Easter Changes Everything - Sunday Is Here!

“See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

~Jesus foretelling of the Easter story in Matt 20:18-19

Always looking for a Superhero…

Most kids grow up loving a superhero, for me it was Superman. He was stronger than a locomotive, faster than a speeding bullet and he could leap tall buildings in a single bound. He could see and hear people from miles away and he could shoot lasers from his eyes. He always did what was right and he always fought for justice. With that kind of a resume there is no wonder why kids look up to Superman.

As a kid I watched countless cartoons of Lex Luther (his arch nemesis) doing everything he could to defeat Superman. There were times when it looked like Lex might have won, but before long Superman would out do him once again. I don’t think I would have taken it well if Luther had ever defeated him. I can only imagine how I would have responded if he had killed Superman. I am pretty sure there would have been tears. I probably would have run to my mom for answers and begged her for reassurance that the cartoon was wrong. I would have needed to know that Superman was alive and well, otherwise my world would have been rocked. Superheroes are not supposed to die.

I loved and admired Superman, but there were other things that I watched as a kid. On Sunday mornings before church my brothers and I would watch VHS tapes of various Bible stories. We had a routine. We would heat up some frozen waffles (leggo my eggo!) and fire up the VCR. One of the tapes was about the life of Christ and Jesus was definitely the superhero in this movie. He went around performing miracles, feeding the poor and healing the sick. Just like Superman, Jesus had a group that was out to get Him, they were called the Pharisees. I remember watching them scheme against Him, torture Him, and shamefully put Him to death. They hung Him on a cross between two criminals and killed Him for a crime that He did not commit.

As a youngster I had such intense emotions as I watched this cartoon. The reality of what was happening made me physically tense and upset. I remember watching them put Him to death and thinking, “it is not fair! He can’t die! He is God’s Son!” The story of Jesus and the story of Superman ended very differently. I had seen Superman, I knew the rules, and I knew the superhero was not supposed to die. Superman never died, but Jesus was put to death.

I’ll always remember the anger I felt as I watched that VHS tape. Even as a six year old I knew this was not how the story was supposed to go. I knew the superhero was not supposed to die, but thankfully that was not the end of the story. Jesus died on Friday and He was buried, but then Sunday came and changed everything! Jesus made the biggest comeback of all time. He rose from the dead and defeated sin and death! Death could not hold Jesus. Praise God for Sunday! Sunday is where we as believers find victory and hope. The resurrection secures the happy ending. Because of the resurrection we have hope of Christ’s return and eternity in Heaven.

For some odd reason, however, many Christians do not look to the resurrection for hope and encouragement. Instead, we are “cross people.” It is true that the cross should play a big part in the Christian life. Without the cross we do not have hope, but the cross is only part of the Gospel message. Without the resurrection the cross is a very sad and tragic story. The resurrection gives the cross meaning. It should be something that we love and that motivates us. It ought to be something that we cherish, that encourages us and that we thank God for.

The resurrection of Christ changed everything…

  • It means that Jesus is fully God
  • It means that Christmas is worth celebrating
  • It means that our Savior lives
  • It means that our God is faithful and keeps His promises
  • It means that our God is all-powerful and can’t be held by death
  • It means that we can be forgiven for our sins
  • It means that our faith is not in vain
  • It means that life has meaning and purpose
  • It means that we can have a future with God
  • It means that the death of a loved one does not have to be the end
  • It means that as believers we are on the winning team
  • It means that sin can never thwart God’s plan
  • It means that Satan's defeat has been sealed

The resurrection is why our team is headed to Round Rock

If the story of Christ ended on Friday then we wouldn’t have any good news to share. If Christ had not risen from the grave then we would not be preparing to uproot our families, leave our friends, leave our church family, and venture into the unknown. The Easter story is what gives us the passion to take this step of faith.

As we prepare to move to Round Rock we are constantly reminded of the power of the Gospel. Every aspect of the Gospel is important, but the resurrection is the climax. The world was lost and without hope, but Jesus changed everything when He rose from the dead. The resurrection secures hope to all who put their faith in Him. It is this hope that we are excited to share with the people of Round Rock.

I hope that this is not the only time during the year when we discuss and meditate on the Easter story. It should be something that we thank God for on a daily basis. As believers the resurrection has changed our lives in a way that nothing else could, but many times we live as if nothing has really changed. Our daily conversations and ways of life do not reflect the resurrection story. The Easter story changed the course of history, but the question is has it changed you?

Easter Changes Everything.

 

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tags: easter, resurrection, jesus, christ, round rock, texas, southern hills baptist church, gospel, good news, hope, sunday

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