It was a good Resurrection Sunday! At the sunrise, we sang in the chilly wind and remembered the women who went to the garden, only to discover that the stone was rolled away, the Lord risen from His grave. The church house was well-attended. There were beautiful songs and flowers; all the 'stuff' we associate with Easter time. The day has come and gone, now what? We can take some direction from those first followers.
Those first disciples needed some time to process the amazing things that happened. They had ridden an emotional roller-coaster! The sadness of the Passover meal with Jesus where He told them that He was about to die and that one of them would be the person who betrayed Him, turned into the horror of a trial and then, the Crucifixion. During those hours, they feared for their lives, huddled in the upper room behind closed doors, trying to make sense of their shattered dreams. Then came the morning announcement from the three women who brought the news - "He's alive!" Even for men who had seen him bring Lazarus from his grave, who had watched Him take a boy's lunch and feed 5,000, who had watched him walk across the lake towards their boat-- it was too much. Luke tells us that they 'thought the words sounded like nonsense, so they didn't believe it.' One by one they came to realize that their Lord lived. Thomas, the doubter, was one of the last to accept it and then only when he was face to face with Jesus. 50 days later, they were assembled again in Jerusalem and, just as Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit filled them with fervor. They went out to tell anyone who would listen that life was worth living, that God loved them, and that they, too, could live forever!
First, we need to bring the message of Easter to our lives! Are we living like people who have wrestled with the implications of having eternal life? Paul uses an interesting phrase for those who have not really understood the meaning of the Resurrection, who continue to live as 'natural' men and women. He says, They "make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites!" (Phil. 3.19)
If we believe the proclamation of Easter, it will change everything about us! "We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere." (Philippians 3:20-21, NLT) Resurrection life becomes about more than eating, drinking, paying the bills - the stuff of this life. An added dimension, the promise of eternal life, causes us to love others, to live purposefully and passionately about doing the work of our living Lord!
History tells us that those first "Jesus People" made a difference wherever they went. They changed the world, and history itself, with their selfless service done in the Name of Jesus, who lived in their hearts, whose words echoed in their minds, and who had prepared them a home in Heaven. That is our commission, too! Don't leave Easter at church. Let the message sink in - "because He lives, I will live also." Process it. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a personal Pentecost, an experience of the Spirit's empowerment. Then, go start to live a Resurrection life - NOW.
Here's a word from the Word to take with you today - "now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God! With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort. " (1 Corinthians 15:57-58, The Message)
No comments:
Post a Comment