“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!  Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. Then they went home”.  John 20:1-10 (NLT)

After hearing Mary Magdalene’s story, Peter and the other disciples began running toward the tomb.  The very first thing they observed when looking inside was the strips of linen laying there and the burial cloth that was by itself folded away from the rest of the grave cloths.  They still did not understand that Jesus had to rise from the dead. 

I began to ask the Lord some questions, “First of all, why were the strips of linen just cast off to the side?”  I kept thinking that it was done rapidly.  “Lord, why was the burial cloth that wrapped around your head laying aside by itself all neatly folded?  It appeared the linen cloth was removed in haste and the burial was given consideration to be neatly folded.  Why is this written this way and what makes the two different?” 

baptismal-transformation.jpg?w=300I kept thinking of the commitment to Christ and the fact that the stone that obstructed my ability to understand the meaning of the death and resurrection of Christ first had to be removed.  I know that the only one that could accomplish this was God himself.   He sent his loving laborers to share with me and then at his chosen time he opened up my heart to understand the scriptures, enabling me to make an affirmation of faith in him.  I pondered the linen cloths that were quickly cast off and how in my own life it symbolized the world and its ways.  This was apparently done in haste and reminded me of Romans 6:2-14, which speaks of our baptismal covenant.

"Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.   Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.   Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace."  Romans 6:2-14 (NLT)

 When we are baptized we are making a commitment to live the crucified life.  It is a proclamation that speaks into all of heaven, earth and all creatures under the earth that I am choosing to embrace the cross of Jesus Christ.  My decision to make Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior is a covenant he cut with us and the acceptance of that covenant is sealed in the waters of baptism.  This means at baptism the forgiveness of sin has been bestowed up on us, the waters of baptism signify the burial of the old life (linen cloths removed) and the resurrection to new life in Christ by his grace.  He willfully chose to die for me (burial cloths cautiously removed and folded away from the linen), it was carefully planned and loving executed, sealed in blood of Jesus by his death on the cross and finalized in victory of resurrection.  The entire process was accomplished entirely by his grace and nothing that I could achieve in my flesh.  So, on one hand the initial act of throwing off the old brings us into a new kingdom, we are new creations.  The Holy Spirit moves in and takes up residence in our hearts.  We are adopted into the family of God and that is why we cry out “Abba Father”.  We are completely accepted by God because Jesus Christ purchased our salvation and the Father was ecstatic with his Son’s obedience and our renewed relationship with him.  Like Mary Magdalene we can say, “I have seen the Lord”, running to tell others what he has done for us.   On the other hand, just like any other child we need to grow and be trained to live this crucified and resurrected life.  I believe that is symbolic of the careful removal, folding and placing of burial cloth away from the linen strips.  We must embrace the cross in our own lives on a daily basis because without death there is no resurrection.  We must appear before God completely naked, allowing him to clothe us with his righteousness alone.  We have absolutely nothing that we can offer to him, it is a total acceptance of God’s grace that validates the transaction of this covenant. 

 We must come to him on a daily basis developing our relationship with him and allowing him to transform our hearts into his glorious image.  Romans 12:2 discusses the renewal of our minds and learning to walk in his will.  We must be disciples of the Holy Spirit and the body of Christ in order for this transformation to take place.  Spending time alone with God allows us to enter into to the Holy of Holies, listening to his voice, praising his name and getting to know his Word.  He is the only One that can fill our life with a joyous fascination enabling us to know who he is and who we are. 

I believe this is a recurring theme in our lives with the Lord.  It is apparent to me in my own life that as Rosanne, Rosanna Danna says, “There’s always something.”  There is always something and it usually is due to my self centered ways.  It is either insecurity or pride that causes me to take my eyes off Jesus and look at myself which always causes problems.  I realized I am not changed from glory to glory by beholding myself and my own desires, but it is by beholding him.  It is only as I approach the throne of the King of all Creation accepting the fact that he always holds his scepter out to me exuberantly awaiting my arrival that I can let go of the pain, anger and resentments that come through everyday life.  It is there that I behold him and his glory and he changes me because I am unable to change myself.

This enables us to walk in obedience to his Word.

 “Rejoice always.  Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”  I Thessalonians 5:16-17 (NLT)

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