The shadow of Golgotha and unfulfilled expectations
The Feast of the Resurrection usually evokes vivid images: a fallen stone, an empty tomb, radiance and frozen warriors. Or Calvary is mentioned – three empty crosses that remind us of the great cost of redemption through the life of the sinless Son of God. However, to truly understand the depth of these events, it is worth looking at them through the eyes of the disciples who did not yet know about the Resurrection. They witnessed the crucifixion, death and burial of Christ, but did not see Him resurrected. When the women brought the news of the angel and the empty coffin, the reaction was one of skepticism—as would any reasonable person who knows that the dead do not rise on the third day. Even the words of Mary Magdalene were not taken seriously, attributing everything to her emotionality and wild imagination.
The students were deeply saddened by the loss of their dearest person. Their hopes died with Christ, leaving behind them disappointment and confusion. They expected Jesus to deliver Israel from Roman occupation, but that did not happen. Three days passed, and two of them decided that there was nothing to wait for, it was time to return home and to their normal lives.
Road to Emmaus: Trap of Solitude
These two disciples left Jerusalem for the village Emaus. The Bible describes this event as follows:
“Two of them went that day to a village 60 stadia from Jerusalem, to a village called Emmaus. They talked to each other about everything that had happened. And it came to pass, while they were talking and deliberating, that Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were restrained so that they would not recognize him… But we hoped that he was the one who would deliver Israel.” (Luke 24:13-16, 21).
Our expectations of what God should be like and what He should do for us can very easily lead to disappointment. However, God is not obligated to fulfill all our hopes or dreams, because He knows much better what is really best for us. When we are disillusioned, we often leave our familiar places—work, relationships, or even church.
The road to Emmaus symbolizes distance. Leaving Jerusalem, the disciples began to distance themselves from the church, from other disciples, and almost left Christ himself. They walked and constantly discussed their grief with each other. It is reminiscent of people in line at the doctor, endlessly telling each other about their illnesses. One disappointed person cannot inspire another, just as a sick person is unlikely to cure another sick person. An important truth follows from this: do not solve problems with yourself, because this is the way from Christ. The best doctor with a broken arm needs another doctor, and a military medic capable of providing first aid will not be able to perform a complex operation on his own. We need the One who is beyond our problem.
Change of perspective: God does not change the past
Jesus went out to meet the disappointed disciples. Although He did not plan to leave Jerusalem, He shared this journey with them. He explained the scriptures and prophecies to them along the way, but the real insight came only at home, over dinner.
“And it happened that when he sat down at the table with them, he took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to them. And then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him… And they said to one another, did not our hearts burn when he spoke to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us.” (Luke 24:30-32).
When Jesus broke the bread, the disciples probably saw the wounds on His hands and remembered the Last Supper. Their eyes were opened, and they looked at everything that had happened in a completely different way. Have the events of the past changed? No. Not a single event that led to their sadness and depression was changed. Their attitude towards these events has changed. What had previously led them to despair became the foundation of their faith.
The second key truth: God does not change the past, He reveals why it happened to us. God can change the future or affect the circumstances of today, but the past is history. However, when God changes our perspective, we understand the meaning of what we experienced. The same story can be just a fact, or it can bring healing, freedom, and forgiveness.
Personal Recovery and Vocation
One of the students was called Cleopas, and the name of the second is modestly not mentioned. Researchers believe that it was Luke, the author of the Gospel. If Jesus had not come to him on this road of disappointment, the world might never have read the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Holy Apostles. Luca could return to his profession as a doctor and live an ordinary life without God, but that would be a road to nowhere.
Jesus acts in a deeply personal way. He appeared to Mary Magdalene when she stood in tears and depression, having lost the One who freed her and gave her the meaning of life. He came to her first. He also came to Peter, a man who felt worthless and betrayed after denying Christ three times. Jesus did not reproach him, He restored Peter, freed him from the burden of guilt and allowed him to continue serving.
Write your Gospel
Today, God reaches out to everyone who is in sadness or in the misunderstanding of their circumstances. He does this so that we will return to our “Jerusalem” and tell others about His actions. God planned for everyone to write their own personal “Gospel” – to bring good news into the lives of other people.
The Feast of the Resurrection is not only a historical fact, it is a promise of what is to come in our lives. Everything that seems dead or dying today, Jesus has the power to resurrect and change. Our life’s tragedies can become the foundation of faith if we allow our eyes to be opened and understand that in Christ there is forgiveness, restoration and the way to eternal life.
No matter what we face, we can always seek our unchanging God. We just need to call on Him in truth.
Praying with truth requires recognizing our own brokenness. That means we need to accept and acknowledge that there is nothing we’ve done that makes us worthy of talking to our Creator.
God draws near to us because He is good, kind, merciful, and humble. And we call on Him in truth when we humbly submit our will to His and genuinely delight in Him.
This doesn’t mean we need to call on Him perfectly, we can’t. We simply need to come as we are, and acknowledge our deep need for His grace, mercy, and love.
You don’t need to have your life together.
You don’t need to be free from anxiety, depression, or fear. In whatever moment you find yourself, God wants you to honestly and intentionally talk to Him.
And even though we might not always sense that God is near, the Psalms remind us that God will come to anyone who calls out to Him. God’s presence is not reliant on our feelings or our perception of circumstances, He is near whether we realize it or not.
So today, come as you are to the God who loves you. Draw near to God, and allow Him to draw near to you.
At the heart of the events of Palm Sunday, when Jerusalem met Christ as a triumphant, is a complex mechanism of collective human expectations. This historical moment serves as the starting point for a deep analysis of disappointment, a universal experience that is an integral part of human existence. There is no life path where a person does not face the bitterness of unfulfilled: we feel it through broken promises, professional failures, the collapse of plans or a crisis in relationships with those closest to us.
However, the most difficult to perceive is the spiritual dimension of this feeling. A deep internal conflict often arises when sincere hopes, supported by inner faith, do not find an immediate response in reality. A literal understanding of the spiritual principles of “seeking and finding” sometimes comes into sharp conflict with reality, where answers do not come in the time frames we define.
In the context of modern challenges, this burden is felt especially acutely. The long war, the lack of visible results in the negotiations and personal tragedies related to the loss of loved ones pose difficult questions to everyone about the justice and expediency of waiting. It is this discrepancy between our internal “deadlines” and the real course of events that becomes the foundation for a deep disappointment in life, which requires not just consolation, but a fundamental rethinking of the relationship with time and a higher will.
The historical context of Palm Sunday
The title of the sermon “Palm Disappointment” indicates the paradox of this holiday. People joyfully met Christ, waved palm branches and spread clothes under the donkey’s feet. The reason for such excitement was the recent miracle – the resurrection of Lazarus.
“The next day, a large number of people, having heard that Jesus was going to Jerusalem, came to the feast… The people who were with him when he called Lazarus from the grave and raised him from the dead testified.” John 12:12-13, 17-18
The crowd expected a Messiah of such power to establish his rule as King of Israel and liberate them from Roman occupation. While these expectations were not sinful or bad (nor was our desire for an end to war), they did not come true.
The first truth: God does not act according to our expectations
The main lesson of this story: God does not act according to our expectations. Even if our plans seem to be the best and kindest for us and those around us, God is not obligated to act according to them. His plans and ways are always more perfect and higher than ours.
The second truth: God does not act according to our terms
The second key thesis concerns time: The Lord does not act on our terms. Setting deadlines for God inevitably leads to disappointment. We are used to living in a fast-paced world where we demand results “here and now”, but God does not invest in our time frames.
This is vividly illustrated by the story of the illness and death of Lazarus. Sisters Martha and Mary sent messengers to Jesus, believing that He would be able to heal their brother. Their expectations were absolutely correct. However, Jesus deliberately delayed.
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died… Jesus tells her: Your brother will rise again”. John 11:20-21, 23-25
When Jesus came, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Martha was so tired of being disappointed that she did not even believe in the miracle of the Resurrection for her brother at that moment. The pastor emphasizes that a series of disappointments can lead us to stop praying and believing altogether.
Personal testimony of the pastor
An example of deep disappointment is the personal story of Alexander Koltukov and his wife Yulia. Having experienced the tragedy of losing their child, they were faced with the fact that, despite all their prayers and hopes, a miracle did not happen. However, instead of searching for reasons “why this happened,” another important realization came: going through such pain and despair without spiritual support would have been much more difficult. Over time, the family’s life resumed, and they were blessed with the birth of three sons.
The third truth: God does not act on our requests
The third important truth: God does not act according to our requests. Sometimes God says no, even to seemingly good requests. We often don’t realize that fulfilling our desire can bring us more temptation or harm.
As an example, the story of the demon-possessed man of Gadarina, from whom Jesus cast out a legion of demons, is given.
“And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him..” Mark 5:18-20 NKJV
This man had his fervent request to become a disciple of Christ rejected, which was certainly a disappointment. But his obedience and preaching led many people to God in the Decapolis.
Historical consequences of God’s “no”
The pastor cites an impressive historical fact: when in 70 AD. Roman troops led by Titus surrounded and later destroyed Jerusalem, Christians, remembering the prophecy of Jesus, fled to the mountains. They found shelter in the Decapolis, where there was already a church. This church was formed thanks to the preaching of a former exorcist. God’s “no” for one person became salvation for thousands of believers decades later.
Summary: Transforming disappointment into new hope
The fundamental conclusion of these reflections is the assertion that God’s “no” is inherently much more weighty and healing for a person than any favorable “yes” from the immediate environment. Even when the reasons for God’s refusals or His silence remain incomprehensible to the human mind, trust in a higher will becomes the only way to overcome the inner crisis. The key idea is to learn to see behind every experience of human disappointment the hidden prospect of the Resurrection. This is not just a concept, but a life-affirming principle: where a person sees the final collapse of hopes, God is preparing a new beginning. The phenomenon of God’s timing often contradicts human impatience, but even when it seems that help is delayed, it comes precisely at the moment when it is able to revive the most hopeless aspirations that already seemed buried forever.
The way to Calvary was a conscious choice, made against the fickleness of the crowd, which in an instant passes from rapturous shouts of “Hosanna” to frustrated demands for a crucifixion. This willingness to pass through human rejection for the sake of a higher purpose has become a guarantee that despite all the storms and disappointments of life, the possibility of spiritual rebirth and life remains open to everyone.
Human life on earth inevitably faces trials that can be compared to a real storm. Illness, financial hardship, or emotional exhaustion often trigger a condition we call “storming.” This is the moment when the usual order of things is destroyed and the future seems uncertain.
The key truth is that real peace does not depend on the absence of storms around, but on who occupies the main place in a person’s heart. When the focus shifts from God to difficult circumstances, inner peace disappears, giving way to anxiety.
Lessons from the Bible storm: Why is it hard to see a way out?
The basis of these reflections is the story from the Gospel of Mark (chapter 6), where the disciples found themselves in a boat in the middle of the sea during a strong headwind. This episode reveals several important spiritual aspects:
Invisible presence: Even when it seems that we are alone with the problem, the Lord sees our exhaustion and efforts.
Fear Blinding: Fear acts like an infection. It distorts perception so much that even approaching help can be perceived as a new threat or “ghost”.
Condition of the heart: Often the cause of unbelief in times of crisis is a “hardened heart”—an inability to remember God’s previous blessings and miracles.
Purpose of the storm: Cleansing through the earthquake
The storm in life should not be perceived only as a punishment. It has a specific purpose — purification. Just as a great wave lifts up silt and rubbish from the bottom and exposes them to the surface, life’s crises reveal hidden sins and defects of character that were invisible in times of calm.
The storm is a painful but necessary process of “shaking” that helps free the heart from all excess and prepare it for a deeper relationship with God.
Temptations during trials
During periods of crisis, a person becomes especially vulnerable to certain spiritual dangers:
Searching for culprits: There is a temptation to rebel and blame others, the authorities or loved ones for their troubles.
The role of the victim: Sometimes a person gets so used to his problems that he subconsciously does not want healing or a way out, because the role of “unfortunate” gives him certain dividends in the form of attention or justification for his own inaction.
Doubtful compromises: The desire to quickly solve problems in an “easy” way often leads to spiritual torment and new difficulties, if this way is against conscience.
The road to victory: Unity and sincerity
Overcoming a protracted “storm” requires specific steps:
Confession and openness: Hidden sin continues to destroy a person from within. Bringing it to light through sincere repentance takes away its power.
Brotherly Support: The Christian life is not meant for solitude. As birds in a flock help each other to fly against the wind, believers should accept the help and prayers of the community.
Change routes: Victory over sin often requires changing daily habits and avoiding places or situations that provoke a fall.
Summary
God has promised to be with those who trust in Him. Even if storms leave scars, they are a testament to God’s faithfulness and our endurance. Don’t fear the storm if the Lord is in your boat.
“Do not be afraid, do not be dismayed, for I am your God… I hold you by your right hand.” Isaiah 41:13
Imagine that you are one of the Israelites traveling in the desert with Moses. You have been wandering since God rescued you from Egyptian slavery. You want to drink, but there is no water in sight. Suddenly, Moses raises his rod and strikes a rock—and water begins to flow from it. At that moment, you thank God for meeting your greatest need.
Thousands of years later, the Jews in Jerusalem celebrated God’s provision for them as they wandered in the desert. For seven days, they filled a golden jar with water and poured it out on the altar to remember how God had provided water for their ancestors. On the eighth day, there was no water, but they prayed and meditated on how God was fulfilling His promises to His people. As they were praying in the temple, Jesus stood up and called out,
“If any of you thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38
Nothing was poured on the altar that day, but Jesus offered something more—by comparing Himself to the water that God had given the Israelites, He offered to fill their deep need, a relationship with Him.
Just as water quenches thirst, Jesus promises to satisfy us. This means that when we accept Him with all our hearts, we have the opportunity to experience the fullness of His love, peace, and goodness in whatever circumstances we face.
And He promises not only to meet our needs but to overflow us, blessing us so much that we will be able to share our blessings with others. This may be in serving others with your time, or perhaps in forgiving someone who has hurt you because Jesus has forgiven you.
There are many ways to bless others. Take some time today to think about how you can share your blessings with those around you.
Having the desire for God to always guide us in all our plans and deeds by His Holy Spirit is a wonderful dream. As believers, we understand that God does not wish us harm. His intentions are for good, for the future, and for hope. Even when there is darkness around us, as during massive attacks on the power system, when we were left without light, water, or heat for weeks in bitter cold, God’s plans are aimed at lifting us out of depression and giving us joy. However, are we ready for where exactly the Spirit can lead us? We often expect comfort, but today’s story is about leading us into the wilderness.
“Then the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” From Matthew 4:1-2
The Holy Spirit can take us to a place where we do not want to be at all. Jesus had just begun his ministry, the first disciples had joined him, and suddenly there was complete isolation. There were no people in the desert, no ministry, not even ordinary food.
On the fortieth day: When strength runs out
Pastor Alexander shared a personal experience: “This week I got sick with a bad flu. There were days when I could not get out of bed at all, feeling like a “walking dead man.” In this state, you pray, but instead of feeling God’s presence or strength, you often feel only exhaustion and “hunger” — both physical and spiritual.”
It is when you are most vulnerable that the tempter comes. He did not come on the first day, when Jesus was full of strength. He waited until the very end of the fortieth day.
Where are you in this story now?
Day One: You are full of hope that fasting and prayer will quickly solve all your problems.
Midway: You are tired, but you are still holding on.
Day Fortieth: You have done all you can, but there is no answer. Instead, you hear the voice of the tempter: “If you are a child of God, where is the result? Where is your healing?”
1. Stone: Temporary Need vs. Eternal Word
The first temptation is the offer to turn stones into bread. The devil says, “Don’t wait for God, solve the problem yourself right now.” Jesus could have done it, but it would have meant gaining a local victory at the cost of losing the great war.
“He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities… and by his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
We often forget that Christ himself suffered pain and sickness so that by his stripes we might be healed. The first truth of victory: respond to all temptations only with God’s Word—“It is written!”
2. Scissors: A Trap of Manipulation
The name “scissors” is an allegory for the game of “tsu-ye-fa.” The devil puts Jesus in a stretch situation: he quotes the Bible, but takes it out of context. He says, “If you believe the Word, jump. If you don’t jump, then you don’t believe.”
This is the most dangerous moment for making decisions. Many people leave their ministry, church, or family precisely in the midst of temptation, at the height of emotional exhaustion.
Second Truth: Decisions should be made AFTER the temptation passes, not during it.
3. Authority: Whom do we bow to?
The third temptation is the promise of quick power over the world. The devil offers a way without the cross if only Jesus would bow to him. But the power of the world is often illusory and built on lies.
Illustration about democracy: During a storm, Trump, putin, and Lukashenko found themselves in the same boat. To decide who would row, Lukashenko proposed a “democratic vote.” As a result, he announced that the majority voted for him. Trump was surprised: “How is that? There are three of us in the boat, and four voted for you!”
This anecdote reminds us that “it’s not how you vote that matters, but how you count.” The world offers false power, but true victory comes when we choose to serve only God. Then angels come and serve us.
Conclusion and Prayer
To overcome, you don’t always need a 40-day fast. You just need to hold on to God. Angels often come in the form of people: a wife who cares during illness, or friends who help with children.
Don’t make decisions based on the thoughts that are spinning in your head during trials. Wait until the evening of the fortieth day. Your angels are already on their way.
Prayer: Lord, bless everyone who is currently going through their desert. Give us the strength not to give up, but to stand on Your Word. We believe that by Your wounds we are healed and in You we have complete victory. Amen!.
In 2 Timothy we find Paul writing a letter to Timothy, his missionary companion. Many Bible scholars believe that this was the last letter Paul wrote before his death and that he wrote it from a Roman prison cell. Reflecting on his life and believing that his death was imminent, Paul wrote this striking passage:
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
Faithful.
Paul was faithful to God, and God was faithful to Paul without end. Shipwrecked. Stoned. Abandoned by friends. Imprisoned. The list of things Paul endured could go on and on. But he persevered. He remained steadfast in his commitment to Christ.
When you think about your life, what do you want to say at the end? What will you see when you look back?
In Paul we see an example of what it means to hold on to faith in Christ. He knew what it means to depend on God for everything. He drew strength from God because without Him he could not do it.
In our lives we face moments of doubt and disappointment. Let us hold on to the truth of God’s Word, knowing that He is faithful and will never forsake us. May it be said of us at the end of our lives that we too have fought a good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith.
Philippians 4:13 is a popular Bible verse that you may have seen on signs, social media, stickers, or cars. You may have heard someone recite this verse before a sporting event or while attempting a difficult task.
Unfortunately, this verse is often misunderstood. This verse does not say that we can achieve anything we want. Paul is not talking about winning a sports game or having the courage to do something bold.
Instead, Paul actually talks about his time in prison. He refers to the power of God that was with him during this difficult time of service.
In Philippians 4:12 he talks about the strength he has to live contentedly in any situation in life. He learned to live in abundance and without anything. It has learned to live with very little food and resources as well as with a lot of food and resources.
Paul found that despite his circumstances, God continued to give him strength to do God’s work. He never lacked strength and resources to tell others about the good news of Jesus, even when he was in prison.
Paul could live at any time of his life and achieve all that God asked of him because of the strength that God gave him.
So, instead of God giving us the power to do whatever we want, He gives us the power we need to endure various circumstances and accomplish the mission He has given us. This means you will never lack resources to live a growing and godly life or to share the good news of Jesus with others.
Whether you are going through a season of abundance or a season of scarcity, remember that God is the one who gives you the strength to endure each season. If you find yourself in a difficult situation, ask God to give you the strength that only He can give.
One of the biggest misconceptions about the Bible is that it is just another book.
In fact, many Christians treat Scripture as if it were simply a collection of ancient letters and books that inform us about God and religious matters.
While the Bible is undoubtedly a collection of ancient documents, it is also much more than that. This is the very word of God. The Bible is inspired by God, which means that He spoke through men to create these letters and books.
Moreover, God’s Word is alive and active. The Holy Spirit uses the Bible to speak to us even today. This is what distinguishes the Holy Scriptures from any other book.
James tells us in James 1:22-24 that the power of Scripture comes not only from hearing it, but also from living it.
The Scriptures have the power to radically change the way we live, but we must make the effort to first read them and then do what they say.
James says that anyone who reads the Holy Scriptures and does not walk in God’s way is only deceiving himself. We think we follow God by simply reading His Word, but God wants us to live out the truths of Scripture in our own lives.
This is what it means to walk God’s way, not your own.
Take a moment to consider a few ways you can begin to live according to the truths of Scripture. Spend some time in prayer asking God to reveal to you an area of your life to change with His Word. And then decide not just to listen to God’s Word, but to do what He says as you follow Him.
All over the world, people want change. We tend to let go of old habits and ways of thinking when they no longer serve us. It is for this reason that there are thousands of self-help books, podcasts, articles, and various media outlets. We want to change! And yet it may seem impossible! Paul, one of Jesus’ disciples, shares this powerful truth in Romans 12:2:
Do not submit to this world. Rather, let your mind be changed and renewed, so that you can know and accept the will of God, so that you can understand what is good, perfect and pleasing to God.
Transformed by the renewal of our minds. What does this mean?
Transformation is large-scale change. She is thorough. finished Perfect difference. Just as a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, transformation brings the end of the old and the beginning of the new.
Paul shows us that transformation is not a work that we do from the outside in. Transformation happens from the inside out. Everything starts with our mind. And in order for our minds to change, we need Truth to lean on.
The Word of God is this Truth.
“All Scripture is inspired…” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“For the Word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is able to separate the soul from the spirit, and to judge the most secret thoughts and intentions. It penetrates to the joints, to the marrow of the bones.” Hebrews 4:12
“Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word spoken by the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4
God’s Word guides us when we are lost, strengthens us when we are weary, challenges us when we compromise, and encourages us when we are down. God’s Word changes everything.
And at this moment you hold the Word of God in your hand. The transformation is in your hands. Read the Bible carefully, delve into its verses, struggle with its teachings, and appreciate what you discover about the love and grace of God.
The best place to quench your thirst for newness is God and His Word. God’s Word renews our minds. The transformation from the inside out starts here.
