Celebrating Easter

This past week was filled with wonderful reading and conversation, sharing, worship, treat-filled plastic eggs, and plenty of delicious food.  

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our church is wrapping up a fantastic series called “Beer City Jesus.”  Yes, you read that right!  Our city has more breweries per capita than anywhere else in the country, hence the title of Beer City.  And while there may not be a direct correlation, our city is certainly a haven for postmodern thought – “I am free to be me, and you are free to be you…as long as your ‘you’ does not conflict with me.”  Ha!  Even those who believe in a “god,” “intelligent being” or “creator” do not include Christ Jesus in the equation.  Without a Savior, you end up with a self-defined god, created in the individual’s own image who requires nothing of us.  How many times have you heard someone say, “My god would never _____”?  Yeah, Jesus surely lived, but he was a “good man” or a “wise prophet.”

Who can’t help but appreciate C.S. Lewis’ blunt response to the above line of thinking?

"You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." 

Jesus was either crazy or the Son of God.  There is no middle ground!  The sermon series has examined the many “I AM” statements of Jesus, the ones that indicate his lunacy or His oneness with God Himself.  Some of those statements include, “I am the Door” (John 10), “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6),  and “I am the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11).

These are incredible promises!  I love the way our pastor put it on Easter Sunday.  He said, “Christianity is all about personal pronouns. ‘Jesus died for me,’ ‘Jesus rose again for me,’ ‘Jesus is the Bread of Life for me.’”  Jesus is “a sure and steadfast anchor for my soul” (Hebrews 6:19). 

Easter calls the believer and unbeliever alike to wrestle with the true identity of Jesus:
*Who is Jesus?
*How do I know if I have encountered God (vs. just believing some things about Him)?
*How is my past hindering me from trusting Jesus?
*Where is my future hope?
*Do I believe?

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”  Romans 3:23-4

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you.  I have called you by name; you are Mine!”  Isaiah 43:1b

He is risen!  Happy Easter!