The Jesus Focused Life

Colossians 3:11

• How is it that Christians who once had a vibrant testimony can reach a place where they merely exist in their faith?
• Why is it that so many saints have so little passion for the lost condition of people’s souls and even less passion for His church and its mission in this world?
• Why is it that our worship and service to God through the local church is viewed as an optional commitment, but most every other commitment in life is considered obligatory?
• How is it that we can state accurately what we believe about Christianity, but it has so little impact on our daily lives in our attitudes and actions?
• Why are churches with hundreds or even thousands of attendees understaffed in their ministries while the majority of the congregation does little more than sit in worship services?
• How can we view a once a month commitment to serve Christ through His church as satisfactory when God has saved us for all eternity?
• Since when did it become acceptable to allow our children and their activities to take precedence over what Christ commands us to do?
• Why is it the rest we say we need so desperately is rarely the “rest” that is found in a living relationship with Jesus?
• How is it that we can justify our heartlessness towards the Savior Who paid the ultimate price for our eternal souls?

Questions of this nature could go on endlessly and should be of interest to every follower of Jesus, lest we drift in our faith and devotion to Christ.

In the Revelation, John tells us about a church that had all the machinery of ministry in place, as well as maintaining their doctrinal purity, had a serious problem in that they had left their “first love.”

The city of Ephesus had been the place of ministry for saints such as the Apostle Paul (Acts 18:19-19-21; 19; 1 Corinthians 16:8), Timothy (1 Timothy 1:3) and the Apostle John (According to the writings of several early church fathers, the Romans sent John as a prisoner from Ephesus, where he pastored, to the island of Patmos in A.D. 95) And yet, after all the blessings and privileges afforded this church, they had become a body of believers with little more than a perfunctory service to Christ…they had no heart for Christ! They were a people that said the right things at church, but their hearts were aligned with Christ in name only.

How can it be that a congregation with such an august beginning and under the influence of apostolic leadership could drift so far from the true motivation and passion of their faith? In approximately one generation this church had left its “first love” and was merely going through the motions of religious duty!!

Recently, I read an article entitled: The Autopsy of a Deceased Church. The church under review had gone from an average attendance of 750 to 83 on Sunday mornings over a ten-year period of time. The article diagnosed some of the characteristics of this congregation that ultimately led to its demise.

“1. The church refused to look like the community. The community had started its transition toward a lower socioeconomic class 30 years earlier. However, church members had no desire to reach out to new residents. The congregation gradually became an island of middle-class members in a sea of lower-class residents.

“2. The church had no community-focused ministries.  This may seem to be stating the obvious, but I wanted to be certain. My friend affirmed my suspicions: There were no attempts to reach the community.

“3. Members became too focused on memorials. The memorials at the church were chairs, tables, rooms, and other places where a neat plaque could be placed. The point is that the memorials became an obsession at the church. More and more emphasis fell on the past.

“4. The percentage of the budget for members’ needs kept increasing. At the time of the church’s death, that percentage had climbed over 98 percent.

“5. There were no evangelistic emphases. When a church loses its passion to reach the lost, the congregation is on its fatal descent.

“6. The members had more and more arguments about what THEY wanted. As the church continued to decline, members’ inward focus turned caustic. Arguments erupted more frequently and business meetings grew more acrimonious.

“7. With few exceptions, pastoral tenure grew shorter and shorter. The church had seven pastors in its final 10 years, with the last three serving in a bi-vocational role. All seven pastors departed feeling discouraged.

“8. The church rarely prayed together. In its last eight years, corporate prayer consisted of a three-minute period during the Sunday worship service. Requests were limited to the needs of members, their friends and families, or physical ailments.

“9. The church had no clarity as to why it existed. With no vision and no mission, it had no purpose.

“10. The members idolized another era. Over the final six years of the church, all active members were over the age of 67. They all remembered fondly—to the point of idolatry—the era of the 1970s. They saw their future in returning to the past.

“11. The facilities continued to deteriorate. Ironically, this wasn’t a financial issue, but a spiritual one. Members failed to even notice the continuous deterioration of their building. Simply stated, they no longer had ‘outsider eyes.’”

How sad and yet how often this pattern repeats itself across this country. As stunning as it may seem to us, approximately 7000 churches close their doors every year.

How do we stop this spiritual disinterest and drift among believers? How do we keep ourselves from a progressively diminished influence in our neighborhoods and communities?

Well, the answer is pretty simple! We must be a people wholly occupied with the person of Christ. For too many of us Jesus is barely a footnote or an after thought in our daily lives.

Someone has said that, “When Christ is not central and supreme in our lives, everything about life shifts out of orbit and moves out of kilter.” That’s true both personally and corporately as the body of Christ. What should be true of the followers of Jesus is that Christ is the center, circumference, substance and culmination of everything we love and long for in life.

We should be like the Heavenly realm that is totally occupied with the person of Jesus Christ. The Father declares from Heaven that Jesus is His Son in Whom He is well pleased (cf. Matthew 3:17; 17:5). The Holy Spirit’s ministry is to magnify the Son and point people to Him (cf. John 16:14). And, the Heavenly host of angels gathers around Him to lift their voices in praise to Him (cf. Revelation 5:11-12).

It’s seems impossible for us to miss that the overarching theme of the entire Bible is Jesus Christ! The entire story of Israel is the story of the Messiah and how He was delivered to mankind through this chosen nation.

From the opening chapters of Genesis, where the first prediction of the coming Christ can be found (cf. Genesis 3:15), to His final coronation in the Revelation…the Bible is all about Jesus!

Listen to how Jesus quoted the Old Testament to show that it spoke of Him:

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. (John 5:39)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself…Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. (Luke 24:27, 31)

Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. (Luke 24:44-45)

Even the creation account demonstrates the preeminence of the Son of God.

And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit…The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. (1 Corinthians 15:45, 47)

“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:31-32)

When reading New Testament texts like these you see the authors doing exactly what all of us must do to fully understand the Bible. They interpreted the Old Testament in light of the person of Jesus Christ (cf. Colossians 2:16-17)

If you don’t read the Bible through the lens of Christ you’ll miss the central meaning of scripture.

Ancient theologian John Calvin wrote, “We ought to read the Scriptures with the express design of finding Christ in them. Whoever shall turn aside from this object, though he may weary himself throughout his whole life in learning, will never attain the knowledge of the truth…”

Jesus is on the pages of the Old Testament scripture and in every Old Testament type. He is revealed in all of the offerings and feast days of the nation of Israel. He is the central theme of the Bible and the One we must pursue when reading the sacred text.

The centrality of Jesus and His mission is equally found throughout the New Testament. Of course, He is the preeminent figure of the Gospels, as well as the theme of the Apostles’ doctrine.

For instance, Luke begins His historical narrative of the early church by saying, “The former account [the Gospel of Luke] I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up… (Acts 1:1-2) He then went on to pen the book of Acts, which is a continuation of what Jesus did and taught through His body…the church.

And, it shouldn’t surprise us that the central message of the early church was Jesus Christ. Just consider these scriptures…

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before… (Acts 3:19-20)

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. (Acts 8:5)

And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit…Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.” (Acts 9:17, 20)

Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” (Acts 17:2-3)

In addition, when the scripture says that the early church was taken up with four key purposes (Acts 2:42), first among them was “the Apostles doctrine.” And, just what was that doctrine the Apostles taught so faithfully? John tells us in his Epistle of 1 John.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:1-3)

Everywhere people went they were talking about the one message that really mattered…JESUS!

And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. (Acts 5:42)

Just to get a sampling of how many times Jesus is referenced in the writings of Paul listen to these numbers from the first chapters alone of some of Paul’s epistles:

He’s referenced in…

Colossians 1---------- 30 times

Ephesians 1----------- 26 times

Philippians 1--------- 20 times

Romans 1-------------- 11 times

1 Corinthians 1------- 13 times

2 Corinthians 1--------- 5 times

Galatians 1------------- 4 times

Next time you read through the New Testament Epistles make a count on your own of all the times Jesus is referenced and it will amaze you. There is no mistaking it, the early church thought about Jesus, talked about Jesus, sought fellowship with Jesus, and introduced others to Jesus...and they did it all the time. He was the central focus of their messages, their meetings and their writings.

In a nutshell, the New Testament is all about Jesus, His ministry, and the church through He is still working in the world.

Listen to Paul speak about his own ministry…

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ… (Ephesians 3:8)

But…it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles… (Galatians 1:15-16)

                        

For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. (2 Corinthians 4:5)

Herein is the problem in many churches and among too many believers. We want everything but Christ! Part of that is due to the fact that the Jesus Who is preached today is so shallow, so insignificant and so un-captivating that countless Christians have become enthralled with other things of lesser value.

It’s been well said, that, “once our eyes are opened to see the incredible richness and captivating beauty of Jesus, either our other pursuits will take a backseat, or we will discover them anew and afresh ‘in the light of His glory and grace.’”

Dr. S.M. Lockridge was the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in San Diego, CA, from 1953 - 1993. He is well known for a passage from one his sermon entitled, “He’s My King.”  I could never do justice to how Dr. Lockridge delivered these thoughts, but I want to read them to you as he extols the virtue of the Christ.

“[Jesus is] He’s enduringly strong, He’s entirely sincere, He’s eternally steadfast. He’s immortally graceful. He’s imperially powerful. He’s impartially merciful. He’s God’s Son. He’s a sinner’s savior. He’s the centerpiece of civilization. He stands alone in Himself. He’s unparalleled. He’s unprecedented. He’s supreme. He’s preeminent. He’s the loftiest idea in literature. He’s the highest idea in philosophy. He’s the fundamental truth in theology. He’s the miracle of the age. He’s the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak. He’s available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He guards and He guides. He heals the sick, He cleanses the lepers. He forgives sinners, He discharges debtors, He delivers captives, He defends the feeble, He blesses the young, He serves the unfortunate, He regards the aged, He rewards the diligent, He beautifies the meek. Do you know Him?

Well, my king is the king of knowledge, He’s the well-spring of wisdom, He’s the doorway of deliverance, He’s the pathway of peace, He’s the roadway of righteousness, He’s the highway of holiness He’s the gateway of glory, He’s the master of the mighty, He’s the captain of the conquerors, He’s the head of the heroes, He’s the leader of the legislators, He’s the overseer of the overcomers, He’s the governor of governors, He’s the prince of princes, He’s the king of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

His life is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Well. I wish I could describe Him to you. But He’s indescribable. Yes. He’s incomprehensible. He’s invincible, He’s irresistible. I’m trying to tell you, the Heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man explain Him. You can’t get Him out of your mind. You can’t get Him off of your hands. You can’t outlive Him, and you can’t live without Him. Well, the Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him. Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him. Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him. That’s my king!

He always has been, and He always will be. I’m talking about He [who] had no predecessor and He [who] has no successor. There was nobody before Him and there will be nobody after Him. You can’t impeach Him, and He’s not going to resign. We try to get prestige and honor and glory to ourselves, but the glory is all His. Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, and ever, and ever, and ever. How long is that? And ever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and when you get through with all of the forever’s, then 'Amen'."

“Oh I wish I could describe him to you.”

Closing:

One of the most moving stories following the resurrection of Jesus centers on a thrice-repeated question Jesus asked of Peter.

·      It’s important to note that He didn’t ask if he was ready for some more intense leadership training.

·      He didn’t ask is he wanted to help start a new movement in the world.

·      He didn’t ask about his five-fold purpose in life.

·      He didn’t ask whether he was ready to be further discipled.

·      He didn’t ask about his unique theological preferences.

He asked him the most important question any believer can ever answer, DO YOU LOVE ME? (cf. John 21:15-17)

You can always tell who or what occupies a person’s heart by listening to what comes out of their mouths.

…For out of the abundance of the heart [the] mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)

The more enthralled we are with Jesus, the less we talk about lesser things and waste time pursuing temporal things. Instead, we look for ways to spend time with Jesus, talk about Him to others, give ourselves to Him by serving others, and live so that He might be pleased with our lives.

The fact is that once you’ve seen the true revelation of Jesus Christ you’ll know that He bests every other competitor for the devotion of your heart. If we can just see the magnificent of His person in the pages of scripture and in our experiences with Him, he will capture our hearts making everything else pale in comparison to Him!

People that truly know Christ know that…“JESUS IS ENOUGH!”

What should you do if you know you have drifted from Christ and from a passionate love for Him?

1.     Repent for your spiritual drift from Christ.

2.     Start again pursuing the person of Christ above all else.

3.     Ask God for a renewed revelation of your Savior from His Word.

The Promise of Sunrise

Matthew 28:1-8

I want to take you on a journey that begins in the first chapter of Genesis and concludes with the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. The reason for this journey is to help you discern one of the “ways of God” from the pages of scripture. We will stop along our path to discover biblical stories that illustrate the truth He wants us to see. And, ultimately, find the hope that is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Part of our problem with understanding God’s ways is our tendency to think that He should operate in a similar fashion to us. We reason that since we have been made in the image of God, His ways must be like our ways. However, the scripture is clear when it says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

What we have to remember is that though we are made in the image of God, sin corrupted and marred that image. Consequently, everything changed for mankind after Adam’s fall and now we must each learn to discern God’s ways from the most reliable source...the Bible. Even a brief look at one of Jesus’ most famous sermons, The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:29), demonstrates the vast difference between God’s ways and our own. For instance, when you read the Beatitudes (5:3-10), you quickly discover that what God values is much different to what mankind usually values. Or, you hear the oft repeated phrase from Jesus’ lips, “You have heard that it was said...but I say to you…” as He contrasts man’s ways to His own. And, how different it is to hear Him say, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21) That is the very antithesis of what most people in our society teach and/or believe about the accumulation of wealth and possessions. Jesus’ whole sermon provides one illustration after another demonstrating that God’s ways are very much distinct to our own. We continually discover from reading the scripture that what is commonly accepted as the best wisdom of our day is often contrary to the “ways of God.”

It is very important that every one of us seeks discernment in understanding the ways of God from scripture for at least two reasons.  

1. If you don’t learn His ways you may well become disappointed in Him for not meeting YOUR(!!) expectations. Whether you know it or not, all of us approach God with our own preconceived ideas of what we think He should do in any given situation. When He doesn’t act/react in those ways, we lose heart, get confused, and/or become disillusioned. I’ve met too many people that have fallen by the wayside simply because God didn’t do what they thought He should do. This is a similar problem to the one Paul discusses in Romans 1 where he demonstrates the downward spiral of disappointment, degradation and depravity that results when mankind tries to make God in their own image.
2. When you don’t passionately seek to understand the ways of God, you usually miss out on what God is doing and thus miss out on the blessing of God. Learning the ways of God is about becoming a partner with Him where He is at work so we can experience His fullness in our daily lives. Even if the circumstances where you presently find yourself are unpleasant, knowing the ways of God will better equip you to face your circumstances with courage and in His strength. You will be able to see His purpose and plan through the painful times, as well as the pleasant ones.

This is a lifelong pursuit in which we are engaged and not until we reach Heaven will we fully understand all of God’s ways. But, until then we should desire to gain a better understanding of what He is doing and why He is doing it.

One of the ways of God found in scripture can be demonstrated by taking a journey back to the beginning of time.

How it all began

Most of us think of starting our daily routine in the early morning hours with breakfast, the morning paper and maybe a cup of coffee. Our time to work is usually from sunrise to sunset, at least for the majority of people. And, even for those whose schedules are different, they still mark time in a similar fashion and have to make significant adjustments to accommodate their unusual “days.”

However, from the very first book of the Bible, God establishes a distinct pattern and one whose spiritual significance we often fail to recognize.

In the opening two verses of Genesis we are told that, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep.” (Genesis 1:1-2). It’s not until the next verse that God creates light when He says, “Let there be light”; and there was light. (Genesis 1:3) In other words, when God begins a new work He often starts with darkness rather than light.

If you follow the remaining verses of Genesis 1 you discover that there is this repeated phrase illustrating this point: “So the evening and the morning were…” (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). The days as God created them started with the evening and then comes the morning. In other words, what we usually call the end of the day (night), God calls the beginning of a new day.

To demonstrate further, consider that most life forms start out in darkness. For instance, the gestation period of a new baby takes place in the safe, but dark womb of his/her mother. It’s not until nine months pass that this special gift from God sees the light of day with all the joy he/she brings. Or, consider that during the night you lay down to sleep in order to rest and rejuvenate, but it’s not until the next morning that you realize the renewing effects of that previous night. What we think of as the end of a day (darkness), God considers the beginning of a new day with renewed strength. Consequently, we have to remember that what appears to be the end to us is actually the place of beginning for God.

Consider God’s Servant Job

Job is one of the best known Bible characters in the Old Testament. Except for Christ Himself, no one has suffered any more emotionally or physically than this man. All Job was doing was managing his business, guiding his family, and loving his God. He had no idea that in the Heavenly realm there was a challenge issued about whether he would remain faithful to God if all of his blessings in this life were suddenly removed.

There was no warning or time to prepare...suddenly Job was plunged into the deepest, darkest night anyone could ever imagine. In a moment, all ten of his children were taken from him in death, his entire life’s work was suddenly depleted, and his good health was gone. Added to these devastating events, his wife told him to curse God and die, while the comfort his friends brought him did little more than add insult to injury. It would seem as if the “night” of Job’s life could not have gotten any darker. But, what we learn is that even in his “night,” God was not absent. God was right there superintending everything and limiting what Satan was allowed to do to him in order to test him. Never be deceived into thinking that when God is silent...God is absent. Nothing can touch the child of God but what God allows to touch him/her for His purposes.

Remember what we’ve learned: evenings always hold the promise that a new “morning” is coming. And, that is exactly what Job experienced as his “night’ turned into “day.” As the Psalmist wrote, “...Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

Job endured his long “night” without losing his faith or testimony for God and He restored to him double what he had lost before the “dark” period of his troubles began. He had the birth of ten more children, more wealth, more livestock and more crops than he previously owned. And, the comfort of God for the loss of his other children, as well as his continued faithfulness to his God.

A despised and forgotten man

Further into God’s record is the story of another faithful servant whose name was Joseph. God had shown him a vision of his future destiny which he shared with his brothers. That only furthered their ill-will toward him because of the favoritism their father already showed him. As a result Joseph was taken by his brothers and thrown into a waterless pit...a very dark place in his life.

They later took him and sold him into slavery to the Egyptians, making the “darkness” of his night all the worse. After being lied about, Joseph found himself in an even darker prison, forgotten by a man that had promised to remember him. Throughout all of these trials, Joseph maintained his character and commitment to God without compromising his faith.

As with every nighttime, day began to dawn in Joseph’s life when he correctly (with God’s help) interpreted the Pharoah’s dreams. Finally, the vision God had given him as a young man, approximately 13 years earlier (Genesis 37:2; 41:46), was being fulfilled and Joseph was able to reconcile with his brothers and save his family from starvation during a terrible drought. Again, what appears to be the end to us, is a place of new beginning for God.

Who’s in charge?

On another occasion, while Moses and Aaron were leading the children of Israel through the desert toward the Promised Land, there were those among them that called their leadership into question. As these two men were being challenged, God spoke to them and said:

...“Speak to the children of Israel, and get from them a rod from each father’s house, all their leaders according to their fathers’ houses—twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod. And you shall write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi. For there shall be one rod for the head of each father’s house. Then you shall place them in the tabernacle of meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you. And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I choose will blossom; thus I will rid Myself of the complaints of the children of Israel, which they make against you.” (Numbers 17:1-5)

They immediately began to obey God by collecting the rods from each tribe of Israel and they put them in the Holy of Holies, which was a small room in the Tabernacle where God’s presence would descend to meet with His people. The rest of the time the room was dark and it’s there that these twelve rods lay all night long. The next morning Moses discovered something amazing.

Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds. (Numbers 17:8)

Incredibly, in the darkness of that night/room, one of the rods (Aaron’s) blossomed with life out of a dead stick and that new life was realized in the morning. But, that’s the way God often chooses to work and it is something we need to grasp in our spiritual journey with Him. To us evening is the time of hopelessness and helplessness, but to God every night contains the promise of a new day!

Delay doesn’t mean denial

When David was anointed to be King of Israel he was approximately sixteen years of age. It wasn’t until he was thirty years old (2 Samuel 5:4) that he actually became the King of Israel. The fourteen intervening years must have seemed like an eternity to David. God had given him this incredible vision about his future and then delayed its fulfillment not for weeks or months...but years. Between these two events David’s soul was plunged into the darkness of the night filled with peril, danger and despair.

On the occasion that David came to the attention of the ruling King Saul, it was primarily because he had defeated Goliath and overthrown the arch enemies of Israel. Saul heard the victory chants about David and his jealousy grew to monumental proportions as he sought every imaginable means to kill the one he felt threatened his rule. For years David wandered in the mountains, caves and desert, fleeing for his life. He had few friends and more enemies than he could count. And, when you read the Psalms you get a glimpse of the darkness of the “night” David felt in his soul.

But, the night eventually gave way to morning and David became the greatest King Israel had ever known. Our God often chooses to begin His work in the darkness and at first light make His plans and purposes known.

The story of all stories

Of course, there is no story that illustrates this particular “way of God” better than the story of Jesus’ resurrection.

From His birth in Bethlehem Jesus had come into a world darkened by sin. Israel was living under the dark oppression of the Roman Empire. It was a very sad time for all the Jewish people. And then Jesus appeared…

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it...That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” (John 1:4-5, 9)

Jesus spent the next 33 years of His life living out His Father’s will and demonstrating that He is the “Light of the world.” However, a night still faced Him like no other night before it. From His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane to the lonely hours He hung on the cross, there was a darkness that enshrouded Him and all the land. Listen to its description.

“Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” (Matthew 27:45-46)

Upon giving up His spirit to the Father, the body of Jesus was taken to a new tomb and buried. The ensuing hours must have seemed like an eternity. As yet, no one believed that He would rise from the dead and the disciples were basically cowering as they tried to regroup in the shadows of their own darkness. What would happen to them and what should they do next? It sometimes feels as if there is an eternity that exists between Friday and Sunday when you’re sitting in the darkness...confused, bewildered and afraid.

But, don’t forget this truth about the “ways of God,” what we usually call the end, God calls the beginning. The night always gives way to the day!

Listen to the resurrection story…

“Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow...‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.’ So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.” (Matthew 28:1-8)

Maybe this particular “morning” is best put in the words of a popular song whose chorus says, “Then came the morning, night turned into day. The stone was rolled away, hope rose with the dawn. Then came the morning, shadows vanished before the sun. Death had lost and life had won, for morning had come.”

In the middle of your darkest night it’s usually hard to think about the morning, You’re enshrouded in the darkness of the moment. Nevertheless, the morning always comes because that’s God’s way!

Conclusion:

Easter is a time for recognizing how God works, as well as understanding what He has done for us. It’s a time to remember that what appears to be the end to us is actually the place of beginning for God. Let’s all be thankful for the promise sunrise brings!

Each one of us has to have a beginning with God through Christ Jesus. His death, the darkness He faced, the suffering He endured for us, and His resurrection were all so that you and I could have hope now and in the life to come. But, the only way to experience that hope is to receive Him as your Savior while He’s calling out to you.

How can you do this? Acknowledge that you are a sinner and that you can’t save yourself. Call out to Jesus Who died to save you from the penalty of your sins. And, ask Him to be your Savior right now. It’s just that simple!

Let the “morning star” (2 Peter 1:19; Revelation 22:16) arise in your hearts by taking Christ as your Savior today!