Sunday, April 5, 2015

Focus: When You've Seen a Ghost

Jesus said, "I will die; in three days I will rise."

Those who were close to Jesus were sad, thinking "What now?"
Those at a distance expected a conspiracy.  They were preparing for it, set a seal and a guard at  the tomb.  It was way too easy.  Jesus died without a complaint.  "As a lamb led to slaughter."  Crazy people do crazy things.

Then: 1) darkness over the Earth;  2) temple veil rent from top to bottom; 3) earthquake, splitting rocks, opening graves.

The temple veil torn revealed the holy of holies.  We can get in!  Yes, and God got loose.
Graves were turned inside out.  Holy people who were dead came back to life!
"I think that would scare the bejeezus out of you."

Unexpected stuff is happening.  The world changed.  What was dead is now alive.  The tomb was sealed so that Jesus' followers could not steal the body and concoct a tale.

But then.  Jesus started showing up!  Nobody expected that.  No way to put a cap on that!  People were terrified.

The centurion observing the goings-on, perhaps noting the open graves, said, "Surely this must be the Son of God."  Jesus was not the only dead one to return to life.  Nobody expected that.

It is not the temporal world that brings life.  It is Jesus Christ.

Do you have one leg in the grave?  Are you digging a new grave: addiction, relationships, physical pain, hypocrisy, disbelief?

God wants to give you peace, to show you He is alive and well!

Do you want proof that God lives?  Find those who used to be dead and are now alive!

"What's great about Easter is that God got loose, and nobody expected that!

Jesus Christ wants to

  • take you pain and give you victory
  • take your sorrow and give you joy
  • take your weakness and give you strength
  • take Death from you and give you Life!
We are alive and well this morning because of His glorious grace!

Are you dead, or are you alive?

God turns the grave inside out.  

God got loose.

The resurrection story is not told to bring you guilt, but to bring you life!

Pastor Johnnie Blair
Easter Sunday morning

No comments: