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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).

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