Read, Reflect, Respond - 29th April 2007

1 Corinthians 15:3ff; 15:17-18

1. What would the implications be if Jesus had died but never rose from the dead?
2. What are the implications for me knowing that Jesus has risen from the dead?
3. How does the resurrection of Jesus give me confidence and assurance as a Christian?

Pastoral Note - 29th April 2007

Easter was just another holiday for most people. For some, the Easter weekend was a time to remember the death and celebrate the resurrection of Christ. For others it was the one time in the year they went to church (apart from Christmas, baptisms, weddings and funerals). For the business community it was another opportunity to 'sell' Easter - and I must say that if you're a chocolate lover, the last two weeks were the best time to buy those Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies … all at half price! For me it was just another holiday. That's not to say that we shouldn’t celebrate Easter, but our Easter celebrations shouldn't be limited to one weekend in April. Whenever Christians meet each week around God's Word they celebrate Easter, because we meet each week to celebrate Christ's death and resurrection. We meet to give him thanks and praise for the forgiveness he’s made available through his death on a cross. We meet because we are Christians – followers of Christ. So in a sense it’s just another 'holy' day for us - a day 'set apart' to remember the death and celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus.

In fact, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is at the very heart of the Christian faith. 1 Corinthians 15:3ff summarizes the Christian message by telling us that 'Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, … he was buried, … he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.' At the cross, Jesus dies in our place to pay the penalty for our sins – for the way we’ve lived our lives rejecting God. But it’s the resurrection of Jesus that is the guarantee for those who trust in Jesus, that their sins have actually been dealt with, and they are now right with God. If Jesus Christ had not been raised, our faith would be futile and we would still be in our sins, and all those who have died as followers of Christ would be lost for eternity (1 Corinthians 15:17,18). The message of Easter as it centres on the death and resurrection of Jesus is good news because it saves men and women from their sins.

But the message of Easter also speaks of the bad news of judgment. It's a message of judgment because the death and resurrection of Christ is a declaration that God takes our sin seriously. He takes our life of rejecting him seriously - and he's dealt with it on the cross where Jesus died in our place. It is a reminder to us that we cannot go on living life as if God wasn’t there.

The death and resurrection of Christ is good news to those who have come to trust in what Christ has done for them and responded by trusting him. But it's bad news for those who have rejected what Christ has done for them and ignored Him, because Easter is a reminder to them that they have rejected God and are still under his judgment. It's ironic that Easter is a public holiday and there's so much fanfare that goes with it each year - what so many people fail to realize is that it is a 'holy' day, and what they celebrate is not just God's forgiveness made available, but for many their rejection of God.

The Easter message as it centres on the death and resurrection of Jesus holds out forgiveness and an opportunity to get right with God. But it’s also a reminder that for those who continue to reject and ignore God, they continue to stand under his judgment.