When God Surprises You!

“I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, He was seen by more than 500 of His followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then He was seen by James and later by all the apostles.”
1 Corinthians 15:3-7 (NLT)

Have you ever been surprised by God? Of the eleven post-resurrection appearances of Christ, the one that may have been the most fun for Jesus was when He met personally with his half-brother, James. Prior to the resurrection, there is no indication in Scripture that His own half-brothers and sisters believed He was the Messiah! You may remember when Jesus visited His hometown early in His ministry before the crucifixion, He said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” (Mark 6:4 NIV) Earlier, Mark tells us Jesus entered a house and “When His family heard about this, they went to take charge of Him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’" Mark 3:21 (NIV) And John’s Gospel adds, “For even His own brothers did not believe in Him.” John 7:5 (NIV)

This is why I think it would have been fun to be in the shadows watching when Jesus showed up, post-resurrection, to see James, his half-brother. The Bible doesn’t say how far apart they were in age, but we know that Jesus was the elder as the firstborn. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like growing up with an older brother who is Jesus! I wonder if James ever heard Mary or Joseph say, “Why can’t you be more like your big brother?” “Well, Mom, because Jesus is God and I’m not!”

Still, if there ever was a hard sell, it must have been for Jesus’ family to grasp the concept that He was God in the flesh! He was the Messiah! Is there anyone more difficult to share your faith with than your own family? Yet, whether they believed or not, they loved Jesus and must have been heartbroken to see Him die and watch their mother grieve the suffering of her firstborn son! Did they think He was deluded all the way to the cross? Whatever their opinion, the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 15 that after His resurrection, Jesus would personally encounter his brother James. I’ve often wondered if He walked quietly up behind James and said, “Boo!” However the encounter happened, it changed James forever!

James and his brother, Jude, would later write two of the New Testament Epistles named after them. It’s interesting that neither one begins their letters using the “brother card” to introduce themselves. Instead, both James and Jude call themselves a “servant of Jesus Christ.” Jude adds, “… and a brother of James.” Their lives were humbled by their unbelief and the grace of the Lord Jesus to reach out to them. Despite their rejection, He accepted them and would visibly appear to them, preparing them for their role in His Kingdom. James became a prominent leader in the church at Jerusalem after Pentecost. Though much less is known about Jude, he, too, was clearly a church leader and wrote to believers with authority in the letter that bears his name. God loves to surprise us! He shows up when we least expect it and in ways we would never imagine!

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Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.

Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.