Why did Abraham Cut the Wood only after Saddling the Donkey?

Cutting the wood to sacrifice Isaac was the last thing that Abraham did when he set out for Moriah. He had prepared the servants, he had saddled the donkey and then went to cut the firewood! See the sequence of events:

 'So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him' (Gen 22:3, ESV).

He should have cut the wood the previous evening, before going to bed. Preparing the servants, and saddling the donkey could be in the morning. Taking time to cut the wood in the morning would certainly delay the journey.

We can't explain Abraham's peculiar behavior; only some guesses. Maybe he was expecting God to intervene before they set out. Did Abraham think that getting up in the morning, saddling the donkey and getting the servants ready will send enough clues to God that he is willing to obey and expect him to intervene? So, cutting wood will not be needed. Probably, that is what he might have thought.

But for God the commitment he expected from him was more than just cutting the wood, setting out for the journey, even stacking the wood and making Isaac lie on the wood. But the commitment that God expected from Abraham required him more than these gestures to actually swinging the knife at him to slaughter him. That is the level of obedience that God expected from him.

No surprise!

This is what he expected from his son on the cross as well. God sent his son to the earth, made him to have a humble birth in a rather poor family, to hunger and thirst.... God still waited until he was beaten and ridiculed. That was not enough. He allowed him to be crucified and was buried. Then only the obedience was complete. Till, as Paul puts it he 'became obedient till the death on a cross.' 

However, Abraham got his son back; so also Jesus Christ. Isaac was not killed, but the Son of God was martyred to be brought back to life to live for ever. God proved through the life of Isaac and that of his Son Jesus Christ that obedience is always rewarded.

Every test of faith involves obedience. The level of obedience could vary. However, God expects us to go the deeper levels of obedience that he expects from us. However, he is watching. He intervenes on the right time. Just before the knife splits the throat of Isaac and just before the fourth night falls on the cave where his precious son is buried.

Easter: Your Search Ends Here!

Easter settled a big question. Was Jesus a failure or not? At his arrest and crucifixion his opponents and also his disciples thought that he has failed, he is another failed Messiah of Judaism who led a popular movement duly suppressed by the Roman military power. However, when they found that the tomb was empty on the third day they knew that he was not a failure but a victor. He rose from the dead. "O death where is your victory, O death where is your sting?" Death had grip on him only for a few hours and he for ever overcame death.

However, it took some time for his disciples to come to terms with this reality. Mary and other women did not remember that he had claimed that he will rise again. They went on a wrong search at the wrong place. They were not supposed to search for him in the tomb he was buried. Because he was not going to be there on the third day. They longed to see his dead body again, but that is the wrong thing they were looking for. Many continue similar searches for truth making pilgrimages to places to find truth there but truth is not a place and cannot be found in any place. Jesus is truth and he is not be confined to any pilgrim places.

However, meeting the risen Jesus altogether changed her search and the mindset of the disciples who verified that the tomb was indeed empty. They found the linen wrapping in the grave, but did not bother to keep a few pieces of this to be venerated later. For them they have met the risen saviour and having him back to "walk with them and talk with them" is far greater than keeping some rags to venerate. When I have the reality of Jesus Christ why should they settle for something less.

Easter Sunday come with the message: Your search ends here, if you begin a walk with the risen Lord.

The Mystery of the Open Tomb

Jesus is available to be explored. A Christian's life of faith with Jesus involves this constant exploration of Jesus, getting to know him closer, and enriching ourselves with that knowledge of him. The Hymn writer is right is saying THE LONGER I SERVE HIM, THE SWEETER HE GROWS!
We celebrate Easter because two thousand years ago, on the third morning of Jesus' crucifixion the tomb in which he was buried was found open.
It was Mary who first found that the tomb was open (John 20:1). She was not sure if she will find someone to help her to roll the stone away so that she can visit the tomb of her dear Lord. To her relief she finds that the tomb was already open.*
The stone was not rolled away so that the body can escape from the tomb. The resurrected body did not need an open door to pass through. John 20:19 tells us that the resurrected body could enter through closed doors. Jesus appeared to his scared disciples behind the closed doors. John 20.6ff also tells us that the resurrected body can just pass through the mortuary clothes. The grave clothes were found in the same manner as they were wrapped around his body. The head linen is found separately, but the clothes were undisturbed and it appeared as if a living organism has come out through them; the mortuary clothes were like the cocoon of a butterfly. If they were left scattered we can assume that someone got up from a deep sleep (or a comma) and walked out throwing the wrapping away. According to Jewish custom there were many layers of wrapping around a dead body and these wrapping packed incenses and preservatives, some in gum form. If the resurrected body could get out through the thick funeral clothes, then it did not need the stone to be rolled away.
Then why was then stone rolled away? I submit that it was open so that the disciples could enter and be convinced. It was an invitation to explore. The stone that stands rolled away is thus a challenge to our unbelief and our wrong belief. Easter Sunday is a day of challenge for us to change our false ideas and our misdirected hopes. Mary's fear was if she would find someone to help her to roll the stone back. Jesus dispels her fear by keeping the stone rolled away. He invites us to explore: Come and See, He is not there. He is risen.
Jesus is available to be explored. A Christian's life of faith with Jesus involves this constant exploration of Jesus, getting to know him closer, and enriching ourselves with that knowledge of him. The Hymn writer is right is saying THE LONGER I SERVE HIM, THE SWEETER HE GROWS!
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* The Nature of Jesus Tomb: Jesus' body was placed in a tomb with rooms for people to walk in and even be seated and watch the body lying on a shelf on the wall. It was room cut into the walls of a rock face so that people could enter.