Life!!

As you already know if you read my blog regularly, I preached about the resurrection yesterday. As usual, I didn't do it justice. But I rely on the fact that in my weakness, God's strength comes through. What hit me this week was how much we focus in on the suffering of Jesus. The entire movie The Passion of the Christ was about Jesus' suffering. With the exception of the last 30 seconds which dealt with his resurrection, it was all about His suffering. We go to youth retreats and we play the sounds of death, the mockery, the ridicule. We shame people into following Jesus. I remember coming out of Mel Gibson's movie saying, "I did that to Him."
But for once, I would like us to focus on the resurrection, not His death. Please don't misunderstand me, I am grateful for His death. It is an important fact that He came and died. It shows God's justice. Isaiah talks about Him being led like the lamb before slaughter. When you really look at it, you'll see that the emphasis intended was our changed life as a result of His resurrection.
Jesus said, "I came that they might have life." Paul said, "I'm crucified with Christ, but I live!" In Romans 6, Paul says that we imitate Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection in the form of baptism. And we do so to be raised into a newness of life. It's the life we have now, the changed life as a result of what He did on the cross. Instead of guilt, burdens, feelings of dread and sorrow, we have life.
If Jesus were to walk into your office, your home, your presence today, what would He want to see or hear from you? Would He try to shame you into thinking about how your (my) sins killed Him? Or would He want you to show Him the difference He has made in your life? I think it's obvious. Have a great day. JW