And you also, like many around the country and world today, have ‘risen’ from bed and will be soon gathering with millions of other like-minded believers celebrating the most revered holiday in the Christian faith- The resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the Christ.
There will be songs and sermons and altar calls all focused on the shared belief that Jesus who was crucified and laid in a tomb rose indeed from the dead. Inspiring words will be shared proclaiming this great display of God’s power and songs both old and new alike will echo through congregations large and small that will stir hearts and faith of both young and old and all those in-between.
The dark, solemn day of ‘Good Friday’ is in the rearview mirror and today is a day of celebrating which often includes eating. If it’s not a church ‘pot-luck’, then most likely you’ll join family around tables in your homes if not local eateries and restaurants.
It truly is a day to commemorate and celebrate. And ‘celebrate’- we know how to do.
You know…it’s one thing to celebrate the resurrection of the ‘only begotten Son of God’. It’s another thing to Experience that same resurrection power yourself. Which if you think about it…scripture pretty well lays out that was exactly what we who turn our hearts and lives completely over to Christ were supposed to do…experience for ourselves this being ‘raised from the dead’.
Ephesians 2:1-4 tells those early believers explicitly (along with us as well) that they were ‘once dead in their sins and trespasses’. This ‘death’ had passed down from Adam to all men because all had sinned (Rom. 5:9) and sin always leads to death. Make no mistake about it…when we eat off that tree of death, we will surely die. (Gen 2:16-17; Rom. 8:13)
So God sent Jesus into this darkened, sin-filled world, to bring life to mankind. Sadly, so many ‘versions’ to just how one experiences this new life has been spun. It’s reminds me of that old telephone game we use to play where one story is told to the next person and then hear another thing while passing on something else and by the time it reaches the end of the line/circle, it has taken on an often distorted message that was unlike the original message shared.
But then, we saw that take place early on in the garden in Genesis 3 where God’s message was altered, twisted, diluted, or turned completely around. Satan, a.k.a. ’the serpent’ has a way of doing that with God’s word. When Jesus began His public ministry declaring the Kingdom of God had come, he confronted one group of religious folks who had their own spin on scripture. He just flat out told them that while they were combing through and searching scripture thinking they might find ‘life’ (which is what anyone dealing with death often wants to do…find life) they were refusing to ‘come to Him’ that they might have life indeed. (John 5:40)
You see, an amazing thing happens to a ‘dead’ person who comes to Him, Jesus. (On His terms I might add). You get raised from the dead…just like Jesus did. And you get to walk in the newness of life as a new creation. Can I just tell you here and now that this is not poetic language. It’s really ‘a thing’…to be raised from the dead and to walk in the newness of life as a new creation. In fact, you will walk just like Jesus walked…IF…you are abiding in Him. (1 John 2:6)
Tragically, so many of the multitudes today who will be celebrating the resurrection of Christ have yet to experience it themselves. They are just good at celebrating it and even believing in it… while it just has seemed out of reach for themselves. They ‘profess to believe’ but their lives seem to suggest otherwise. And this is not me judging them. They will tell you this their selves. But they are ‘holding on to Jesus’ until He comes and makes them new. In all likelihood, they heard His voice call them , but have yet to walk out of that tomb.
Speaking of tombs, empty ones to be exact, that image I posted today…guess who saw a similar view from that angle before Jesus did? Lazarus, Jesus’s friend. You can read about it in John 11. The only difference between this image and the one Lazarus saw was we are told Lazarus came out of the tomb, after hearing Jesus call His name, while still wearing grave clothes. In fact Jesus had to tell some of His disciples to ‘ go and loosen’ Lazarus from his. (John 11:44). It’s pretty safe to say Jesus left His behind. Hence the illustration I posted.
You may have noticed five question marks on there as well. I think God has five questions He’d like to ask us today on this day of celebrating what He did in Jesus since He also desires to do the same in us. All five questions come straight from scripture.
God has a good way of asking questions. Let’s examine them. I think they would do us all well to ask ourselves. We should probably start with the ‘Easter themed’ question first. You’ve read it and it may be a sermon title this morning in your church…
1. “Why seek ye the living among the dead?” You find that in Luke 24:5-7. It’s where some women went to apply some spices and ointments to the body of Jesus in the tomb on that third morning and were greeted by two men in shining garments who asked them that question. The question is still applicable to us today given our propensity to think we can find ‘life’ in so man other things…yet are reluctant to come to Jesus that we might have life. What is that definition of ‘insanity’…doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results? (John 5:40)
2. “Who told you that you were naked?” (Gen. 3:11). I’ve written on this before here. And it’s a question that needs to be asked more often given the fact God asked Eve this question when she told God she was naked. It wasn’t God who told her that. Which means it had to be Satan. Did you know Jesus refers to him as the ‘father of lies’? (John 8:44). Who told You…that you could never live this life of resurrection power in its fulness? Who told you that you could never overcome sin in this life? Who told you…you were worthless and unlovable? Who told you that you would always have anger issues, or depression battles or sexually immoral struggles? This new ‘issue’ on the rise of ‘trans’ people and their gender struggles…I can hear God asking them: “Who told you that you were a girl when I made you a boy?” Do you think all of us have been guilty of listening to the ‘wrong voice’ and lies at one time or another? And then acting on it?
3. “How long halt you between two opinions?” (1 Kings 18:21). That was the question Elijah asked the backslidden children of Israel who were living double-minded lives…you know…one foot in the world and the other in the church? James calls those types ‘adulterers’. (4:4). He also offers a similar solution that Elijah did on Mt. Carmel…(James 4:7-10). Jesus said you can’t serve two masters. It’s impossible…regardless of what someone else may have told you. (Need to re-read question #2 again?). Paul expounds on this in Romans 8 about the ‘spiritual mind’ and the ’carnal mind’. The carnal mind/man is hostile to God and will never submit to God nor can he please God. It is a life of futility to think you can abide in Jesus and ‘save this old flesh man’.
4. Do you want to be made well (healthy, pure, whole)? John 5:6. I think this is one of the most profound questions Jesus ever asked. This is what He asked that lame man by the pool who was ‘waiting’ on his miracle of hope. How many of you have been ‘holding on’ forever and a day waiting for a genuine change in your life? I hear the Savior asking You this very same question. It’s worth given serious thought to before you answer. Trust me.
5. How long will you stand gazing here? (Acts 1:11). This was the question two men in white apparel asked the disciples who watched Jesus ascend back in to heaven some forty days after the resurrection. I cannot even begin to imagine that scene, can you? I’m sure I’d been standing there as well with my mouth agape and eyes wide open. But I agree, there comes a time where we need to stop standing and gazing…and start moving and following and obeying. There’s work to be done. First and foremost, in our own lives. If we don’t let God do the work in us first, we are of no use to Him and reaching others and making the same impact. We can never affect the ‘uttermost parts of the word’ if it does not begin with us first. (Acts 1:8)
I want to leave you with this passage that Paul wrote to the Romans in chapter 8:9-11 -
“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, IF indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now IF anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And IF Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But IF the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Did you notice the frequent use of that two letter word ‘IF’? I capitalized them for you. That last line is worth chewing on. “IF…that same spirit who raised Christ from the dead dwells in you…”…that one you will sing and celebrated today….IF indeed it truly dwells in you…then there will be no mistaking it. And nobody will need to tell you. You. Will. Know.
Jesus didn’t come to make you some loud faithful participant on a church pew. He came to raise YOU from the dead and in turn, as you begin to follow and abide in Him, you TOO will be conformed to HIS likeness and image. (Rom. 8:29). Not some cheap knockoff counterfeit. But truly, a new creation. ( 2 Cor 5:17)
Now That…is worth celebrating. Happy Easter. :- )
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