Journey--Grow- The Tomb Garden (Surrender)
We’ve come a long way as we’ve looked at the adventure disciples take as they follow Jesus. Our theme Journey started with realizing our sin, recognizing our need for a Savior, responding to Jesus’ invitation to come, and then transforming as new creations through the Holy Spirit. Then we saw that like clay shaped by a potter or a tree pruned by a gardener, God’s followers undergo times of reshaping so that they are able to bear much fruit. God grows us to understand our reshaped purpose and refines our endurance through times of testing and trial. That endurance is important according to our theme verse–
Hebrews 12:1 | Therefore… let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race (or the journey) God has set before us.
At times, our journey with Jesus leads to a situation that is outside of our control. What do we do when something is more than we can bear? Let’s head to a third garden where two men have journeyed and likely share these feelings.
Jesus has just laid down His life on the cross. Those who had been following Him witnessed His death and are now in mourning. They’ve lost someone they trusted, loved, and lived for. Surely they are now overwhelmed with grief. Scripture says–
John 19:38-42 | Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
Joseph and Nicodemus, two men who had put their faith in Jesus as the Promised Savior, bring Jesus’ body to the garden at Golgotha. There was nothing they could do to save Jesus from the cross and now, because the Passover was drawing near, there isn’t much they can do to honor Him in death. Can you imagine how hard it must have been for them to walk away from the grave of the Christ whom they loved? Like the rest of Jesus’ followers at that moment, they had to be wondering – how do we go on? What can we do now?
At times, our journey leads us to this very place. We can feel overwhelmed by our inability to take action. We are haunted by the question, ‘where do we go from here?
But friend, these moments are no surprise to our Sovereign Lord. Psalm 139 says –
Psalm 139:16 | You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
God was not surprised when Jesus gave up His Spirit and He wasn’t surprised by the grief Jesus’ followers felt. And even though it may have felt like God was missing in these moments, He was still right there holding up His people.
Psalm 139:5a, 7b, 10b | You go before me and follow me… I can never get away from your presence… your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.
In these moments of intense grief, uncertainty, or helplessness, God is there. Like Joseph and Nicodemus, in these situations, all we can do is turn to the Lord and wait. In fact, sometimes God uses these moments to grow our dependence on Him. When we surrender it all at His feet, He is able to help–
Isaiah 30:18 | So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.
God’s help doesn’t always come in the way we expect, but we can be sure of this–
Romans 8:28 | And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
We’ll learn more about a promised ‘good’ that is certain for all God’s followers in our final garden next week, but for now, in the moments that are beyond what we can bear remember–
Psalm 30:5b | Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Let’s head back to the garden at Golgotha that houses Jesus’ tomb–
John 20:1-2, 11-16 | Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” …
Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
Despite all Mary knew about Jesus (who had told everyone He would rise from the dead!), she could not even imagine God’s answer to her heartache. Her Savior was alive and He waited in the garden just for her.
The garden that housed grief and lacked hope was transformed to a garden that radiated God’s victory.
What about you? Has your journey brought you to a place where you’re waiting for God to show His power in a situation that seems impossible? Maybe you’re facing a hopeless diagnosis, a helpless situation, or a heavy burden that you’ve been tasked with carrying. Lay it at His feet and –
Hebrews 12:1b | … let us run with endurance the race (or the journey) God has set before us.
And when you’re so weak and tired that endurance seems impossible, remember–
Isaiah 26:4; 40:28b | Trust in the Lord always … He never grows weak or weary.
As we journey with Jesus, he grows our dependence on Him. He prunes away the parts of us that struggle to trust Him or fear the unknown and being out of control. He teaches us that He can always be trusted so that even in situations that seem desperate, we surrender it all to Him.
Have you ever faced a situation that seemed desperate or impossible? When?
How does God use these situations to grow our dependence on Him?
In what areas do you struggle to trust God? Why?
Why is it important to surrender everything to God, even when things seem hopeless?