Peter Misselbrook's Blog

Oct 1 2019 - Ezekiel 37 – The valley of dry bones

Try to imagine yourself in Ezekiel's shoes as, in a vision, the Spirit of God came upon him and carried him off into a valley full of dry bones. The bones were like those of bodies that had long been dead, picked clean of flesh by wild animals and birds and now bleached dry in the fierce heat of the sun. As Ezekiel surveys this grim scene the Lord asks him, "Son of man, can these bones live?" How would you have responded? Ezekiel replies, "Sovereign Lord, you alone know." Ezekiel knows that with God all things are possible.

So Ezekiel is commanded to prophecy to these dry bones – to proclaim God's word to them; to preach to them. As Ezekiel proclaimed God's word, "there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone" (v. 7). Then tendons, muscles and skin clothed the bones so that they were whole bodies – except that they were still dead, without life. Ezekiel is now called to preach to these dead bodies and command the wind to fill them with breath. As he prophesied, "breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army" (v. 10).

This reminds us of the poetic description in Genesis 2:7 of God's first creation of human beings. He formed a man from the dust of the ground – from stuff as lifeless as dry bones – and then breathed into him the breath of life. The breath of God, the Spirit of God, is the giver of life.

And this, says God, is what he is now going to do with his people. They feel themselves cut off from the life of God and as good as dead. God is going to breathe on them with his breath of life and create them anew – they will be a new creation. They will be a people filled with his life and enjoying his blessings. God will gather his people from the nations and bring them again under the rule of his anointed king – called here "my servant David". He will make a covenant of peace with them and will so bless them that the whole world will know that the Lord God of Israel is the living God.

This wonderful vision points us towards the Lord Jesus Christ in whom it finds its fulfilment. When we were dead in sin and rebellion against God, Jesus came into the world to rescue us. He took our place when he suffered the death we deserved at the cross. His lifeless body was buried in the tomb. But God breathed his life back into that body and Jesus rose from the dead. The Spirit who gave him life is now at work in the world giving life to all who believe in him – we have been raised to new life in Christ. As Christ breathed on his disciples in the upper room and told them to receive the Holy Spirit, so he has breathed his Spirit into us; we have become God's new creation.

And by that same Spirit, God is gathering a people for himself from every nation under heaven – a people with whom he has made a covenant of peace and over whom he has installed his anointed, his Messiah, David's greater Son, Jesus the Prince of Peace.

We have now been entrusted with the word of life – the life-giving message of the Gospel. The risen Christ calls us to proclaim this word to people who are dead in sin – to preach to dry bones. It may seem a desperate and thankless task and we may be tempted to ask the Lord, "Can these dry bones live?" But we know from our own experience that nothing is impossible with God. The God who raised Jesus from the dead has given life to us and is able to give life to the driest of bones – to those who have yet to hear of Christ and to individuals and churches that seem to have lost all sign of life. The promise and power of God should encourage us to tell others of the Lord Jesus.

That same power will give life to our mortal bodies when Jesus returns, even if those bodies are dry bones or scattered dust and ashes. God's work of new creation will then be complete.

Father God, we thank you for the Lord Jesus in whom we have been given life which death can never destroy. Holy Spirit, Lord, the giver of life, revive your church and fill us afresh with your life and power. Breathe through our words to give life to those who live in the darkness and despair of death's shadow. According to your promise, save for yourself a people from every nation under heaven. Make these dry bones live.

Oct 1 2020 - Matthew 26:69-27:14 – Despair

It is difficult for us to know exactly what was going on in the mind of Judas. He had been one of the twelve; an intimate associate of Jesus. He had been sent out with the others in the mission to proclaim the good news among the towns of Galilee and, presumably, with the others had healed the sick and cast out demons. Yet now he betrays Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. In John's Gospel it is hinted that a love of money may have been Judas' downfall; he looked after the money for Jesus and the disciples and would help himself to the contents of the bag (John 12:6). Others have suggested that Judas may have become impatient with the lack of progress in establishing the kingdom and that, in betraying Jesus, he wanted to precipitate a crisis in which Jesus would show his true colours and claim his kingdom.

Whatever may have been Judas' motives, he denied the one who had been his Master and his friend. But when he saw that Jesus was falsely condemned by the Jewish leaders and was likely to be killed, he was filled with remorse. He flung back the money that had been given him and went out and hung himself. He could not live with what he had done and was utterly without hope of forgiveness.

There is an awful sadness about this story. Judas' actions brought about Jesus' arrest which led to his trial and crucifixion. But that very death was to be the spring from which forgiveness would flow to all who would receive it. Judas did not have to despair; forgiveness was available even for him.

One of the lovely pictures of the gospel is that of light coming to those who are in darkness:

The people living in darkness
   have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
   a light has dawned. (Matthew 4:16)

Jesus, this crucified Messiah, brings light to those who sit in darkness, hope to those who are in the depths of despair.

This is what Peter was to discover. He had been one of the inner circle of disciples. When Jesus had told the disciples that they would all desert him, Peter had boasted that he would never turn his back on Jesus; he was even ready to die with him. But there, in the courtyard of the high priest, he denied his Lord three times with oaths and curses. Immediately he was filled with remorse; “He went out and wept bitterly”.

Peter also faced the darkness of failure and despair – the fear that he was nothing but a fraud. But later, the risen Saviour gently restored him and encouraged him with the hope of fresh usefulness. Writing to encourage others Peter says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..." (1 Peter 1:3). The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ brings light to those living in darkness and under the shadow of death.

Most of us, at some time or another, feel despair – not as Judas felt it perhaps, but real and dark nevertheless. We need to remember that beyond the cross lies resurrection. Just as our Lord Jesus Christ can never again be subject to death, so also we have in him a hope which nothing – not even our own unfaithfulness – can destroy.

Heavenly Father, when we face moments of darkness and despair, may the light of the presence of the risen Saviour give us hope even as the blood of the crucified Saviour brings us forgiveness and cleansing. Saviour, may your gentle presence bring light today to those who sit in darkness.

Peter Misselbrook