Easter Message

For Christian believers, Easter is the highest most glorious point of our faith. It is not Easter baskets and chocolate bunnies, new outfits or patent leather shoes. Easter is not only that Jesus left the splendor of heaven to come to earth, not merely that He died taking our place to save us from spiritual death, but that He rose from the dead. HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD! The implications are huge! What man among us could die then raise from the grave? Could you or anyone you know? Did Buddha? Mohammed? Zoroaster? St. Francis of Assisi? Martin Luther? Confucius? Krishna? Joseph Smith? Any Roman Catholic Pope? Need you even answer? None of these had power over death and the grave BECAUSE OF ONE THING... all were mortal men. Only One has ever risen from the grave and overcame sin and death ... Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. Hallelujah! How? Because He was God the Omnipotent. Only God has all power both in heaven and on earth, Matthew 28:18, "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All power is given unto me in heaven and in the earth." Jesus is above all others and one-day every knee WILL BOW and every tongue WILL CONFESS that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:10-11 KJV).

Jesus is LORD! There is no other.
1. His Divinity- He was sinless, therefore, death had no victory over Him. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Jesus "died" because He was made sin for us, He paid the price and discharged our debt! So it was impossible to be held by the grave or death.
2. His Divine Power- Death could not hold Him because He was the RESURRECTION and the Life (John 11:25).
3. His Divine Promise- Death could not hold Him because He said, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." (speaking of His body)
4. His Divine Purpose- God intended we be with Him in heaven. To do that, Christ had to come out of the grave.
If you think about it, if Jesus had only come to earth, He would merely have been a visitor --God on vacation. If Jesus had only died, He would merely have been a religious teacher. BUT ... He didn't just come to earth, and He didn't just die on a cross. And He didn't remain encased in a tomb. HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD! I hope we never tire of hearing the words - He Is Risen! I hope we never cease to be amazed at the incredible fact that death couldn't hold the Lord of Life! And, most of all, I hope we never miss this simple truth - Jesus is alive today. What does it mean to you that Jesus is alive? Let me suggest 3 things I see in the resurrection:

1. There is Love in the Resurrection. "In that was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him" (1 John 4:9). I see love in a painful way on the cross. I see the extent of God's love for us as we reflect on Jesus' death. But it doesn't end there! The love of God didn't only send Jesus to the cross, it also raised Him back to life! Love hates death. Love struggles against death and in favor of life. And in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, love overcomes death! That is what the resurrection calls us - to receive God's love and love Him back. If you've been searching, striving, dying to be loved - come to the empty tomb. Go first to the cross, of course, and see the love and forgiveness on the face of Jesus. But don't stay there. Come and meet the resurrected Jesus, the God who is risen and is alive today. You will discover love beyond what you could imagine.

2. There is Life in the Resurrection. "...like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). We are united with Jesus in His Resurrection Life. In fact, that is exactly what happens at the moment we respond in faith to God. That is what God freely offers to us - new life. He offers the chance for us to participate with Jesus in the life that comes through resurrection. Jesus is alive today. And He brings with Him the gift of Life, His hand outstretched at this very moment offering it to you. He won't force it on you, stuff it down your throat - but He will freely offer it. Life eternal.

3. There is hope in the Resurrection. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3). We have hope because Jesus rose from the dead. There is a hymn that goes, 'Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, I can face uncertain days because He lives.' The resurrection gives us hope for today, hope for tomorrow, and hope for eternity. Hope that things can change. Hope that even if they don't change, and the worst happens and death comes, that is not the end of all things! There is more life after that, a better life for the saved after that - life without sickness, pain, or tears.

Today, Easter Sunday 2020, my prayer is that you would know the risen Lord Jesus. That you would know the love, the life, and the hope of the Resurrection. That is the simple message of the Christian faith - JESUS IS ALIVE!
Until next time,
-Pat