Continuing to Live in Jesus' Easter Victory

Dear Fellow Children of God,

 

Easter Blessings to you!

 

Now, some of you may be wondering, “Why would Pastor Rockey wish ‘Easter Blessings’ in late April, when Easter Sunday was in late March?  Easter has long since passed.”

 

Admittedly, in our fast-paced society the events of one month’s time can cause us to forget what happened just 4 short weeks ago.  But, if you worship in a congregation that follows the church calendar, you know that there are seven weeks of Easter each year.  The blessings of Easter are so life-changing that we want to take time to receive and enjoy the Easter blessings of Jesus’ victory over sin and death.  We want to take time to grow in the assurance of God’s love for our lives.  We want to make sure we grow in faith and strength and courage for living our lives for the Lord in this world. 

 

So, if you worship with us this Sunday, four weeks after Easter Sunday, you will join us in the ancient Easter victory response.  “He is Risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!!”  In fact, we share that celebratory greeting this year through May 8, through the whole season of Easter!

 

Actually, there are some ways that Christians celebrate Jesus’ resurrection every Sunday they worship.  I have read that Sunday worship began and continues as a celebration of the day Jesus rose.  I’ve also read, therefore, that every Sunday is a “little Easter.”

 

But, I have another reason for sharing with you right now that Jesus’ rising from the dead has continuing power.  This week there have been a number of losses for family and friends of our church family.  A tragic accident in our area took four lives and touched church members.  Also, the unexpected death of a young adult across the country grieves the life of my own family.  These losses have saddened and affected our people.  We need the assurance of Jesus’ Easter victory for our lives today. 

 

This week the assigned Epistle Lesson, read in churches around the world, is Revelation 21:1-7.  Verses 3 and 4 of this reading give us one of my favorite Biblical pictures of heaven.  John writes, “3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’” 

 

What a beautiful description of the eternal life we will receive!  Because Jesus died to forgive our sins and rose on Easter to overcome the power of sin and death, those who believe in Him do have eternal life in heaven.  In heaven God comes to His people and lives with them fully, even more fully than He is with us now.  In heaven we are in the presence of the power and glory and love of our Creator and Savior.  And, in heaven God wipes away every tear, and takes away all pain and death.  This description of heaven gives me comfort.

 

God instructed the apostle John to write the vision of the book of Revelation because the people of John’s time were being persecuted and suffering.  So Christians of John’s day had questions.  “If Jesus rose, and sin and death are defeated, why are we still being persecuted and suffering?”  John wrote to strengthen the faith of the people of his day who were asking these questions.  John wrote to encourage the church toward faithfulness and courage in facing the death and tears and pain of everyday life.  What God told the people through John was, “Yes, there are still pain and suffering and death in this life.   But Jesus’ victory is real, and the gift of heaven is waiting for all who remain faithful and believe.” 

 

Our life in this world is full of pain and loss and death.  Life is fragile, and we never know what tragedy lurks around the corner.  We know that there is death, and mourning, and crying and pain in our lives, because we are sinful people living in a sinful world.

 

But, thankfully, we are told that in heaven the trials of this life are gone.  4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."     After the death and tears and pain of this life, God is bringing us home where we are with Him, and all suffering is gone!  That sort of sounds like Easter, doesn’t it? 

 

The truth is, the blessings of Easter are a gift from God for us in this life of struggle.  So, in worship we share the Easter greeting for seven weeks.  In all honesty, this Easter victory declaration is appropriate any day in the life of a Christian.

 

He is Risen!  He is Risen indeed!  Alleluia!!

 

A Child of God, Continuing to Live in Jesus’ Easter Victory,

Pastor Jonathan

 

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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ -   I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have.  (I am regularly adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for the first time.)  However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this message.

 

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