Easter People Living in a Good Friday World
By Ryan Dawson
It’s not hard to tell that the world is broken, and that people are desperate for love, hope, and life. Simply turn on the news and you are bombarded with the frailty and desperation many experience in this life. We also know the reality of personal pain as we struggle with relational strife, sickness, hardship, and the death of loved ones. As we see, hear, and experience pain and suffering around us we intuitively know that things aren’t the way they should be.
I think the disciples would have felt the same way on the Friday that Jesus was arrested, tortured and crucified. Things were not as they should be. Wasn’t Jesus the One who would establish God’s Kingdom of righteousness and justice? Wasn’t Jesus the One who would redeem His people? Wasn’t Jesus the One who would set all things right? On that Friday all hope seemed lost, the dream was dead, sin, confusion, and death reigned. But Easter Sunday was coming, and with the dawn of that new day everything changed – for Christ has risen…He has risen indeed!
We live in Good Friday world where sin, confusion, and death reign, but Resurrection Sunday conquers sin and death and brings love, hope, and life to all who trust in Jesus!
Consider the words of the Apostle Paul on the significance of the resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:13-20 The Message (MSG) Now, let me ask you something profound yet troubling. If you became believers because you trusted the proclamation that Christ is alive, risen from the dead, how can you let people say that there is no such thing as a resurrection? If there's no resurrection, there's no living Christ. And face it—if there's no resurrection for Christ, everything we've told you is smoke and mirrors, and everything you've staked your life on is smoke and mirrors. Not only that, but we would be guilty of telling a string of barefaced lies about God, all these affidavits we passed on to you verifying that God raised up Christ—sheer fabrications, if there's no resurrection. If corpses can't be raised, then Christ wasn't, because he was indeed dead. And if Christ weren't raised, then all you're doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. It's even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they're already in their graves. If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we're a pretty sorry lot. But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.
Friday is called “Good Friday” because it is good for us – Jesus died for our sin, to make a way for us to be reconciled to our loving Heavenly Father. But Easter Sunday is “Resurrection Sunday” because Christ rose from the grave to defeat shame, guilt, sin, and death for us. It is because of this great truth and the reality of our risen Saviour, that we can be Easter people who live in a Good Friday world, as we hold out the hope of real life, found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
This weekend we will gather on Friday at 10am at Ottawa Christian School and again on Sunday at 9am and 11am to celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Saviour and King. Our Good Friday and Easter Sunday services will also be available online and streaming afterwards on our App and website.
Jesus came to reveal His great love for us and “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 (NLT) It’s the love of Jesus that makes us “Easter People” in this world, so remember to invite your neighbours, friends, and family to join us this weekend as we continue our Greater Love Easter series - The unbelievable story of our rescue!
Happy Easter! Blessings, Ryan
It’s not hard to tell that the world is broken, and that people are desperate for love, hope, and life. Simply turn on the news and you are bombarded with the frailty and desperation many experience in this life. We also know the reality of personal pain as we struggle with relational strife, sickness, hardship, and the death of loved ones. As we see, hear, and experience pain and suffering around us we intuitively know that things aren’t the way they should be.
I think the disciples would have felt the same way on the Friday that Jesus was arrested, tortured and crucified. Things were not as they should be. Wasn’t Jesus the One who would establish God’s Kingdom of righteousness and justice? Wasn’t Jesus the One who would redeem His people? Wasn’t Jesus the One who would set all things right? On that Friday all hope seemed lost, the dream was dead, sin, confusion, and death reigned. But Easter Sunday was coming, and with the dawn of that new day everything changed – for Christ has risen…He has risen indeed!
We live in Good Friday world where sin, confusion, and death reign, but Resurrection Sunday conquers sin and death and brings love, hope, and life to all who trust in Jesus!
Consider the words of the Apostle Paul on the significance of the resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:13-20 The Message (MSG) Now, let me ask you something profound yet troubling. If you became believers because you trusted the proclamation that Christ is alive, risen from the dead, how can you let people say that there is no such thing as a resurrection? If there's no resurrection, there's no living Christ. And face it—if there's no resurrection for Christ, everything we've told you is smoke and mirrors, and everything you've staked your life on is smoke and mirrors. Not only that, but we would be guilty of telling a string of barefaced lies about God, all these affidavits we passed on to you verifying that God raised up Christ—sheer fabrications, if there's no resurrection. If corpses can't be raised, then Christ wasn't, because he was indeed dead. And if Christ weren't raised, then all you're doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. It's even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they're already in their graves. If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we're a pretty sorry lot. But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.
Friday is called “Good Friday” because it is good for us – Jesus died for our sin, to make a way for us to be reconciled to our loving Heavenly Father. But Easter Sunday is “Resurrection Sunday” because Christ rose from the grave to defeat shame, guilt, sin, and death for us. It is because of this great truth and the reality of our risen Saviour, that we can be Easter people who live in a Good Friday world, as we hold out the hope of real life, found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
This weekend we will gather on Friday at 10am at Ottawa Christian School and again on Sunday at 9am and 11am to celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Saviour and King. Our Good Friday and Easter Sunday services will also be available online and streaming afterwards on our App and website.
Jesus came to reveal His great love for us and “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 (NLT) It’s the love of Jesus that makes us “Easter People” in this world, so remember to invite your neighbours, friends, and family to join us this weekend as we continue our Greater Love Easter series - The unbelievable story of our rescue!
Happy Easter! Blessings, Ryan