His Kingdom’s People

Now I make known to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel which was preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which is preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 NASB

Easter Sunday this year is April 9, 2023,  more importantly it is Resurrection Sunday! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! 

Many are unaware that Easter is not about toy bunnies and chocolate, in fact before surrendering myself to Jesus I had no idea the ramifications of Good Friday and what Easter Sunday truly means.  Easter Sunday - the day Christians, people who have given their hearts to Jesus Christ, get to celebrate the resurrection of the Redeemer.  The world's Saviour, was crucified on Good Friday and rose from the dead on this day, three days after He had been murdered, conquering death and taking His place at the right hand of God. HALLELUJAH!

Now if you don’t believe in the word of God, the Crucifixion and resurrection of king Jesus, you may think, "No problem. we can each believe what we want and everyone will live happily ever after." But this "live and let live" motto is a problem. 

Jesus Christ is the only way to life after death.  we don't want our beloved people, our siblings, mothers, fathers, spouses, children, friends to spend eternity in a place where hope has been banished and evil truly rules.  

Jesus chose to step into this world so humanity could be rescued from a desperate fate.  We know how, according to God's promise and prophecy, Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. True man and true God, He did for all we could not do for ourselves.  Where we have sinned, He was perfect. Where we broke God's holy laws, Jesus kept them. Where we have fallen into temptations; He resisted them without a stumble or misstep. 

Revelation 21:5-8 NASB And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Each year on Good Friday we reflect on how Jesus Christ carried our sins to the cross and was crucified. May we be His people who remember His gift every day of our lives. When Jesus died, the work of buying us back, of paying the ransom for our rescue, had been fully paid. These are some of the things we know by faith and my friends when we believe in the resurrection of Christ, we move from damnation to salvation.  For almost 2,000 years Holy Spirit has been preaching, "Jesus Christ died and rose for you," and by His power Christians have been inviting people who don't know Christ yet, to join them in praising and worshipping God Jesus Christ Holy Spirit, He who takes away the sins of the world.

Matthew 20:28 NASB "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

When He hung on the cross, Jesus chose His words carefully.  He asked the Heavenly Father to have mercy. But not mercy for Himself, mercy for others. Suffering through a horrific punishment He did nothing to deserve, the Lord of all creation didn't waste His final breaths. He spoke words that echo throughout eternity, forever shaping the way we view and receive His sacrifice.

Luke 23:34 NASB "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing

Those very words reached far beyond the bloodthirsty people at His feet all those years ago to us, here and now, today.

While it was our sin that subjected Jesus' life to the relentless beating, mocking, and torture of the cross, it was the forgiveness Jesus Christ issued in the midst of His torment that has the power to forever transform our lives.  His forgiveness, if we receive it, extends beyond our deepest hurts, regrets, and failures. 

All of us have sinned and fallen short of living a perfect life. But we have the hope of forgiveness. Forgiveness that takes away those sins and allows us to extend it beyond the greatest sins others have committed against us.  No matter who we are, where we have been, or what we have done, Jesus forgives us. Unconditionally. Can you even begin to fathom the depth of that!!

Ephesians 1:7 NASB "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace"

As Jesus hung between two criminals, one mocked Him, hurling insults upon Him. "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" Jesus could have escaped this scene of torment and humiliation, but in that moment, He chose to obey the purpose He came to fulfill. You see, it was impossible for Jesus to save Himself if He was going to save us!! Amazing grace!  God's gift. Easter, the gift of Life! 

Luke 23:39-41 NASB "one of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."

In the pressure of our everyday modern world, we may cry out for God to save us. However, Jesus longs to do more than rescue us from dire circumstances we are wading through in the moment. He wants us to live eternally with Him!  

The second criminal hanging on a cross next to Jesus recognized Him as the Messiah, the saving King. And in his dying breaths, he made a simple request to God for salvation:

Luke 23:42 NASB "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom" 

Jesus did more than remember. He said in Luke 23:43 NASB "I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise." 

This was a firm promise that Jesus Christ was guaranteeing the thief a place in heaven, with Him. The same promise given to all who choose to follow Him. 

Please know that Jesus Christ has already chosen to remember each and every one of us.  The relationship God wants to have with His people is not based on anything He needs from us. It is based entirely on what WE NEED FROM HIM!   That's what's so mind blowing about our relationship with God! In our sin and imperfection, God doesn't measure His relationship with us based on what we have done or can do for Him. If we receive the risen king, acknowledge and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, choosing Him above all,  God accepts, forgives, and saves us. Nothing can take away His love or our relationship with Him.

While there will be moments where we feel far from God, Jesus' death on the cross forever guaranteed that we will never be separated from Him. The moment Jesus felt apart from His father ensured that we would never have to spend a moment apart from Him.  God is there with you. He isn't waiting for our strength to rise above our fears, He's waiting for our faith in Jesus to rise as we acknowledge our dependency on Him. The Lord promises to never leave us or forsake us. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus offers the only true solution to our distress: Himself.  When Jesus died on the cross, His love fulfilled our every need once and for all.  He provides the peace our spirit needs to rest.  He provides the joy our spirit needs for strength.  He provides the purpose we need to make the days ahead matter for His kingdoms people.  

Jesus' death doesn't guarantee a life free from distress. But it does make provision to get through the hard times. By His resurrection He invites each of us to place our faith in Him, who is stronger than any needs we may have. 

Our story and celebration doesn’t stop on Easter Sunday - the days that follow are all about how we move forward in our belief that Jesus Christ conquered the punishment of sin, bringing us new life in Him.  Create room for Him to fill us with the peace, joy, and purpose that only He can bring.