Easter is . . .

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What Easter Demonstrates about God
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We know that Easter is about Jesus dying on the cross and then being raised from the dead. But, Easter is more than a nice story.

It’s a reality that demonstrates truths about the kind of God we serve. Jesus Himself said that He shows us what the Father is like (Jn. 14:9).

Easter is . . . a demonstration of God’s love and grace.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8)

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Easter is . . . a demonstration of God’s judgment on sin.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 6:23)

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. (Rom. 4:25)

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Easter is . . . a demonstration of God’s power.

By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. (1 Cor. 6:14)

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Easter is . . . a demonstration of God’s wisdom.

but we preach Christ crucified … Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Cor. 1:23-24)

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Easter is . . . a demonstration of God’s plan for the future.

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (Rom. 8:11)

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Cor. 15:19-20) But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. (1 Cor. 15:23-24)

Praise God for Easter!

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Palm Sunday is …

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Palm Sunday Hosanna
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On Palm Sunday we remember Jesus’ procession into Jerusalem with the crowd waving palms and shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

The events of that day, however, should be so much more for us than expressions of praise.

Upon deeper reflection of that day, we discover that Palm Sunday is . . .

. . fulfillment of prophecy

The procession fulfilled one of many events predicted in the Old Testament. The prophet Zechariah said, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zech. 9:9).

Certainly fulfillment of prophecy should lead to belief that Jesus is who He says He is.

. . hope for a deliverer

While “hosanna” has become a word representing praise, it started out as a word depicting prayer, specifically a plea for salvation or deliverance … save us! The people of Jesus’ day got it right that the Messiah would come as King but missed that it would be during His second coming. First Jesus would come to suffer and die as Savior to deliver us from the penalty of sin.

Hosanna can turn into maranatha for us … as He is yet to come as reigning King to deliver from the presence of sin.

. . more than a procession on the road to Jerusalem

The waving of palms on His way to Jerusalem wasn’t the only thing Jesus did on that day. We also see Him in the temple overturning tables (Matt. 21:12-13) and healing of blind and lame (Matt. 21:14). The One who came “gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Matt. 21:5) went from gentle and mild to demonstrating righteous and holy indignation to being a compassionate and powerful healer.

This should be a reminder to see Jesus for the whole of who He is, not just the “feel good” part.

. . a lesson from children

While we do not read of adults continuing on in praise, we do read of the children “shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David” (Matt. 21:15-16). Perhaps the adults were too intimidated by the religious leaders. Scripture doesn’t say. Children were undoubtedly part of the crowd, hearing and imitating. In their innocence they kept praising, not afraid of the religious leaders. Jesus responded with a quote from Psalm 8:2 – “From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise.”

The Palm Sunday and Easter holidays will come to an end. Will you continue praising Jesus after the holiday season?

. . time for a heart check-up

The crowds reacted positively on the road to Jerusalem (Matt. 21:8-9) and the whole city was stirred (Matt. 21:10). While they may not have been sure what to make of it, they knew something was happening as seen in the Greek word used for “stirred” from which we get the English word “seismic”. The events on what we call Palm Sunday shook the people to the core. The religious leaders, however, demonstrated displeasure and indignation (Matt. 21:15-16).

Let this day be a time of reflection on your own heart’s condition. How do you really feel about Jesus? What do you really believe about Jesus?

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The Resurrection Does All That??

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The Resurrection of Jesus Affects Us Today
The resurrection is more than an Easter phenomenon. It’s an every day reality by which we live and serve.

7 Ways Jesus’ Resurrection from the Dead Affects Us Today

Consider all the resurrection provides and think about how that affects us now.

Proof

… Because of it we can know that Jesus is the Son of God. (Rom. 1:4; 1 Cor. 15:4)

Position

… Because of it we are justified before God.  (Rom. 4:25; 1 Pet. 1:3)

Presence

… Because of it we will one day stand before God.  (2 Cor. 4:14)

Perspective

… Because of it we can see life from His viewpoint in the heavenly realms.  (Eph. 2:6)

Purpose

… Because of it what we are doing is not futile.  (1 Cor. 15:14, 17)

Power

… Because of it we can live in newness of life now  (Rom. 6:5-13; Col. 2:13)

Proclamation

… Because of it we have a message of good news worth sharing  (1 Cor. 15:12-23)

Is it any wonder the Apostle Paul wanted to “know Christ and the power of his resurrection” (Phil. 3:10)?  What about you?

Church Leaders, Also Read: God’s Power for the Church – The Resurrection

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What Does the Cross Plus the Resurrection Equal?

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The cross plus the resurrection equals the Gospel of Jesus Christ.Cross Plus the Resurrection

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you … that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to . . . (1 Cor. 15:1-8)

Christ died for our sins.

Jesus died on the cross so our sins could be forgiven but without His resurrection, God’s power to be a victor over sin and sin’s penalty would appear uncertain.

He was buried.

Jesus was buried for three days, showing He had truly died, but the grave could not hold Him for God’s plan to reconcile the world to Himself would not be held back.

He was raised on the third day according to Scripture.

Jesus had to die to pay the penalty for our sin but He did not have to stay dead.  God prophesied about His plan as additional proof of His power over sin and death.

He appeared to many people.

Jesus knew people needed help to believe.  Theirs would not be a blind faith, based on hopes it was true.  In addition to fulfilled prophecies, Jesus also walked among them, showed them His scars, and even ate before them in His resurrected body.  God offered proof to bolster their faith and to provide eyewitness accounts for future generations.

The Cross plus the Resurrection therefore equals:

  • reassurance He can be trusted to do what He says
  • realization He has the power to do what He says

When we truly understand what the cross plus the resurrection equals, then we will:

  • recognize it as the power of God to save us
  • remember it regularly as we live out our daily lives
  • recalibrate everything against it
  • reach out to others with it

More for Church Leaders:  The Gospel of Jesus Christ – God’s Power for the Church

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Attitude Toward Those Who Do Us Wrong

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In ministry we will have people who let us down or disappoint us in some way.  We might also experience betrayal, false accusations, or other hard-to-take acts against us.  How do we react?  What is our attitude toward them?  How do we treat them?

Jesus’ Attitude in Ministry Toward Those Who Did Him Wrong

As I was reading John 13:1-11 in some personal time with the Lord, I noticed bookends to a well-known story about Jesus.

Jesus washes feetWe often get caught up in the act of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet and its lessons on servanthood.  We might take note of Peter’s reaction and Jesus’ response.  But, how often do we tie in verses 2 and 11, what I am calling the bookends to this story?

The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. …

For he (Jesus) knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

I believe these verses are significantly placed in the context of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples.  Jesus knew Judas was going to betray Him but He washed His feet anyway.  He humbled Himself in this act of service not only for those who would ultimately remain faithful and true to Him, some of whom would die as martyrs for Jesus, but also for the one who would betray Him.

I am reminded of Jesus’ teaching:

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (Lk. 6:27-28)

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. (Lk. 6:32-33)

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.  (Lk. 6:35-36)

Even while hanging on the cross, Jesus extended grace to His enemies, saying “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Lk. 23:34).

Jesus, “for the joy set before him endured the cross.”  “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Heb. 12:2-3)

Jesus knew there was a bigger picture and committed Himself to the Father to take care of Him which is why He could serve the one he knew would betray Him.

Aren’t you glad we don’t usually know in advance when someone will do us wrong?  We would probably have an even greater struggle with our attitude toward them.  Not Jesus!  He still did good.  He maintained perspective.

If you find maintaining perspective difficult, perhaps the 40 Day Challenge to Maintaining a Healthy Perspective will help.  These are pillars of truth you need to cling to in order to maintain a good attitude toward those who do you wrong.  (Feel free to copy the 40 Day Challenge page from the link above for your own use or to give to others who might be helped by it.)

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Easter Points to the Power of God

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Death seemed to point to a weakness in Jesus’ claims to be more than a man.  Being raised from the dead, however, took divine power.  See 2 Corinthians 13:4. Consequently, Easter points to the power of God and confirms the identity of Jesus as the Son of God.

. . . who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.  (Rom. 1:4)

If He had remained dead, He would be no greater than mankind.  He would not have accomplished salvation.  But, having power over death and the devil, Jesus proved Himself to be the promised One.

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. ” (Heb. 2:14-15)

Easter Points to the Power of God Still Available for Us Today

Because of the Resurrection, Easter Points to the Power of God
Ephesians 1:19-20
speaks of  “his incomparably great power for us who believe.

That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”

The Power of God that raised Jesus from the dead is available for us today.

  1. Easter’s power assures us of our own resurrection. (1 Cor. 6:14)
  2. Easter’s power gives us everything we need to be godly. (2 Pet. 1:3)
  3. Easter’s power enables us to serve from a vantage point of strength, not weakness.  (2 Cor. 13:4)
  4. Easter’s power emboldens us to hold forth the Gospel. (Rom. 1:16)

Let’s be careful that we don’t think we can take something wrought by the power of God, and perpetuate it by human wisdom and effort.

. . . preach the gospel – not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.  For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  (1 Cor. 1:17-18)

For More: God’s Power – The Resurrection

God’s power is just one of His many attributes. For an alphabetical listing of His attributes, check out the Our Great God from A to Z Discipleship Tool Download.

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