God's presence is the whole story. This interaction between us and God who is present with us always is what the resurrection is really about. The meaning of the resurrection isn't just that Jesus won; it's that he is now living with us. Dallas Willard.
We can rest secure knowing that He is risen. Truly, He is risen, and has conquered death and ANYTHING that could separate us from God! David Sanchez
We celebrate Easter because it is the epitome of hope in the darkest of times. Pastor Adam Harris.
There were two completely different services today at Rockhills Church in San Antonio. Accordingly, this week's study is a bit of a hybrid of both of those services.
Elder (and ordained pastor) David Sanchez spoke in the early service. The main thrust was how the cross and the tomb are synonymous with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ the Messiah. Both are equally important. You can’t have one without the other to make this day a celebration of what God has done and continues to do for us. Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection from the tomb accomplished separate but equal goals, but are linked together.
Because of the cross, our sins became incapable of ruling over us. But the story of Jesus does not end with Him staying on the cross, lifeless, dead. The resurrection of Jesus from the tomb is also critical to the gospel message. Our salvation stands or falls based on the physical resurrection of Jesus. If Christ is not physically risen from the dead, if Jesus never leaves the tomb, then we ourselves have no hope of resurrection.
In the later service, Pastor Adam focused on hope. In this unprecedented era where despair, hopelessness and depression seem to rule, where can we find hope? He mentioned the entire fifteenth chapter of Corinthians as one of hope. We will touch on certain verses from that chapter this week, but perhaps you might want to spend some time in the entire chapter?
INVITATION: The prayer and reflection part of the early service posed a question: How are you at holding the mystery and tension of the cross and the tomb? This both/and tension comes up not only at Easter, but throughout the Christian journey. Hope/despair. Joy/sorrow. Can you walk in the tension of both/and as we dive into scripture this week?
MONDAY: Matthew 16:23-24: How are you at keeping the things of God in perspective even while we live and breathe and journey here on this earthly journey? How do you feel about "losing" your life to find it? What might that look like for you this week? Ask Jesus about it.
TUESDAY: John 14:16-19: Because He lives you and I live. Jesus said "the world cannot see him or accept him". How might that affect where you place your hope today and this week?
WEDNESDAY: I Cor. 15:1-2: The Good News (The Gospel) saves you and it saves me. Paul was preaching hope to people who weren't sure they would even live to see another day. Consider your journey of faith. Do you remember the moment when you accepted Jesus into your life? When you decided that for the rest of your life you would "hold firmly to the word?" You are invited to let this passage ignite your commitment to let the Bible and Jesus Christ be your companion each and every day from this Easter on. Are you ready for your hope to be renewed and restored?
THURSDAY: I Cor. 15:3-5: Paul knew about legalities. He tried to emphasize that Jesus DID rise from the dead and that it changed absolutely everything. Paul seems to make a special point of mentioning James, the brother of Jesus. Because of the resurrection, James went from doubting to risking (and ultimately giving) his own life because he saw the risen Jesus. Eternity is coming. How would you live today if you KNEW your spirit would live forever? The resurrection changes everything: marriage, selfishness, addiction, relationships. Is the resurrection affecting your life, or are you mired in the culture of only what is seen? Can you hold the tension of the already (Jesus died and rose) and the not yet (we aren't in eternity yet)?
FRIDAY: Mark 8:36: Pastor Adam didn't want only Paul's witness of changed lives be told in today's service. He had former atheist, Al Hassler, give a short version of his testimony. Thirty three years ago God resurrected his life and changed his marriage, his career and all his relationships. It changed his reason for living and his priorities in life. As a child, Al's father told him there was no God. As a result, Al lived for the "gods" of the culture: job, success, money, sex, material possessions, etc. Even though he had some success in these things, he was miserable, selfish, mean and angry. He could not figure out why he was so unhappy. He had gained the world but lost his soul. Lost his true meaning. Lost what he was created and called for. What about you? Are you living for the things of THIS world, or with your eyes and heart fixed on eternal things?
SATURDAY: Mark 14:46-50: Al Hassler talked about 3 ways can know truth: 1) by rational thinking; 2) through personal observation and 3) by putting a principle into practice and seeing if it worked. Once he had applied these ways of knowing truth to whether JESUS was telling the truth (and concluded he was), he still doubted the truth of Scripture. He wondered why he should believe in a book of myths and stories. However, a key turning point for Al was realizing that the same guys who scattered and left Jesus during his time of need, not only later admitted doing so, but eventually spread around the world preaching about Jesus and were ultimately martyred. What changed? They saw the risen Lord. No one dies for a lie or a hoax. Jesus' followers died proclaiming the truth of the resurrected Lord. Al went as far as to say if you don't believe in the resurrection, then leave and do whatever you want. I Cor. 15:32 even states that if the resurrection didn't happen, what have we gained? "If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." There is MORE in life than what the world offers. Do you believe in the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ? If no, how is it impacting your life and relationships? If not, then "eat and drink for tomorrow you may die."