Today, an event is celebrated around the world that knowingly or unknowingly affects every single person.
An event that knows no limitation no matter who you are or where you live. An event so momentus and of such magnitude, it caused an earthquake, yet unknown by so many.
The event is not deterred by race, life style, or belief system.
The event, believed or not, accepted or not, does not affect it.
The event was mocked, scorned, and rejected and still is today.
The event stands despite unbelief. It stands as sure as the physical laws we live by.
The Resurrection.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of our Christian faith. This event, which occurred almost two thousand years ago, is the best attested fact in human history and experience. The resurrection of Christ was predicted in the Old Testament and by Christ Himself. During the forty days following His resurrection, Jesus showed Himself to be alive from the dead by “many infallible proofs”. He appeared at various times and places to many people who told others what they had seen.
– Moody Bible Institute
Other religious leaders have a grave.
Not Jesus.
But first:
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
The key word is love.
We understand love. We talk about how important it is to love people and how much we want to be loved.
In my lifetime, I have seen humanity doing better in loving through listening, understanding, and accepting more than ever. Yet, we don’t always love the way God tells us.
God says this about love:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs …
God, the Creator of the universe, the Creator of humanity and all things, created love and defines what love is.
Because of love, God rescued the us from our sinful condition through sacrificing His life. It was the only way to be reconciled to God.
What does God ask of us? To love Him with all our heart, our soul, our strength.
That’s it.
It’s not about doing good things or being a good person. It’s not enough. How could it be?
The sinful condition of humanity is deeper and darker than we can possibly comprehend. Like a broken bone or cancer needs more than an aspirin or a band-aid, we have to be willing to look deeply into our human condition.
Shouldn’t our love be reciprocated as equally as possible? Aren’t we grateful for something someone does for us? Or gives us? How much more should our response be to God?
We can only do that when we willingly look at our hearts. God says he has written eternity on our hearts. That means we know there is something beyond living our lives here. He also says the commandments are written on our hearts. We know the difference between right and wrong.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not as a result of [good] works, so that no one may boast.
We don’t earn our way to salvation. It is a gift.
The gift can only be opened when we admit we are sinners in need of saving.
Jesus suffered and died a gruesome death to rescue us.
But today, we remember that Jesus defied the finality of death through the empty tomb.
No other religious leader makes that claim.
Those who believe will also be resurrected and with God for eternity.
I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.
Hallelujah!
when it hurts 