Reading: John 16:21-33, Psalm 22
Bre The Sabbath after the crucifixion of Jesus seemed quiet on the outside. People staying home mourning, grieving and processing what they had just witnessed. Trust is putting faith into a person or thing – many had put their trust in Jesus.
Trust is a choice, sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it’s difficult. In the past we’ve all had people that we’ve looked up to and followed. I think back to those people and the times they let me down, how my trust for them changed.
I think of my husband, David, and how I never wanted to hold my trust from him. Of course things have happened in our marriage that have caused us to doubt, but moments later I think about our covenant and what we have promised each other. We make adjustments, but we don’t stop trusting each other. What does trust look like? In relationships, it must be changing all the time. Through all of these trials, our trust actually gets stronger for each other, until death do us part.
Christ’s promises were uniquely different. He said he would go away, but would be coming back. What seemed like the end (Death) was the beginning to something new (Life). Christ’s death was difficult for everyone who loved him. When Jesus gave his life… everyone asked why? What’s happening? Some claimed, “No, I don’t know him.” People stayed away – they had a change in relationship. Suddenly, everything Jesus said and did seemed far away and impossible. How could they trust him to come back when they saw him die, and believe what He said to be true? The teachable moment for the followers of Jesus came in the time of silence, when they realized they had every reason to trust him. In their grief and disbelief it seemed they couldn’t until Christ revealed what he had promised to be true. They needed more faith so they could fully trust… and with that limited faith came grace. Greater than they deserved, greater than they could imagine, Grace unfathomable.
This is the same grace that meets our needs every single day and restores our trust when our faith is weak. We can doubt, worry, fear, deny, get angry, cast blame, play the … “what if” game. None the less it is the same grace that meets our doubts, and says “shhhh, just trust me. I got this.” When we don’t know how to trust Jesus, he still shows his love by dying on the cross. In our waiting we have a choice. We choose to trust he is who he said he is. We trust that everything we’ve been through with Jesus, and all of his promises will come true. The love we developed in our relationship with him hasn’t died. Even when we don’t understand what’s happening and can’t figure out how some things are going to “realistically” play out, we can TRUST.
Jesus’ love meets us in the quiet day after his death. The day when we’re not sure how to keep ourselves together because everything around us feels different. There’s a gentle rustle in the wind that pushes you. You may hear the splashing of puddles in the rain. You may feel the sun kiss your face. All of this is Christ saying that you can trust him. Because he loves you, he died for you, and he’s hasn’t left you.
David
After Jesus’ death and before His resurrection, all of His followers and believers were left in this state of having to trust in him. Would everything that he said come to pass, or would he remain in the tomb forever? These situations occur for all of us in life, in our relationship with Christ and with each other. The trust we place in others is not realized until we actually have to put our trust to the test.
Even before Jesus’ death, he told his disciples that their trust would falter, that their resolve would fail. He knew that he would be betrayed and denied, and he told them this even before it occurred. He encouraged them to trust him and not be discouraged in their failures. Jesus loved and trusted others beyond their own abilities to love or trust him back.
Jesus’ example shows the nature of trust in a relationship. Trust doesn’t just mean that you’re counting on someone to never make a mistake, but that you’re counting on them to remain committed to the covenants and promises they’ve made. Trusting in the character of someone else is an act of love.
In our marriage, I’ve come to recognize trust as a critical part of our relationship remaining effective and healthy. With that comes admitting and fixing mistakes, taking every step to prevent future violations of trust, and starting every day committed to preserving trust in your relationship. The disciples failed to trust Jesus in the days leading to his crucifixion, yet his trust was well placed. Those that kept fighting for his trust went on to live their lives dedicated to him, founding his church and spreading his word around the world.
David and Bre Schneider
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Reunion Community Church is a non-denominational, Bible teaching Christian church located in Peoria, Arizona. We are centrally located to Surprise, AZ, Glendale, AZ and Phoenix, AZ just off the 101 Freeway and Cactus Rd.
