Thursday, April 20, 2017

Resurrection Sunday

Why do you go to church on Sunday? Why not Saturday night or Tuesday afternoon? For several thousand years, the people of God set Saturday set apart for worship. But almost 2,000 years ago, an abrupt shift happened in the worship of God. A group of dejected disciples who had lamented the loss of their leader; disappointed apostles, mourning their missing Messiah were surprised with news that seemed too good to be true. The Lord rose from the dead (Luke 24:1-7). Early one Sunday morning in Jerusalem so many centuries ago, a couple women found the tomb of my Lord empty then found the Lord Jesus alive. From that Sunday, until this past Sunday and every one in between, Christians have assembled together in the name of Christ to worship the risen Lord (Mark 16:9, John 20:19; 20:26 Acts 20:7, I Cor. 16:2; Rev. 1:10). There has not been a Sunday since that blessed day in which the people of God have not met to worship. Jesus was crucified, laid in a tomb, and after three days and three nights, rose from the dead, verified and witnessed by multitudes (1 Cor. 15:4-8). Christ died for our sins, rose for our justification and because Jesus rose from the dead, you have hope of eternal life. The victorious Savior, laid down his life, and by his omnipotent power, took it up again. Jesus. Defeated. Death.

What does a Van Gogh painting of rabbits in a field
have to do with the resurrection?
Good question.
I love celebrating the resurrection. And praise God, He gives you 52 days a year to publicly rejoice in the resurrection of Christ. That is why the doors are open to the house of God every Sunday morning. Each Sunday is a bold declaration that Jesus rose from the dead. We shouldn’t have one day out of the year we set apart in commemoration of the resurrection because EVERY Sunday is resurrection Sunday. If your only thought of Christ and his resurrection comes once a year, and that with marsh-mellowly candies and mystical, egg laying bunny rabbits, you have a serious spiritual problem. The Bible doesn’t say anything about appointing  just one day out of the year to remember Jesus rose from the dead.  When Jesus rose from the dead, the disciples rejoiced in that fact together, every Sunday. We are told not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together on the Lord's day, and when we do, even if it is two or three who are gathered together, Christ is in the midst of that assembly.

If you love the Lord Jesus Christ, you will want to gather and worship Him. The Lord's day is the day of worship, the day of rest, the testimony of the resurrection, the declaration that you follow the risen Christ and that he is your Lord. Don't rob yourself of the ordinary means God uses to bless his people through Sunday worship. Don't let your children think that one Lord's day is more important than the others. I invite you to worship the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This Sunday and every Sunday after.


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