Out Our Way: Coming over the ridge - John 14:1-3

Out our way friends and spouses and families bond - but so do horses. Charlie had two horses, Freckles and Jet, that were paddock pals. Although I often rode my own horse, Doc, with Charlie quite often I rode Freckles while Charlie rode Jet. Freckles could be a bit nervous and antsy at times, but as long as the Jet was close by, he seemed to be fairly calm. However, as Charlie warned me, when Jet was not close by, Freckles could become pretty agitated.

Now, the Tiger Ridge area is full of hills, steep ridges and thorn-infested arroyos where cattle could go unseen and unnoticed, and so when we went to check them, we often had to split up and go out of sight from each other for a time. Charlie and I understood this was temporary, and I believe Jet did as well, but not Freckles. When Charlie and Jet were out of sight, Freckles would start to get nervous and begin to have something of a panic attack.

After a bit he would start tossing his head and "dancing," clearly upset that Jet was not in sight, and sometimes was so upset I had to circle him a few times to get him to calm down and get back to business. I confess I sometimes got tired of having to calm Freckles down, but at the same time, I always enjoyed the sound of his joyous whinny when he spotted Jet and Charlie again.  

Christ spoke to His disciples about His coming death, but He also told them of His resurrection that would follow in three days. They said they believed Him, but when Christ was arrested, tortured and crucified, like Freckles, they went into panic mode. Their Lord had "gone over the Ridge" and was no longer with them. That was all they could understand. Even when the third day came and the women rushed into to tell them the Lord had risen as He had said He would, they didn't believe. But what joyful shouts - whinnies? - came when He came "over the Ridge" and walked into their midst!  

But that was long ago, and the witnesses who were there tell us He not only rose from the dead, but ascended into Heaven. Once again, He went "over the Ridge." But once again He made a promise to come back for us. Now in some cases - such as Pentecost and the conversion of Saul of Tarsus into the Apostle Paul, Acts 2 and 9 - Christ came over the Ridge in spectacular ways, but for the rest of us, we just have to wait and trust.

Just as it was hard for Freckles to trust and wait when Charlie and Jet rose over the ridge, many of us are antsy and anxious as well. We are tossing our heads and plaintively crying out for Christ and also for our loved ones who have also gone "over the Ridge." Like the disciples, we have Christ's promise about His resurrection and those we love, but also like them, we tend to have trouble really accepting it. We have the promise of the angels that Christ will return - Acts 1: 7 - 11 - and Christ's own promise such as John 14:1-3 and many other places. Yet we're like Freckles, anxious and afraid. Oh, we of little faith!

Yet, as we can understand Freckle's fears, for he is only a horse, so Christ understand ours, for we are only flawed human beings. While I could be with Freckles and try to calm him down, I couldn't explain or help him understand that Jet going over the ridge was only temporary and he was coming back. But Chris has sent us Someone Who who can explain, remind and calm us - John 14:25-27. The same Spirit that came to the disciples and both took away their fear and gave them the strength and power to do what they had been called to do is still in the world today.

Even people who reject the Bible cannot reject history unless they are willing to lie and deceive themselves and others, and even then their ability to distort reality is temporary. How did so few people spread the Gospel throughout the entire world? Why does the message keep going out and people accepting it despite all the powers of Darkness have done to stamp it out?

In the Church and outside the Church, the "Prince of this world" has sent his agents to destroy Christ's work, and failed. The martyrdom and persecution of followers of Christ from the first days of the Church into our own times have failed to stop hundreds thousands by those who seek to stamp out the Gospel. The corruption and lust of power by "wolves in sheep's clothing" - Matthew 7:15-20 - Church leaders and false prophets who have abused and used the Name of Christ and His Church for their own self interests. They have done great damage to the faith, but historically, they have always failed as well. This should not surprise us for Christ said it would be so, and so it has been, age after age. But He also promised these efforts by the Prince of Darkness, whether from inside or outside the Church, would always fail - and so they have, in age after age.

Christ promises us that although He has gone over the Ridge, He has not left us, as the evidence of the Church's survival after all these years and in spite of all the attempts to destroy it these past 2,000 plus years demonstrates. For as Christ promised and history has proven, "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it" John 1:5.

Christ has gone over the Ridge, but He has not left us. And though, like Freckles, we may be anxious and fearful at times, the Spirit will settle us down and remind us that He is coming back again. Like Freckles when Jet came back over the ridge, we may want to "whinny" in joy as well. Start tuning up.

Blessings,

Brother John