How was your April Fools’ Day? Did you make it through the day unscathed, or were you the victim of someone’s practical joke? Perhaps you were the prankster, keeping others on their toes throughout the day.
I am not a practical joker, partly because I don’t want to lie, and partly because I wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face long enough to fool someone. I am not a fan of April Fools’ Day, but there is a type of “foolishness” in which I am happy to participate.
The Bible says, “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 Corinthians 1:18)
What is the message of the cross? It is that Jesus, the Son of God, died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin, and rose again on the third day. It is the Good News that all who trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour will be forgiven for their sin and have eternal life in Heaven. (Either we believe this, or we think it is foolish. Personally, I believe it.)
During this month of April, Christians will commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus, as together we celebrate Palm Sunday (April 13), Good Friday (April 18), and Resurrection Sunday (April 20). To the unbelieving world we look and sound foolish, but as followers of Jesus, we know that the message is true because we have experienced God’s saving power in our lives.
I hope that you will believe God’s message and know God’s saving power.
Pastor Kent Babbey
Blenheim Baptist Church