New Life

Twas the morning of Easter and all through the land, Christians arrived early to remember the Son rise! Hymnals were hung behind each bench or chair in hopes that baby Christians would soon be there. The pastor put on his best face for them all because he knew that Easter was the one day when visitors would call. He sent out the greeters and workers alike to stand at each doorway to smile in delight. In droves they came to hear the good news that Jesus is risen and that God loves them too! Death could not hold Him and the stone rolled away to leave a stark empty tomb on display. So try and try, try as you may but you can’t earn forgiveness because Jesus gives it away. God loves us so much He sent His own Son to pay our debt in full  then sent us  out each and everyone. To tell the whole world the truth and good news that Jesus has risen and we can come too!

When I was young, my parents only wandered into church two days a year on Christmas and Easter. My religious exposure during the turbulent 1960’s was sparse at best until, however through my mother’s prayers, I was invited to Scott Memorial East in El Cajon California. Now, we all have a moment in our lives when we find ourselves face to face with God and for the first time we see how filthy our lives really are. So amidst all the drugs, sex and rock in roll in my life it was clear that my mother’s prayers had been answered as God began drawing me to His Son. It’s interesting to me how such a great God went to such great lengths to save a ruthless sinner like me. He hears our prayers and petitions  then skillfully sets circumstances in motion to get our attention through regular people who just happen to pop into our lives at the right time; divine appointments or as I like to call them or the Choreography of God!

Maybe over this past week many of you found yourself turning into a church parking lot for the first time for a Good Friday service where, while seated at the foot of the cross, you looked up into the eyes of your Savior. Some envision Christ as a weak, dying and defeated 32 year old man who struggled for His last few breaths of life. They look at the death of Christ as a cruel, hopeless defeat but the death of Jesus Christ would turn out to be the greatest victory ever recorded in our universe or any universe for that matter. His death is now history and although He could have called on legions of angels to His defense He submitted to Roman authority and willingly allowed Himself to be slain.

That particular week was a high Sabbath, which means Wednesday was also a Sabbath. He probably was killed on Thursday, put in the grave on Thursday and on Sunday rose from death. Our hope, our joy rests in the fact that Jesus of Nazareth came back to life as He said He would. In His death our sins were taken away, as far as the east is from the west, but in His resurrected life we have hope for a glorious future in eternity.

That is why we sing to Him. That is why we praise Him. That is why we love other people because He first loved us while we were yet sinners. Jesus said that the truth would set us free and if you search after truth and a relationship with Jesus then you will find this to be true.  

A good man will lay down his life for a friend. A great man will lay down his life for a stranger. But Jesus died for us while we were still sinners or enemies of God. Not too many of us would lay down our lives for someone who just murdered a member of our family or for a thief who just stole an elderly woman’s social security check for a quick fix.

 Maybe your ears finally opened and you heard that the grave could not hold Him.  There is no tomb in Israel where you would ever find His bones because Jesus lives on not just in spirit, but in flesh and bone. He was seen by Mary, all the disciples and then by more than 5000 people.  In the end, all but one of His closest disciples went willingly to a martyr’s death and would not recant that Jesus was their Lord and Master.  Out of all the religions of the world, Christianity is the only religion where salvation is a free gift that you don’t have to work for.