Category Archives: questions

Questions. What do you want to ask? part 3

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HE HAS RISEN!!! May this truth be more real than ever to you today.

I hope you have enjoyed the questions we looked at in this blog more closely.

Sidenote…I found it quite interesting that my pastor, today, based his sermon in John 18 and 19. In those two chapters, he looked at three questions that Pilate asked in the presence of Jesus.

If you feel like browsing, here is the link to our church’s youtube channel. As of this writing, I don’t think the Easter message is posted yet but it should be within a day or so.

And this link is to the church website. Central Church

And now on to my last question in this series.

The bible is overflowing with questions. This series could go on for months if we addressed all the questions we read. My pastor’s sermon only had three questions in it.

But I do have a favorite question. Of all of them, one sticks out to me. It resonates with me. I would even say I get equal parts challenge and encouragement from this single question. It has the ability to motivate and drive my life.

All human endeavors are summed up in a single sentence. Why we do what we do is contained in these words.

Are you ready? Sorry, not the question to which I am referring!

Here are the first 8 verses from Luke 24:

1On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8Then they remembered his words. Luke 24:1-8 NIV

“Why do you look for the living among the dead?”

I will share a few quick thoughts.

  1. Trust – Jesus said he was going to die and then be raised again. Maybe the ladies didn’t really believe it because he has been in the grave for three days.
  2. Timing – They were planning on anointing the body of Jesus but did not go the day after the crucifixion. It was the Sabbath so they had to wait an extra day. Jesus said three days.
  3. Temporal – This is the part that gets me. The angel said, “among the dead”. How many times do we look for life (happiness, joy, peace, life etc.) among things that are temporal (dead)? Drugs, Alcohol, Sex, Gambling, Job, Relationship, Games, Art, Sleep…or anything else?
  4. Toga – Okay, maybe it wasn’t actually a toga but it started with the correct letter. Jesus was gone and the shroud (toga) left behind symbolizes (at least in my opinion) that Jesus did not need the material things we seek after.
  5. Tomb – Tombs are full of dead things. Our living Savior is not there anymore.

These are the reasons why this question is my favorite. It encompasses all of life. Jesus is life and we can end our search with him.

So there is no reason to go to the tomb.

You can find life in our risen Lord. Jesus is waiting for you to look for him.

Questions. What do you want to ask?

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Happy Palm Sunday! Welcome to Two Minutes With Tim! Whether by accident or purpose, here you are. Please enjoy the two minutes (roughly speaking) that it will take to read this blog.

This will be the first post in an Easter series entitled, “Questions. What do you want to ask?”

Have you ever read your bible and come across a question in the text? Every book of the bible has inquiries. People asking people. People asking God. God asking people. Even the devil fires off some investigations. This series will focus on a few of the questions asked during the last week of Jesus. The Triumphal entry starts the week. The final post will feature the resurrection.

And with that, on to the first question. We get our question from Luke 19:28-34 NIV

“28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ” 32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

Jesus is about to enter Jerusalem. The people will be seeing their king but they don’t know it yet. I love the details here. A certain place with a specific animal and even an exact description! Not any city or village but the “village ahead of you”.

Not any animal but “a colt tied there”. There would have been all types of animals but Jesus was specific.

But even further, he explains that this beast has never been ridden. I think this is a foreshadowing of Jesus. He was the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” John 1:29 Only a sinless, blameless, spotless, and perfect lamb could do this action.

We still have not yet hit the question. Jesus prepared the men by telling them that they would be questioned about the donkey. They were to answer ‘The Lord needs it.’

The Lord needs it.

No doubt that the owner of the donkey was more than curious about these two men who were looking for a donkey. Perhaps he wanted them arrested for stealing. We don’t know for sure. We can only speculate.

Another aspect that we are not clear on is what was happening in the minds of the two disciples. What were they thinking?

Did they think Jesus was a little bit crazy?

“There goes Jesus again, doing something completely abnormal.”

Isn’t that how we think sometimes?

“Jesus, are you really asking me to do this? Why is following you weird sometimes?

But Jesus knew exactly what was going on in the minds of both parties. He also was fully aware of what he needed.

Jesus gave instructions.

The disciples followed them. Exactly.

The outcome was precisely what God had in mind.

If we look at the big picture, we can’t understand it. It is too big for our eyes (physically and spiritually speaking). All we have is our little corner of existence.

All we can do is follow the directions that God gives us.

Go to the village. Find the donkey that has never borne a rider. And your answer to the question is “The Lord needs it.”

 What is God asking of you and me today?

It may be a small task. Actually, I think describes most of His commands. The bible says that his commands are not burdensome. See I John 5. Jesus said himself that his yoke is easy. We can give him our burdens. Matthew 11

So when Jesus says something to us, we can follow through. We can fully trust. We can obey.

How do I know this?

Because the Lord needs it.