It is interesting to note that so many miraculous and bizarre events surrounded Jesus' birth: An angel announced His conception, He was born of a virgin, Mary and Elizabeth both prophecied about Jesus while He was still in the womb, Simeon and Anna prophecied over Him when His parents brought Him to the temple (to do for Him according to the custom after His birth), wise men traveled from afar (following a star) to come give Him exquisitely rich gifts, Herod had all the male children born around the same time as Jesus murdered...
But the religious rulers, the scribes and Pharisees, who accused Him and railed on Him seemingly forgot all of these unusual, miraculous, out-of-the-norm events. They seem to have thought and acted as though He just appeared out of nowhere making audacious claims to be the Messiah of Israel.
Have miraculous and divinely-ordained happenings surrounded any area of your life and yet in the passing of time you have forgotten them-- cast them off, laid them on the shelf even-- taking the present circumstances and interpreting them apart from the revelation God has given? Go back, and remember those things He has revealed to you, and incorporate them into your present circumstances. It surely would have done the Pharisees well to have done so!
Had they remembered all the unusual, remarkable and miraculous events that occurred surrounding Jesus' birth, perhaps they would have taken a second thought to His claims. But as it was, their hearts were hardened and they could not perceive, as the prophet foretold: "Seeing they will not see, hearing they will not hear, for the heart of this people has grown dull..."
Take the full counsel of God into account (not only in His word, but in what He reveals to you personally as well). Surely we must forget the past and press on, but that does not mean that we forget the hopes and dreams God has placed in our hearts through His word and His Spirit.
Has God called you to a specific work, and yet the high hopes you've had seem to be but foolishness now as you take stock of your present circumstance, realizing that no grand or glorious thing has happened? You thought God had called you to a great work for His kingdom, and it seems just the opposite is happening? Do not lose heart at the present circumstances; have faith and hope in the work of God. Remember what He has spoken to you, and cast not away your first hope.
"We had hoped He was the Messiah, the Saviour of the world..." But now He was in a tomb, wrapped in grave clothes, these last 3 days.
It looked as if all was lost, all hope gone. Their dream had been shattered. This, they thought, was the end of all their hopes, the proof of their error and falicy: They had been wrong. But how? There were so many signs... But yet, He was dead. It must be-- They must've been wrong somehow.
This is often how we feel and act. "God, I thought You brought me down here for revival. I thought You were going to use us. I thought You were going to do all these great and grand things... But I guess I was wrong. I must've been wrong. It's all dead, in the grave..."
Yet His death was the goal of His life-- in order to bring about the greatest good ever: The salvation of all mankind! And on the third day, He rose again...
How do you know, O man, that this apparent death is not but the goal of all that has been? That this apparent burial is not the one thing that will bring about the greatest miracle of all, the great glory of all that was foretold in times past?
For death is but a mere shadow, and resurrection will come the third day. And though we pass through that valley, we needn't fear-- For He has not left us: He is right by our side.
Take hope pilgrim.
Death is not the end,
But the beginning.
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