing more than a busy parking lot. Somewhere in that mass confusion, I thought, could be the very spot where Jesus laid down His life for me.

We spent a long time in that beautiful garden, and I will always be grateful for the time with no crowds, so different from what we experienced during a later visit. Looking back, I now use that experience to ask other questions: How should this impact how I live? How should this affect each moment of my everyday life? Do I put myself into situations where the thought of Jesus being there with me makes me uncomfortable?

Remembering that sacred ground challenges me to live with a higher purpose. It calls me away from a mindset that indulges my whims and runs away from any whiff of sacrifice. My perspective changes when I remember that the people around me, regardless of how I view them, have been sanctified through Jesus’ death and resurrection. And since new life is a gift from God, not something any of us have earned, a point of crucifixion, for me at least, is my pride. If I believe these words, the surgeon’s knife must cut deep. I say this with some trepidation: Bring it on!

MOVING FORWARD

Ask Jesus to make you more vividly aware of His sacrifice. Then, out of that place of thankfulness, rouse yourself to take a fresh look at those around you through His eyes.