It has been quite
a year! Just over 12 months ago life the way we know it changed, perhaps for a
long time. The coronavirus brought
illness and death around the world. In
response businesses were closed. School
were closed. Places of worship were
closed. All this was done to prevent the
spread of this disease about which we knew so little, but which seemed so
dangerous. Because of all these closures
few if any Christians celebrated Easter in worship services held in person in
churches in 2020. Easter this year will
be the first opportunity for many children of God to celebrate this most
important day with an “in person” worship service with other Christians. By the way, Scripture tells us that when God
created the world it was “very good.”
(Genesis 1:31) Disease is a
consequence of people sinning and turning away from the Lord.
In the middle of
the response to the COVID pandemic, George Floyd was killed while being
detained by police officers in Minneapolis.
Protests, riots, destruction of property, and even the loss of lives
erupted around the United States. Our
orderly country devolved into chaos. These
race riots turned America upside down.
Racism is sin. Violence is sin. There have been on-going consequences in our
country since these events last year.
America also
experienced a divisive election cycle during the last 12 months. Both sides of the political spectrum believed
the other side was acting for their own interest, not for the good of the
country. Leaders acted in ways that many
deemed unethical. Many citizens lost
faith in government. Yet, God has
established authorities and governments to provide civil order. God’s intent is that good government punishes
evil and rewards good behavior. (Romans 13:1-7)
God calls us to pray for authorities so we can live “quiet and peaceful
lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2) You can see the sin which is involved as
governments and countries move away from God’s intent for these institutions.
The truth is
that, though these seem like unique times, they are not. The world has faced pandemics, riots,
political unrest, and bad leadership before.
So looking to the past for help can be depressing. In many ways, it seems that history repeats
itself. The results of sin are
overwhelming. The whole world is in
captivity to our sinful behavior.
God moved St.
Paul to write about our battle with sin.
In Romans 7 we read, “21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do
good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's
law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war
against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work
within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this
body of death?” (Romans
7:21-24) On our own we are lost!
Our sinful
behavior may enslave us, but . . . God has won the victory over our sin and our
failure. He has freed us from our
captivity in His Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Yes, we
are sinners, but Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life. (Hebrews 4:15) Yes, we deserve God’s judgment and wrath for
our rebellion, but Jesus, the sinless son of God, died to pay for the sin of
the world, our sin included! Death is
the result of sin in our world. So, no
one escapes death. But, when Jesus rose
after dying on the cross, he overcame death.
Jesus has won eternal life in heaven for all who trust His saving life
and death.
You and I were
helplessly lost in sin and death, BUT in Jesus’ Easter resurrection God has
given us forgiveness, hope, and life. God
shares the depth of this victory with us through St. Paul in 1 Corinthians. “54 . . .
the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in
victory." 55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is
your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the
law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ.” (I
Corinthians 15:54-57) Therefore,
because of Jesus’ Easter victory we can face COVID, knowing God gives eternal
life. We can face civil unrest and
governmental concern with faith and love, because God forgives sin and gives us
victory over sin and death in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
All of that is
why I urge you to CELEBRATE! On our own, we are lost, wretched sinners, but
in Jesus we have victory to live in this life and eternally. Come worship and praise our God and Savior
this Easter. In spite of the sin, the
trials, and disappointments in our lives, we can say with St. Paul, “thanks
be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
A Child of God, Celebrating
Jesus’ Easter Victory for a Lost Sinner Like Me,
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. Last week Kathy and I went to Orlando, FL, and visited Rick and
Kristi Armstrong, the couple who introduced us in 1976. I attended Concordia Lutheran College in
Austin, Texas, with Rick and Kristi in 1971-1973. Kathy started school at Lutheran School of
Nursing in 1974, and one of her classmates was Kristi. They introduced us and, as they say, the rest
is history. Here are some pictures of
our visit, plus a photo of when it all started.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FV6X5F57DVtKaMRPA
P.P.S. I did a little fishing again this week.
·
I went fishing with long-time friend, Pastor
Rick Armstrong, and his daughter, Megan, and son-in-law, Matt, on March
27. Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/xvAuR6JtxqYgNqoYA
·
Then, on Sunday, March 28, after worship I went
fishing with Florida neighbor, Matthew Phillips. It was a good day. We both caught a limit of bass, and I caught
the biggest bass I ever caught. Here are
some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/RtYoPGXgMgRgeQ2c9
*****
ABOUT
THIS DEVOTION - I retired at the end of August 2019 from serving as senior
pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer, AK. I was writing a weekly
devotion previously entitled, "Thoughts from the Pastor."
When I retired many asked me to continue writing these devotions. So I have continued writing. However, with life's changes I now call this
weekly devotion "Journeys Through Life as a Child of God."
Since
I am no longer senior pastor at St. John, I felt it right to only send
this message to those who asked to receive it. (Though I am now serving
again part-time at St. John as assistant to the pastor.) Perhaps you also know that I “killed” my
computer on November 7, 2020. In so
doing I lost, for a time at least, all my e-mail contacts. So, I was really goofed up. Many who were receiving this devotion each
week were no longer receiving it. I
tried to rebuild my distribution list, but I am not sure how accurate I have
been.
So, if you stopped receiving these
devotions and wondered why, now you understand.
And, if you are now receiving these devotions and do not wish to receive
them, please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove your name from my distribution
list. My e-mail address is
jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer is that these devotions
help each of you in your daily walk with our Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan Rockey
Child of God
Husband, Father,
Son, Grandfather
Pastor Emeritus,
St. John Lutheran Church
E-Mail: jonrock53@mtaonline.net
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