Skip to main content

Of First Importance


            “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve” (I Corinthians 15:3-5).
            Sometimes we are very selective in our reading and teaching of the word of God.  I do not think that we do it intentionally, but it happens.  For instance, think about how we teach the story of the New Testament.  We like both the birth and baptism of Jesus, so they get a lot of attention.  We dissect and dig into the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7).  We love the parables and the miracles of Christ.  We dwell on the cross and its meaning. 
Then, something odd happens.  Often (in my experience anyway) in our rush to get to “The Day of Pentecost” and the starting of the church in the book of Acts, we skip over the most important part.  “At dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it… The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen’” (Matthew 28:1-6). 
“He has risen!”  Those are the words that changed everything.  In a split second everything went from bad to good and from disaster to glory.   Suddenly the hopeless had hope, the joyless were rejoicing and those whose dreams had been crushed had something to live for again.  That one message changed the disciples and then it changed the world
The resurrection is about “new beginnings”.  It is about “second chances”.  It is about God being able to do something that no one dreamed could happen. 
In a world that grinds us down and wears us out, the memory of the empty tomb can re-adjust our focus and give us hope.  It is a reminder that no matter how bad things look, God can redeem them and make them useful. 
“Behold I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dark and Light

            When you look out at the world, what do you see?             Some see nothing but trouble and pain.   They point to things like poverty, crime, problems with drugs and alcohol and marriage break-ups and say that the world is full of sadness and sorrow.   Watch the news for even a half hour and you will get the idea that the world is a dark place.             Others see nothing but good.   They appreciate generous people in their community.   They think about their friends and neighbours and smile.   They marvel at the beauty of sunrises and stars at night.   To them, the world is a bright and wonderful place.             You may be surprised that the Bible supports both of these world views.   On one hand it says things like, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the
1 comment
Read more

New Article: Five Words to Improve Your Relationships

                 In the late 1800s, it was common for railway companies to plant formal gardens beside their stations.   These gardens were filled with trees, shrubs, flowers, and fruit trees.   Sometimes they also featured a kitchen garden growing lettuce, carrots, corn, and potatoes.   Estevan’s Canadian Pacific Railway Garden was once located where Mid-City Plumbing and Heating is today.                The purpose of these gardens was to show what the land could produce.   After hours and sometimes days of riding across the featureless prairies, the railways wanted to show settlers the potential of their new home.   The gardens showed what was possible and they encouraged the settlers to transform their own land and discover its potential too.                Today’s verse acts similarly, in that it challenges us to find the potential in
Post a Comment
Read more

Forgetting What Is Behind

                   Generalizations are helpful because they show a pattern that is normally true. However, they are also dangerous because they ignore the exceptions to the rule.                  Here is my generalization:   It is a quality of the strong to be able to forget the past and move on.   The apostle Paul summarizes this idea when he states, “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God had called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). Too often, we trip over things that are behind us.   We remember and nurse old hurts.   We rehearse mistakes that no one else recalls.   In doing so, we pull the past into the present and allow it to dictate how we feel right now.   In these cases, we would be better off “forgett
Post a Comment
Read more