Easter Changes Everything

On Easter Sunday, believers around the world will declare, “He is risen!” and friends will respond, “He is risen indeed!” These words echo the angel’s declaration in Mark 16:6: “He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him” (NIV).

This truth has transformed all Christians at all times and in all places. Easter is the event that forever changes history. Somehow the frightened followers of Jesus of Nazareth became the fervent witnesses of the risen Christ. The same Peter who denied his Master three times would be crucified upside down rather than deny Him again. Fearful men behind closed doors saw doors of ministry open to change the world in the courage of the Spirit.

Easter is a historical event

Every year skeptics question the historical validity of the resurrection of Jesus. They accuse the disciples of stealing the body. They suggest mass hallucination or wishful thinking created “Easter faith.” Some assert that Jesus was never killed and lived to an old age, starting some kind of mystery cult! These tired arguments will not stand the honest scrutiny of the facts.

The apostle Paul declared that the real events of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus are the foundation of our faith. Unlike any other religious system, Christianity rests on history. In fact, Paul says that if Christ is not raised from the dead, we are still enslaved to sin and our faith is worthless (1 Corinthians 15).

There are three reasons we can be confident that Easter was (and is) a real event.

First, the testimony of the New Testament writers affirms that the disciples were astonished by the appearances of Jesus. Jesus’ brother James and the apostle Paul had personal encounters with the risen Lord, and Jesus appeared to the Eleven together shortly after His resurrection (John 20:1-20; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8). The Gospels and Epistles were all written within a generation of the Resurrection, and their stories validate the testimonies.

Second, the rapid spread of Christianity authenticates the profound faith of the first followers of Jesus. Somehow whole communities responded in faith to the good news about Jesus! Within two generations of Jesus’ death and resurrection, Christian communities were planted from Great Britain to India, from Spain to the borders of China!

Third, non-Christian witnesses validate the impact of Jesus. We have first-century testimonies from the Jewish historian Josephus and the Roman writer Suetonius that Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate (who was later removed from office for incompetence) and that the message about Jesus was stirring up the Roman Jewish community and spreading throughout the empire.

As we enjoy our walk with the Lord and share our faith with others, we can have confidence that our beliefs are well-grounded and that our faith is not fantasy, but aligned with facts.

Easter reveals God’s holy love

In his classic work Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis summarizes the Cross well: “Jesus’ death puts us right with God.” From the Scriptures we discover that Jesus’ death on the cross …

• Fulfills God’s love and satisfies His justice — our sins are covered, and we are in favor with the Lord (Romans 3:21-26).

• Cancels our sin-debt and defeats the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:13-15).

• Reconciles us to a loving Lord and releases us to a new life (2 Corinthians 5:18 through 6:2).

The Resurrection is God’s full validation of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Easter demonstrates that …

• Jesus is the first-born among many brothers and sisters — we see our future as we gaze upon the living Lord (Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15).

• Our Lord conquered death and liberates us from the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:14-16).

• Jesus’ power is working in us today through the person of the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-21; Romans 8:1-17).

Holiness and love come together as God fulfills justice through the atoning work of Jesus and welcomes humble believers into favor through His grace and mercy. No amount of moral or religious effort on our part could ever earn our salvation. Through Christ, we are adopted, forgiven, justified (placed in a position of favor), reconciled, sanctified (set apart for divine purposes), and will one day be glorified in heaven. What a wonderful God we serve!

Easter gives hope for living today

Easter gives us hope for our future — Jesus is the first to be raised from the dead, never to die again. When our Lord returns in glory, we will exchange our mortal bodies for immortal ones, our sorrows for joy, and the pain of death for the eternal pleasure of being united with believers of all ages in the presence of the King (1 Corinthians 15:51-57).

Easter is the sign that God’s future reign of righteousness, peace and joy (Romans 14:17) is already working in every believer and every community where Jesus is Lord and the Holy Spirit is welcome. Easter hope motivates our service for the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58) as we literally bring the future into the present!

Missionary Ray Bakke says it well: “God began with the Garden, and He will end with a city. He is not taking us back to Eden, but forward to the New Jerusalem.”

This means that all of our Christian life vibrates with eternity, and every act of kindness, every good word, every moment of service and witness is a signpost to the future. As we offer ourselves wholly to the Lord (Romans 12:1,2), we see that …

• When someone receives Christ, a radically different future begins for that believer as faith, hope and love start transforming from the inside out (1 Corinthians 13).

• When we pray for healing, we are anticipating the day when all will be healed. When God touches our bodies today, the power of the future is working so we can serve Him with joy (Isaiah 53:5; James 5:14; Revelation 21:4).

• When we minister in compassion, from the cup of cold water to the rescue of those who are impoverished and oppressed, we are walking in Jesus’ steps of liberating grace (Micah 6:8; Luke 4:16-21).

Let’s live with confidence in our living Lord, knowing that our belief in the Resurrection is well-founded. Let’s live with conviction, humbly grateful for the salvation Christ bought for us. Let’s live with compassion, welcoming the future reign of Christ into every present moment in the power of the Spirit.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Dr. CHARLIE SELF is associate professor of church history at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Mo.

originally posted at www.pe.ag.org

Palm Sunday Promises

Jesus’ triumphal Jerusalem entry holds blessings for your life

A celebration took place 2,000 years ago that changed the history of the world and the lives of billions of people. It was the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a young colt. We call it Palm Sunday because crowds of people lined the roadway and waved palm branches to honor the Lord Jesus.

Though many in that same crowd would call for Jesus’ death only days later, their initial welcome was a prelude to the day when Jesus will reign as King of kings. He came to Jerusalem to fulfill God’s great plan of salvation, and He will one day return to earth to forever see that salvation fully expressed.

Jesus never did anything just for show. He had a purpose for every word He spoke and each move He made. So why did the Lord Jesus ride into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday? What life lessons does Jesus desire to teach each of us through the events of that original Palm Sunday?

Palm Sunday shows Jesus has a clear plan for you.

Matthew 21 records the true account of that day. Verse 4 informs us Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem was a fulfillment of prophecy. Just as God had a clear plan for His Son’s life then, He also has a good plan for your life today.

Polls tell us more than 40 million people in America read their horoscopes at least twice a week. Imagine, trying to plan your life around some charlatan’s predictions based on the date you were born and the positions of some stars and planets. In contrast to that, when you confess Christ as Savior, here’s what happens: He moves into your life, He forgives your sin, and He establishes an incredible plan for your life. (See Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28,29.) Forget your horoscope. The very One who created the stars and brought about your birth has a wonderful plan for your life.

There are times I wonder where God is, but that’s due to my lack of faith, not God’s lack of faithfulness. Please remember there may be times when you don’t know where God is, but there’s never a time He does not know where you are.

Before my two sisters were married, they shared an apartment in Colorado Springs, Colo. From their kitchen table, they could look out and see Pikes Peak, all 14,000-plus feet of that towering mountain. On foggy, cloudy days, the giant mountain was totally shrouded from view. But people in that city didn’t go around saying, “Oh no, where’s Pikes Peak? I wonder if it’s gone?” Of course not. Although the mountain was blocked from view, nobody doubted it was still there.

So it is with God. There are times you won’t see Him, but I promise you He always sees you.

Palm Sunday shows Jesus desires real purity in you.

When the Lord Jesus entered Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday, where did He go? He went into the temple and looked around. What He saw appalled Him. Jesus saw a place that was designed for prayer and purity, but unholy people had turned it into a place of merchandise and impurity. The next day He returned, driving out the moneychangers and their unholy activities.

When you’re a believer in the Lord Jesus, God desires purity in your life as well. Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers and asked them this pointed question: “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19, NKJV).

When I was a boy, my mother canned tomatoes every September. Do you know the first thing she did? She took the jars and sterilized them in boiling water. Mother didn’t want to put her prize tomatoes in unclean jars. God doesn’t want to pour His precious Holy Spirit into dirty lives either. Just as Jesus cleansed the temple that first Palm Sunday, now He wants to cleanse your life in 2010.

Not long ago a man said to me, “I want to be a better follower of Jesus, and I want Him to use me more. However, I know there are things in my life that displease God, and I have some priorities way out of line. What should I do?”

I reached in my desk drawer and pulled out a small calculator. I said, “Suppose I want to add some numbers, but I enter a wrong figure. Can I correct my problem? Sure, because there’s a red button on the keypad marked ‘C.’ It stands for ‘clear.’ When I push it, I have a fresh start.”

I continued, “When you fail, and impurities get into your life, there’s a red ‘C’ button. It’s called ‘confession.’ It’s red because the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin (see 1 John 1:9). Can I pray for you right now and ask Jesus to help you?”

He wisely agreed, and God began cleaning up his life that day. My friend, what God did for him that day, He can and will do for you today.

It is not God’s will that you live in some twilight zone of unholiness. Right now, ask God to cleanse you. Holiness in your life is important to the Lord Jesus, and it’s found by trusting Him more than trying to live a holy life on your own.

Palm Sunday shows Jesus can release His power to you.

In Matthew 21, crowds of people were asking, “Will Jesus come to Jerusalem for Passover? Is He the Messiah or not? Will He perform another miracle?” Then, suddenly, Jesus appeared and rode into the city on a donkey. Matthew 21:10 says, “All the city was moved.” From the Greek word translated “moved” we get our English word seismic. Today we would say the city rocked. Jesus’ presence that day released so much divine power that it was as if a spiritual, seismic earthquake occurred.

Is God’s power real? Well, ask Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead just days before the first Palm Sunday. Lazarus would quickly and personally tell you Jesus has real power.

Not long ago I read through the four Gospels and was amazed again at the life and supernatural power of the Lord Jesus. No disease was greater than His touch. No demon could stand up to His authority. No disaster was beyond His ability to rescue. Not even death could out-muscle the Lord’s might. You can be absolutely certain that Jesus had genuine power in His day, and He retains that same divine ability in our day.

Do you need Jesus’ supernatural strength in your life and home? It’s available! Peter was an eyewitness and close friend of Jesus. He said, “We were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw His majestic splendor with our own eyes” (2 Peter 1:16, NLT). Palm Sunday was a powerhouse event, and the Lord has not lost one ounce of His divine ability.

I want to encourage you right now. Instead of focusing on your problem, focus instead on Jesus’ promise and power. Remind yourself today that everything over your head is under His feet.

Palm Sunday shows Jesus deserves praises from you.

Normally, the Lord Jesus avoided attention and praise from people during His ministry. He often silenced it. But that original Palm Sunday was altogether different. On that day He both accepted and encouraged the praise from people. What a lesson for us today.

Let me ask you a question: What’s your home address? God’s home address is P-R-A-I-S-E. The Bible says the Lord dwells in the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). Let me illustrate it this way: Moisture is everywhere. But when conditions are right, moisture distills as dew. In the same way, God is everywhere. And when conditions are right (when you offer Him your praise), His presence seems to distill.

Is God receiving your praise? I ask you, as Palm Sunday approaches, to make a commitment. Say, “O Lord, as for me, I will give praise to You.” That’s a commitment the Holy Spirit will enable you to keep, and you’ll be glad you made it — I guarantee it!

Dr. THOMAS LINDBERG is senior pastor of First Assembly of God of Memphis (Tenn.).

Re-posted from The Pentecostal Evangel

What Will My Quilt Look Like?

Grandpa passed away on Aug. 17, 2008, leaving a huge vacuum in our tight-knit family. Grandpa was not just any “grandpa” to me. He was the best man in my wedding, my roommate for 14 years as I grew up, and my mentor and friend who taught me that there has never been a better golfer than Tiger Woods.

Eight of us sat around the Christmas tree that year, remembering that on Christmas 2007 there were nine of us. Mom and Dad had special gifts for us three pairs of “kids-and-spouses” to open at the same time. We all seized the gifts and opened them promptly. Then we froze as each of us, along with our loved ones, began to cry. Inside the beautiful wrapping was a quilt with a note that said in part:

“This quilt, made of Grandpa’s shirts, pajamas, bathrobe and jeans, was made with our love and tears for all of you to treasure and remember. -Mom & Dad”

Every time I look at that quilt, it is like looking at different parts of Grandpa’s life. I can remember different experiences and memories with him in each square. The brown and yellow plaid shirt is one that I left at his house one time. He liked it, so he adopted it as his own. The bathrobe reminds me of our last Father’s Day together, lying in Grandpa’s room watching Tiger Woods dominate the U.S. Open on one leg and listening to Gramps share 81 years of life with me. The gray wool shirt is the one he would often wear to church to dress up. Grandpa loved God, and everyone knew it. The jeans are tired and worn out. He mowed, painted, nailed and built. Grandpa was a hard worker all of his life.

Grandpa’s quilt represents a life well lived by a godly man. Each fabric is woven with years of experience and godly wisdom that my family and I can model. When I get old, I wonder what my quilt will look like. The decisions I make today is the yarn that knits those squares. If I am to pass on a beautiful legacy and heritage to my children, my choices happen now. I just pray that my quilt is as rich, full and inspiring as Grandpa’s.

— John Jackson is the Principal at Calvary Temple (AG) Christian School in Concord, Calif

Originally posted March 9, 2010 on pe.ag.org