Transcendence sounds eastern. It is the claim that that there is existence outside the four walls of seventy years. A very attractive idea to those who are trapped. Our mind tells us, 'There is more.'
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 ESV - "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
The 'Upper Room' is a great study.
John 20:26 ESV - "Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.' "
Jesus walked through walls to get to the trapped disciples who feared death. He Is the way in and the way out. We can't or won't exit the upper room. Fear of death keeps us there but Jesus enters in to give us the peace to exit the trap of four walls. We have a place to go beyond our seventy years. It is a timeless place filled with eternal people that took Christ's hand and escaped death.
The disciples found that place. They had the last supper there where Jesus revealed unique things. It was a 'transcendent' experience on many levels. He dies. They get trapped there by their own fear. He enters in to visit. Jesus ascends in Heaven. That room becomes a place of operation for the early church.
God got them into that room and God got them out. It became a place of strength.
That room is like our life of faith. It has stages but freedom, power and community are the end result.
Acts 1:10-14 ESV - "And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers."
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"Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?" He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, 'The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'" And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover." - Matthew 26:17-19 ESV
ReplyDeleteThe Passover was a celebration of God freeing the children of Israel from Egypt. I can't help but look at this room and think that God was going to use it as a 'place of operations' to free people.
"Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"--and that he had said these things to her. On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld."" - John 20:16-23 ESV