"Jesus was not there. He was with the living. He still is."
Today we finish the book of Mark! I reach the end of this book always expecting more chapters. But they aren’t there. Surprise!
Mary and Mary were also surprised to find that Jesus wasn’t where they expected to find Him. He was elsewhere. They were looking for Him in a tomb – a place where inanimate objects lie. Jesus was not there. He was with the living. He still is.
Where do I seek Jesus? In a building that I normally call a church? A place I go to on Sundays? In a ceremony? He isn’t there. He’s with the living.
The benchmark of worship: the alabaster jar.
"...a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume... She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head." (Mark 14.3)
Jesus deserves the best. Nothing less. Sometimes I get asked why I opt to use expensive material or equipment for ministry work. The answer for me is the same: Jesus deserves the best that I can afford. He deserves the best I can do. I try to keep that bar high. So that if I miss, at least I was still aiming high.
Like the woman with the alabaster jar, would you give what equates to your whole year’s salary to God (Mark 14.5)? We agree as a family that the whole income should already be God’s. It’s all His to work with, and do with as He pleases.
Everything just as Jesus had said.
How often are we given an inner witness; a conviction; a leading that seems odd? Only to find, after taking each cautious step, that everything is just as God said it would be (Mark 14.16).
"Am I the one?"
The truth is: I am the one. I betrayed Jesus. Okay, actually, we all did. Jesus even told the disciples that all of them would desert him (Mark 14.27). Jesus, however, is faithful. Faithful to his mission. Faithful to us. He does not leave us greatly distressed. Instead, we find him where we need him.
Commit to finding Jesus in living faith—Scripture, prayer, and community—rather than rituals that no longer bring life.
Choose to offer something valuable today—time, talent, or treasure—as a symbolic act of high-benchmark worship.
Live today with the confidence that Jesus is alive. Share this hope with one person who needs peace and confidence.