Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018

Pastor Steve Brown

 

Trusting that a dead man rose to new life and that we will also raise from death takes ridiculous faith. We know from the reports of those who saw Jesus risen from the dead that believing what they saw and heard did not come easily or consistently. Realistic doubts filled their minds. And yet, every one of them eventually trusted that Jesus rose from the dead and they faced persecution for the rest of their lives because their faith. For us who were not eyewitnesses of Christ’s resurrection, trusting that he rose and that we also will rise from the dead flies in the face of death’s tangible reality. And yet, we trust that because Jesus rose, so shall we. While there are convincing proofs for the resurrection of Jesus, God leaves a step of ridiculous faith for us to take and enter into God’s eternal kingdom.

 

Next step: If learning the proofs for the resurrection of Jesus will help you, seek to learn them. But, accept that you will still have to take a step of faith that is both reasonable because of the proofs, but ridiculous because of death’s tangible reality. If you are ready, take that step of faith.

 

Lessons: Acts 17:31-34a, 1 Corinthians 15:1-7, John 20:19-31