Easter Changes Everything - Everyday
Can you think of a day that changed your life? Most of us probably can. The day that changed your life may have been a very good day or it may have been a very bad day. One of my favorite "life-changing" days was August 2, 2008. That's the day when I married my beautiful wife, Michelle. We spent a lot of time preparing for that day. We invited our family and friends and we worked hard to make sure that everything would happen just as we had planned it. It was an awesome day! It was filled with happiness, joy, tears, laughter and celebration; but it wasn't just the events of that day that changed my life. That day changed my life because it changed everyday that has come after it. Our marriage started on that beautiful August afternoon, but it has been defined by all of the days that have happened since then. August 2, 2008 was a life-changing day because of what it started and what it made possible.
This weekend we remembered the most important life changing day; the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Most Christians and most churches spend weeks looking forward to and preparing for Easter Weekend. On Friday night many of us gathered together to remember the death of Jesus. We reflected on His sacrifice and the painful death that He experienced on our behalf. On Easter Sunday we came together again, but this time to celebrate. Many of us invited family and friends to join us and we had special Easter services designed to help us remember and rejoice over the resurrection. I hope that you had a wonderful Easter. I hope that you took time to carefully think about Jesus' sacrifice and I hope that you walked away with a greater sense of gratitude for all that He did for you.
This weekend we focused on the reality that Easter Changes Everything. Without Easter, without the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, Christianity has no foundation. Without the work of Christ we are enemies of God, enslaved to sin and destined for eternity in hell (Ephesians 2:1-3).
But thankfully we have Easter and Easter Changes Everything. Because of the sacrificial death of Jesus and His resurrection we have the opportunity to receive mercy and grace. That's what we celebrated this past weekend, but we shouldn't allow the celebration and the reality of the resurrection to be forgotten when Easter is over. In fact, Easter should only be the beginning. If we only take time to consider the work of Christ one weekend a year then we are missing the point. The work of Jesus is supposed to be something that changes every part of our lives, everyday of our lives.
The day that Michelle and I were married was incredible. Every year on August 2 we take time to look back and remember that wonderful day, but our marriage is much more than a wedding day and a series of anniversaries. We spend the other three hundred and sixty-four days a year loving one another and fulfilling the promises that we made on that day. With each anniversary that passes I love her more. Not because of the anniversary, but because that day marks another year that I have spent learning about her and loving her. When we love each other well, anniversaries become sweet celebrations of that love.
I pray that this will be a year when your love for Jesus grows. I hope that you spend the upcoming year learning who Jesus is and how you can love Him more deeply. I encourage you to take time each day to consider the life-changing benefits of Jesus death, burial and resurrection. My marriage would not be worth anything if I only thought about it and enjoyed it on our anniversary. In the same way your relationship with Jesus should be a daily relationship.
Try to take time each day to thank God for Jesus’ sacrifice and His awesome gift of salvation. As you learn to focus on Jesus throughout the year, Easter will become sweeter with each year that passes.
Easter Changes Everything. I pray that it changes everything for you, everyday.
There are many wonderful resources available to help us consider the death, burial and resurrection (the Gospel) on deeper level, but there are two that I have particularly enjoyed. These would be great books to help you bring the joy of Easter into your daily life.
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The Cross Centered Life C.J. Mahaney |
A Gospel Primer Milton Vincent |
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Tags: Easter Changes Everything, Holiday, The Gospel Primer, Milton Vincent, The Cross Centered Life, C.J. Mahaney, Resurrection, Southern HIlls Baptist Church, Round Rock, Texas
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