journey onWord with us

“HE IS RISEN!”  (I can hear your reply, “HE IS RISEN, INDEED!”)  I almost feel like making those three words the only sentence in this Resurrection day post.  The silence of Saturday is burst open with those three words, and the light that radiates from them warms my face and blinds my eyes.  The darkness of Friday is forever conquered by the bright, brilliant dawn of Resurrection!  HE IS RISEN!  HE IS RISEN, INDEED!

I have come to treasure the entirety of Lent as a proper advent to the story of God’s redemptive plan for all humanity: a perfect lamb, a cross, and an empty tomb.  And this “final” week as a proper crescendo to the climax of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  It has once again been an overwhelming joy to dive into each day and walk the path of Jesus during his last days.  There is so much to gain from slowing down and walking each step with Him.  I pray that you have enjoyed the journey.  I have loved being your traveling companion.

I feel as though I have done my fair share of challenging you this week.  I have challenged you to stand in the midst of events in Jesus’ last week and observe.  I have suggested that those imperfect people on the pages of scripture might just be us.  I have asked you to “look around” and see if there might be any tables in yourself or in your communities of worship that should be forcibly removed.  I have spoken of birthday parties and prostitutes, and going out into the margins to invite people into a wedding feast.

In my personal studies and preparations for writing this week, I have observed so much that is wrong with us (myself certainly included).  The crowds that completely missed the beauty and power of the kingdom Jesus was here to bring.  The temple currency cashiers, sacrifice salesmen, corrupt inspectors and priests that had turned God’s house into a thoroughly human institution that stole from those who had little.  The dinner guests who were outraged and completely missed the sacred anointing of the perfect Passover Lamb.  The disciples that sat at the table and argued who was the greatest, during the Seder where Jesus made the most central elements new in Himself.  And even in the events of today, the disciple who couldn’t stop mentioning that he was faster, and made it to the tomb first.

So many of the events and details of this week cast an unfavorable light on us as fallen and imperfect creatures.  Is there any doubt that Friday was necessary, judging from all that we have done?!  But just as Satan would love to leave us with that lingering and languishing thought.  Just as he would have loved for the punctuation of this week to have been Friday and a cross.  Just as he would have loved for the despair and helplessness of Saturday to have been its second and final act, dawn breaks on Resurrection day and all those lies are blown apart forever!  Life explodes and death is its victim!

Jesus’ blood covered everything and his resurrection changed everything.  We must acknowledge what is wrong with us, but it is not ours to fix it.  There is nothing we can do to save ourselves, He has already accomplished it!  If you are reading today, and you have experienced this, praise God!  You know the gift of believing and the truth of this blessed resurrection day.  If you have haven’t yet, let this be the day!  Know that we are always here to share the story of this Jesus that loved you so much, He gave His own life to ransom yours.

HE IS RISEN!