Impacted By Easter

Are you closer to Jesus now because of your Easter investment?
Did you have some powerful moments alone with Jesus?
Did you share the great news of Jesus with anyone who is far from God?
Did you sense Jesus smile upon you during this Easter season?

Our focus this year is to become In Awe of Jesus.
"Awe" meaning three emotions colliding over a grand event or grand person; the emotion of fear, wonder and reverential respect.

There was a historical man named Jesus.
He was born like no else was born. He lived like no one else lived. He taught like no one else taught. He served like no one else served. He loved like no one else loved. His heart went out to those who were overlooked, left out, marginalized, despised, forgotten and excluded.

On Friday, His great courage got Him arrested. His great love led Him to the cross. His great passion for sinners carried Him through the suffering. His great sacrifice allowed Him to die. On Friday, it was such a horrible ending to such a wonderful life that it was marked by darkness, earthquake, the dead walking and the veil ripping.

On Saturday, there was great silence as Jesus lay dead in the grave. There was great mourning as the Great Leader seemed to no longer be leading. There was great sorrow as the Great Lover seemed to no longer be loving. There was great shock as the Messiah seemed to be a fraud.

On Sunday, the stone was rolled away. On Sunday, the grave clothes were neatly folded. On Sunday, the tomb was empty. On Sunday, the bloody, ripped up back, the wounds from the crown of thorns, the wounds from the beatings, the wounds from the nails, the wounds from the spear were fully healed. The dead was no longer dead, death lost its sting, the grave lost its corpse. On Sunday, darkness was derailed, the devil was dethroned and hell was defeated. On Sunday, faith was vindicated, the prophets validated, the disciples animated. On Sunday, sin lost, shamed died, hope soared and love won. We got something to live for. We got something to die for. We got something to hope in.
Easter is therefore, the greatest victory, over the darkest enemy, by the noblest hero, for the loftiest cause, that is the central proclamation in the history of the world. If there is anything in this broken, dark world worth celebrating it is that Jesus Christ is Risen from the dead. He is risen, He is risen indeed!

How is your life different because of this Easter? Or did you miss it?

In Awe of Jesus,
Pastor Chris