Pastor’s Corner April 2014

The following was published in our monthly newsletter, the Redeemer Report.

Resurrection Sundays

I am practically giddy with excitement that God’s providence has landed us on 1 Corinthians 15 right at Easter time. Early in this most glorious of chapters, we read-

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures… – 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

The resurrection of Christ is an essential part of the Good News. Jesus’ death is the payment for our sins that God’s justice required. Jesus’ burial is a statement of authenticity regarding His actual death. It assures He was really dead and the three days He remained dead leave no mistake. Jesus’ resurrection is the final stamp and proof of God’s approval and acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice. Over the course of four sermons through 1 Corinthians 15 that will lead right to Easter Sunday morning, we learn that Christ dying and being raised comprises the essence of the gospel message by which we are transformed and to which we hold fast. Of course, just as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, those who are “in Christ” by faith, will also be resurrected on the last day. Christ’s resurrection makes certain our resurrection to come. Why is this so important? The truth of the resurrection affects every aspect of our lives. The surety of our resurrection in Christ gives an entirely new perspective on everything we do.

When we realize the eternal weight of this short life, it changes how we live life. We are empowered to live life for God when we understand the resurrection. We are compelled to live for the purpose of others coming to understand the resurrection. We are not paralyzed with fear of death or tied to the unhealthy preservation of the short years we live on this earth. The certainty of final resurrection makes us brave for the Kingdom. We are not so timid about launching out for God’s glory when we know the truth of the gospel and the resurrection. The coming resurrection, by God’s Spirit, transforms us from temporally bound, short-sighted, materialistic, timid, blinded people, into the people we were created to be – to bring God the glory He designed us for in all we do.

I drive by a cemetery several times each day. The earthly bodies of many people I know are laid there. Funerals for people associated with our church family occur regularly. The reality of the shortness of life is never far from view. The specter of death is always close. Death is a powerful paralyzer. It locks people in fear so they live lives bound up with worry and terrible anxiety. They fight to stave off a death they can never stop from coming. As we study 1 Corinthians 15, because of Christ and His Gospel, a more powerful reality sets in about the future. It is a reality about the future that completely changes the complexion of today. As David Garland says in his commentary – “While graveyards may remind one of the brevity of life, the resurrection ensures the brevity of death.” Please know what is of first importance, that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and raised on the third day. So also will we be raised.

We have no fear of the future when we are in Christ, because the future is sure and secure and keeps getting better.

In the Lamb,

Pastor Tony Felich