He Lives!April 12, 2020
If you had told me a year ago that we would not be gathering together this Easter; that churches all around the world would be empty on the day we celebrate our Risen Savior, I’m not sure I would have believed you. And yet, right now, this is our reality. In the last three weeks, life as we know it has turned upside down. Nothing is as we expected. And in a way, it’s almost fitting. Hang in there with me for a moment...
You see, 2000 years ago the disciples of Jesus had a vision. They knew Jesus was the Messiah; and in their minds, they had expectations of how things were going to play out and what that would look like. And then suddenly, in the midst of a Passover dinner, Jesus tells them it’s not going to work out at all like they expected. Faster than they could process, their world turned upside down and their hearts turned inside out. The Master they followed, the Messiah they loved, was betrayed, judged, sentenced, crucified, and buried. He was gone. And so was their vision, and their hope. But behind the scenes, working in ways that they could not fathom, God was preparing to unleash a hope bigger than they could imagine, a rescue more powerful than they could dream.
We will celebrate the resurrection of our Savior this Sunday in ways we never have before. Gathered around computer monitors or television screens or cell phones is not what any of us imagined or hoped for. And yet, what if God is doing something bigger behind the scenes that we can’t see? What if He is preparing to do something more powerful in our world than we can even imagine? Jesus lives! Hope has come!
In homes all across our city, state, nation, and around the world, followers of Jesus WILL CELEBRATE the risen Christ this Easter. Just imagine…worship rising in my home and your home, in homes from coast to coast and continent to continent, as Jesus is exalted! The Holy Spirit unites us in a powerful way, even and perhaps especially, when we can’t be together! I’m excited about what God is doing, and I can’t wait to celebrate with you!