Last weekend Christ-followers honoured the historic suffering, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. We remembered the gamut of emotions felt by His disciples; their sense of absolute defeat gave way to hope and blessed assurance because our Saviour proved Himself to be alive!
That Jesus lives means that I, too, will live. I am captivated by two great wonders in Scripture:
- WONDER #1: The Fact That I Live On Earth
I live because the ‘Living God’, my creator, gives life. “In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17). This teaches that we exist and are sustained by God.
The fact that I live is a wonder in that I am a sinner before God. I fall far short of His moral purity – His absolute holiness and righteousness.
The Bible reveals that death is the consequence of my sin. In this, I am not alone; we all experience being bound by “the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2) How overwhelming.
Yet, we often feel entitled to live. Not knowing Him, we may question His right to allow anyone to be taken in death. This sense of entitlement is a mistake; it mocks the God who is just in ALL His ways.
How miraculous that God keeps me from death for a time, and that He even allows me to live! This is, indeed, a wonder.
Though one persists to sin, He is “PATIENT … not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (turn from sin and return to God) One day His patience with sin will reach its limit; for now He gives us the gift of TIME to reach out to Him.
Our sin renders us “by nature deserving of wrath” – God’s wrath. “The day of the Lord will come” when His just wrath against all sinful behaviour will be revealed. (2 Peter 3)
- WONDER #2: The Fact That I Live For Eternity
While mourning with a dearly loved family Jesus brought compassion and hope. He declared, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even though he dies, shall live. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”
What a PROMISE! That Jesus is alive further proves His ability to resurrect from death and the grave all who believe Him. He gives them eternal life; they “shall never die!”
Every Christ-follower humbly affirms, “because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace [we] have been saved.” I am no longer bound by the “law of sin and death!”
The fact that I live, and will live with Jesus astounds me! No merit of my own, rather I revel in His mercy and grace.
Indeed, “the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 6:23) I am so glad Jesus lives!
“Are you with me?”
Pastor Bill Terris