Hi you all. It is Easter. Everyone agrees it is Easter, but the problem is how everyone understands what Easter is. I am with a very nice friend of mine right now at Wisconsin with few other friends of his. We went in a bar to visit some other friends of his. It was divesting to me to see so many old people who seemed to be drunk. I thought for a few moments, and say to myself “I wonder if I asked them where they were, if they would know.” I came to the conclusion that they would have said yes. I would have agreed with that because they do know where they are- they are in a bar! They may know where they are at, but what about if I were to ask them if they know where they were headed with their lives? I am sure none of them would have had an assured answer. What does that mean to us all? It meant to ask this question, “Am I saved or lost?” Of course the common answer is more likely to say “I am not lost!” But you are wrong. The problem is not the matter of where you are right now, but it is where you are going. You might know your current location, but I am sure most of you don’t know where you are heading. Since some of you have no clue where you are going, please ask for a location or direction. It is not fun to be lost.
I have a great suggestion for you, if you wonder who to ask. Jesus Christ is waiting to point you the right place not only to bring you to the location, but moreover to lead you to that place as well. To be lost is to miss everything you ever need and moreover to lose the real home that God prepare for you. There was one man who was completely lost at one time and had only a minute before he would lose sight of the one who knew the way he needed to go. In that last minute he asked Jesus for direction- then he was saved. Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke23:42). This man knew he was lost and the only way he would be saved was if Christ remembered him. Christ has come to the earth to lead us to the way, the father God wants us to go. He came and opened the way for us. This was a terrible moment for him. He left his home full of glory to search and lead each one of us. He became hungry, thirsty, naked, took up death them upon him in order to pay to bring you where you need to be. All you need is to ask Christ to come into your heart to lead you. You will never regret it once you understand who Christ is, and what he has planned for you.
We celebrate Easter as a reminder of what Jesus Christ has done for us and for you. He came to die to save you by dying on the cross for you. When there was no other way but death, he even accepted it. He prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done”(Matthew 26:42). He suffered what was not his to be suffered, he was treated with shame by those he came to save, and he finally took death even when he was not worthy of death. Here are the seven last words he said before he died: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34), “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46), He said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold your mother” (John 19:26-27, “I thirst” (John 19:28), “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43), “It is finished” (John 19:30), “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46).
It is important we understand what the Savior meant by “It is finished”. He means it is accomplish, the path is clear for us to come to God, death no longer has power to those who accept his offer of eternal life. This is the greatest gift and blessing ever offered to humanity. It is hard to understand or even comprehend it because never in all history can you find one who loves and cares even to the point of death like Christ. This is my hope: death has no power over me because in Christ I stand, and he has conquered death for me and you. This is a fact that cannot deny, he died and risen from the death. It is that hope that inspired me to live and endured this temporary pain in this world.
During spring break I had the privilege to travel with the Moody Men’s collegiate choir. It was a great experience and throughout the tour it obvious to me God has a purpose for allowed me to be in the choir this year. My lack of arms opened the door to start some wonderful conversation about Christ. I met a woman in her 60s who has her husband pass away from cancer. It was amazingly to see her joy in the midst of this. As we shared our testimony to each other, it was a great moment for us to see how the hope we have in Christ help us considered the pain in this earth as nothing. We are blind these pain here on earth because we can see the distance glory a waiting us forever. Jesus is a life friend only if you will taste and see how God’s grace will help you see beyond this world. Happy Easter to you all. “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (Corinthians 15:14).
“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).