April 1: Insight Post by Rusty Coram
Wednesday Insight Post
by Rusty Coram
You can’t understand Easter without Good Friday and vice versa. If Jesus hadn’t died, Easter would be meaningless. If Jesus didn’t physically rise from death, then Easter is a fraud. Essential to Christian faith is that Jesus, God incarnate, lived, died, and rose from death to pay the penalty of sin for all who choose to accept and follow Him. This is the greatest news of all time, and it is why we celebrate Easter with joy and hope.
There is something we need to also remember as we celebrate Easter - we live in the same broken world Jesus came to, and until God closes out history, we will face difficulty, pain, loss, and physical death. Few want to think about this, but it is still true. A promise Jesus gave that you won’t find on coffee mugs or t-shirts is John 16:33,
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (NLT)
The apostle Paul elaborates on this in our reading this week,
“And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:8–11 (NLT)
Easter doesn’t promise that we will have easy and comfortable lives following Jesus. What it does guarantee is that if we accept and follow Him, we can have lives that matter here, and when this physical life is over, we will have eternal life in God’s presence, where there will be no more sorrow, heartache, or suffering. Life after this one will not be limited, boring, or anything - but joy-filled!
Rusty Coram
Senior Pastor
New Hope Church
Lorton, Virginia
www.newhope.org