BECAUSE HE LIVES
1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Good hunting buddies are tough to come by. Some people might have only one or two in their entire life. But I've been blessed. I've had many many great friends and family members as hunting buddies. A few years back I lost three of them in a short period of time.
I remember often walking by my dad's side in the woods. I loved hunting squirrels, deer, rabbits, turkeys and anything else with him. He taught me the basics of hunting. When my little sister Becky was just 14 years old I took out hunting one late November morning and helped her harvest her first deer. My friend, Curtis was one guy that could sit and talk hunting with me day in and day out year round... he would come to me and ask "what am I doing wrong" when hunting was tough and offer suggestions when I was struggling.
All three of these people passed away within a short time. The morning after their passing and for several days afterwards I would wake thinking it was all a bad dream. I wanted so bad to go back and find a way to change things and have one more day to spend together. Just one more chance to walk in the woods and share a sunrise.... But it couldn't happen... not here, not now.
It reminds me of the day after Easter, it's the day after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's the day that His disciples woke up wondering if it had all been a dream. Jesus had told them He would rise again, but they didn't understand. He promised but they didn't know. Now here they were the day after they found His tomb empty and they woke to a new hope.
I'm sure it must have taken some time for them to fully comprehend the whirlwind of events that had taken place the previous week. Over the next days, Jesus helped His followers to realize some of the implications of what had just happened. His death and resurrection were no adjustment in God's plan. They were the plan. God had accepted Jesus' payment, on the cross, for the sins of His people. Animal sacrifices were no longer necessary for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus' resurrection assured us that those He had redeemed would also be glorified through Him on the last day. His defeat of the grave anticipated the time when all of creation would be "set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God." (Romans 8:21) What a time for His followers... They were in on the ground floor of something that was changing the world!
Many people move on from each Easter Sunday to an ordinary Monday. They are totally unaware of the significance of all they heard about yesterday. They'll continue to fight sin in their own strength, think the meaning of life lies somewhere within their failing life and removed from God's provision in Christ, and they'll battle a nagging fear of death. The resurrection will fade into the everyday, everyday of their day to day lives. What happened on the Easter, Resurrection Sunday some 2000 years ago will be lost again until a year from now... when they will hear again, "He is Risen" and they'll just hear the words again and not know the true meaning.
Without a risen Jesus we would be hopeless.... But because my savior lives, there is a hope and assurance for everyone that calls on the name of Jesus, for everyone that cries out for Him, believing that He did come as God's Son, died on the cross, was buried in the tomb and ROSE AGAIN, so we have hope that we too will not face death. Like Jesus, death has no claim on God's children. We too will rise, but it won't take three days... we will be with Him in heaven a the very second that we take our last breath.
If you've not understood the gift of Easter until now.... Call out to Jesus and thank Him for what He did for you. Acknowledge Him as God and accept the gift He gave us. When we've done that, Easter is no longer about a bunny and chocolate for the children of God ... no it's a celebration of a Risen Savior. It's just as exciting today as it was for Jesus' disciples the morning after Easter when they awoke knowing that Jesus was truly alive.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
Help achieve the mission - GIVE today
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