Resurrection Sunday

I like how many places (mostly southern, Word of Faith circles) are beginning to adapt the term "Resurrection Sunday" rather than "Easter." In a world full of religious and secular silliness, today has lost far too much meaning, and it is important that we focus on what today is really all about. Today we remember the fulfillment of the gospel promise, and so I take a moment to reflect on some of the promises that go along with that glorious gospel.

God preached the gospel to Abraham - thousands of years before Jesus - saying "in you will of the nations of the world be blessed" (Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:8). Abraham's life was Blessed with this Blessing, so that he might be a Blessing to all those he ever came in contact with. His life is the perfect example of what the gospel is all about. God preached the gospel saying "Blessed!" 


That is the kind of lifestyle Jesus has afforded for us because of what He did this day. He spoke to the disciples of John the Baptist saying, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that theblind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them" (Luke 7:22, NKJV). To the outsider, it would appear that Jesus fixed the problems of everyone except for the poor. Religious correctness has taught that it is because Jesus was not interested in equipping people with wealth - that He was poor and so should the rest of us. It is quite the contrary, however. Think about it, God preached the gospel to Abraham, and he became exceedingly wealthy. Jesus preached the gospel to the poor in His day, which was that same Blessing God pronounced on Abraham! Jesus is preaching the good news of "you don't gotta be broke no mo!!" (something like that...) 


The Blessing is God's supernatural ability to succeed and prosper in everything we put our hands to. It was that Blessing that He pronounced on Adam (it was the first thing He ever said to Adam!). As a result of his treasonous act against God, Adam thrust humanity into the Curse - the "ability" to fail at everything. It brought death, disease, failure, poverty, lack. Yet, Galatians 3:13 says, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree')" (NKJV). That Curse (and the lack, poverty, failure and junk that goes with it) was laid upon Jesus and was broken forever on this day when He rose from the dead. We now have at our disposal the supernatural ability to thrive in every endeavor of life. That is what brings glory to the Father.


Jesus said that the Father is glorified when we "bear much fruit" (John 15:8). We are the glory of the Father. We are His people, His children. The glory of God is not found or seen in our ability to "get by" with a good attitude when something horrible happens in our lives. It is seen when we thrive in all things, regardless of the situation. Last week, my wife and I attended a church while we were staying with some friends. The pastor at this church was teaching on the "year of Jubilee" and the freedom that Jesus has afforded us through His death and resurrection. One point that jumped out at me was that the first century Church had pagan Rome on the ropes because of their overwhelming generosity. The pagan leaders instructed Roman leadership to follow the Christians lead! How? By giving. If we are operating under the Curse out of a sense of spirituality, how can we live the kind of life Jesus calls us to in John 15? How can we "bear much fruit" when we deny that we have that ability in the first place? 


Much like those first century Christians, God wants us to get the world's attention through our actions - one of them being in the financial sector. Jesus paid a heavy price so that we can walk in the fullness of that gospel preached to Abraham, the Blessing of God. Jesus has broken the power of lack, sickness, disease and failure. We are to walk in the fullness of His Blessing - the gospel of Jesus. Get a hold of that today. Read Galatians 3 and meditate on what Jesus fulfilled for us this day. In times of bad economies, a failing health system, a weak educational system, and confused governments, we can walk in absolute confidence because of what Jesus overcame for us on Resurrection Sunday. The Curse is broken; Blessing abounds. That is the gospel...