RESURRECTION! It’s one of the best and most powerful words in the entire Bible. Take the three words that Bible says remain forever: “Faith, Hope, and Love,” wrap them up and you get the wonderful truth of the Resurrection. The apostle Peter wrote of this profound word, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved for you in heaven” (1 Peter 1:3-4).
Resurrection Sunday is a day filled with Joy and anticipation that as Christ Jesus was raised from the dead, so we will be raised to new life in Him. John Piper wrote, “The best news of the Christian gospel is that the supremely glorious Creator of the universe has acted in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection to remove every obstacle between us and himself so that we may find everlasting joy in seeing and savoring his infinite beauty.” I pray that you will see Jesus today as you worship in all of his resurrection beauty and joy.
This past week was one of the most blessed and encouraging displays of God’s resurrection glory that I can remember. Our revival demonstrated clearly that Jesus Christ is alive and at work in our church. The DNOW weekend experience with our Students showed me how truly awesome our youth are when they worship the true and living Savior. Through our revival and DNOW weekend, God led 11 of our adults and students to make public Professions of Faith. Two more were added to the church by transfer of membership. Many of our people made re-commitments to Christ, and I will never forget last Monday night when the entire congregation stood with me to say we will give our lives to regularly share Jesus with those who need to know Him. I cannot remember in my entire ministry a more powerful week in which the evidence of resurrection power was more clearly displayed.
Today, we celebrate all that God has done through His resurrection glory and power among us. We will baptize those who made Professions of Faith last week as a testimony and expression of gratitude for what God did.
Baptism itself is a living display of the resurrection. Those who have been saved demonstrate their decision to put away the sins of the past and the old life without Christ. They do it by submerging themselves in the baptism water. They are buried. Then they rise up; they show the world that they have been changed. They are raised to live a new life with Him as their Savior. Paul said, “Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).
JESUS IS ALIVE! He is alive in us and He is alive in our church. Let’s rejoice in the truth of the resurrection. Give thanks for the resurrection and the hope that you have because of the empty tomb. Remember today the words of the apostle Paul, “For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY” (1 Corinthians 15:53-54).
Thanks be unto God!