Christian Living

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An Invitation to Dinner
(Saturday Morning)

Yesterday, He was still with us. I will never forget yesterday. The people crucified Him. They crucified my Lord. The hours of darkness were unbearable. The temple veil is now torn in two and the Holy of Holies is exposed! The heart of God is surely grieved. He is gone now though and who will comfort us? His disciples are in hiding for fear they will be crucified too. The streets are silent and the sadness eats at us like a terrible sickness.

Doubts are great concerning the One who said He was God’s Son. He lies in a tomb, wrapped in swaddling clothes, beaten and bruised for our iniquities. His grave clothes are stained with the sins of the world. Jesus hardly looks like the Savior of humankind. Thomas, the apostle, is not the only doubt-filled follower in Jerusalem today.

What does He look like today? He is the slain Lamb of God. He is our sacrifice. All the Christians have of Him today are the remnants left behind from the ravage of wolves. What did John the Baptist say that day on the river bank? “Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world!” John knew all along what would become of Rabboni, our Teacher.

What hope do we have now? He said he would rise again. Some called Him a devil for saying that. Now, they have a stone placed in front of his tomb. Guards are stationed day and night. The Romans fear we will try and steal his body. I don’t wish to steal his body, just to anoint it and give my Lord a proper burial. At the very least, my Lord deserves a proper anointing.

“Oh, Lord! If only you were here, I would fall at your feet and wash them with my tears once again! If only… Who could move that boulder? It was impossible for a single living man to do much less a beaten and bruised crucified one.

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He did move that stone and He walked out three days later as He promised. Depending on your view of end times, the landscape or the backdrop for the coming of Christ differs. Some believe He will set His feet on the Mount of Olives. This is commonly referred to in Christendom as the Second Coming. Others believe the coming of Christ culminates in rapture or the catching away of the church. Some embrace both, which is the camp for me. I believe in the catching away of the saints and in the second coming of Christ. Then there are those who believe these events already occurred and there is no point in discussing the past.

There is much theological debate on the “backdrop” (where, what, when, why and how) for this event. Never mind the theatrics of the day; be mindful of one sure thing. Jesus is coming again! Are you ready to meet Him? Now, I’m not just talking about your spiritual fate – whether or not you are saved by grace. Are you really ready to meet Jesus for the first time?

What would you say to Him at first meeting besides thanks and I love you? Imagine meeting the President of the United States or some other notable figure for the first time. Imagine meeting your favorite author or having the opportunity to meet your favorite teacher for dinner at the end of your life. How would you prepare for this memorable occasion? Do you get the idea now?
After His Resurrection when Mary saw him, what did she say? “Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni.” (which means Teacher). – John 20:16 (NIV)

Mary wept. She fell on her face before Him and she worshipped her Teacher, her Savior, her best friend. She fell before the One she loved more than anyone in this world. She surrendered herself as He had surrendered himself to her in love and servitude.

So, what would you say to your teacher? What would you say upon meeting the Man that made the most impact on your life? I thought today of how that conversation would go between Jesus and me. Do I know enough about His book to talk to Him at length about His teachings? Do I have enough practical life applications to give Him valid examples from my own life that His words were true? Do I have enough evidence to prove I really read His book? Do I know enough about Him to fall before Him as Mary did in love? Is He just some large and awesome figure to me that would leave me speechless before Him? Do I know enough about Jesus to dine with Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and actually have a worthwhile conversation?

Someone once told me, “It’s okay to say you do not know all you should about a certain subject.” I admit to not knowing what I would say to the One that died for me. For every Christian falling on the same side of the fence, we have much to do. We haven’t studied enough, lived enough, or served enough to even be worthy of conversation with Him.

I leave you with these thoughts today. How much further do you have to go before you can fall before Him as Mary did? How much further do you need to go in your Christian walk to be able to talk with Him in the conversational manner Mary used? How much more reading do you have to do? How much more serving do you need to do? Are you really ready to have dinner at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb with Jesus? Be prepared. Be ready to dine with the Father.

God bless.

Copyright © 2007 Tina Diane Mitchell

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