April 5: SAY IT ONCE MORE, WITH FEELING

The intellectual enemies of Christianity have a big challenge this weekend. The “intelligent” view of Christians is to look with tender amusement on the “myth of the Resurrection”. According to this view, if Christians were a little smarter, they would know that they have been linked to an ancient form of nature worship by a very smart group of people called “Jesus and the Disciples”.
Since everyone can see the “rebirth” of nature every spring when all dead things become alive again, the disciples perpetrated this “absurd” idea that Jesus came back to life again just like birds, flowers, and such. The masses bought it; hence, the Christian view of the Resurrection of Jesus.
Of course, a few observable facts need to be considered. Crocus and daffodil blooming may bring a smile to your face but won’t change your life. Trees and grasses becoming green may give a sense of things being alive, but they can’t change your life. (In fact, there is a substantial increase in the number of suicides in the spring.) For all the vaunted power of spring, millions of lives will continue in their same boring rut of the ordinary.
But Easter Sunday is different! We celebrate the day when Jesus defeated death and said to all that life could change. We could really live, not just exist. We could experience victory over every enemy through Him.
This is not a season of the church, this is the heartbeat of the church. So, once more, with feeling, let’s say together 1 Corinthians 15:20-21 (NIV) “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.”
The simplest and most profound thing that you could do is stand up and shout “Hooray for Jesus!!!” Go ahead and enjoy the excitement of Resurrection.

“Father, we claim Your glorious truth of life after death because Jesus came
alive from the grave and now it seems like a spring is bubbling inside. Amen”