Now, answering, the messenger said to the women, "Fear you not! For I am aware that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for He was roused, according as He said. Hither! Perceive the place where the Lord lay. And, swiftly going, say to His disciples that He was roused from the dead, and lo! He is preceding you into Galilee. There you will see Him. lo! I told you." And coming away swiftly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to report to His disciples.
Matthew 28: 5-8, Concordant New Testament
What should have been a happy occasion turned out to be anything but. After all, it was Easter Sunday, one of the most important days in the Christian faith. Yet, at the close of his sermon the pastor chose that moment to remind those listening that, should they have any unconfessed, that they should indeed come forward to receive the forgiveness of Jesus. Of course, this came right after this same pastor had spoken a sermon that Jesus had died on the cross to forgive us our sins. Did He miss a few along the way? For those that are not in the know, this is the story of how I walked away from the mainstream church and never looked back. I was that guy in the congregation that morning wondering why I still needed the forgiveness of Christ if He had already given it to me. Unfortunately, this continues to be the mantra of the church. I received a message from a good friend the other day on the importance of Easter. His message? This is our theme, not sad but joy. He gets it. As I sat in church that morning, the atmosphere was not one of celebration of the birth of Jesus but of the apprehension of what was coming next. Do we truly believe that Jesus wiped the slate clean? If so, we need to be shouting this from the rooftops. Our happiness and joy should know no bounds. Every church service should be filled with His children in joyful celebration of the gift which the Lord has given us. The resurrection of Christ should be happy and not sad. Yet, as with many circumstances, the church has missed the mark. Knowing the gift which the Lord has given us is far beyond the Easter egg hunts and baskets of candy which seem to have overtaken what should be a day of celebration. The church cannot shoulder all of the blame for this atrocity, as big business also had a hand in derailing our happy Jesus day.
Through Whom we have the access also, by faith, into this grace in which we stand, and we may be glorying in the expectation of the glory of God.
Romans 5: 2, Concordant New Testament
It wasn't too hard for me to think of a title for this page. For I believe that knowing in my heart that Christ Jesus is alive in me is a good cause to celebrate. He took that punishment which was meant for me {2 Corinthians 5:21}. He is not dead, but living {Luke 24:5}. He is not distant, but a personal part of me {Galatians 2:20}. For this I am forever grateful...and happy. There is nothing about what Jesus has done for me that could sway me into being sad. Alas, the remembrance of His sacrifice shall also bring joy and happiness to my heart. The Christmas song Joy to the world could very well be the anthem of Easter. Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her King. Why is it that we do not celebrate the resurrection of Christ with the same happiness as His birth? If you ask me, both give us plenty of reasons to celebrate. Were the angels in heaven sad at the resurrection of the Lord Jesus? No, they gladly proclaimed the wonderful news of the risen Lord to all who came to the tomb. The news of His victory over death was not treated with sorrow by those who knew Him. Think about this, where is it that you will hear of the resurrection of Jesus with sadness? Not in the scriptures for sure. No, the only place we might associate sadness with the risen Lord is in the messages from the pulpits in our houses of worship. Yes, He is risen, but now what? What sins have you not declared? He forgave your sins, but you still have work to do. What's with that? Let's try an approach with celebration for our risen Christ. Thank you Jesus for giving me life! After all, that is exactly what He has done. He is risen! Let all the world rejoice!
Be rejoicing in the Lord always! Again, I will declare, be rejoicing!
Philippians 4: 4, Concordant New Testament
~Scott~
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