“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” – I Corinthians 15:55
“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:25-26
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” – John 1:12
Scripture Reading: Matthew 28:1-8
As much as I love writing, I’ve learned that I have to schedule time for it. Without a set schedule, time gets away from me, and so do the thoughts that I so want to share. I’m sure I’ve forgotten most of the best thoughts that the Lord has given me, and I know that my words never do justice to the way that He is forever working on my flawed and forgetful heart.
That’s why I love celebrating Easter or Resurrection Sunday. While I thank God each and every day for all that was made possible through Jesus’ death and resurrection, I can never do it justice, and setting aside a time to really dwell on it, marinate in the truth of it, and victoriously celebrate that truth with others is irresistable to me.
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is nearly incomprehensible. That He would leave His throne to walk amongst the likes of you and me, and that He would still be willing to die for us – after putting up with people like us for His 33 earthly years – just boggles the mind. But what really blows my mind is the impossibilities that were wiped out by His resurrection. When Jesus rolled the stone away and stepped out of the darkness of death to bask in the light of that resurrection morning, He made the impossible possible for you and me. My heart beats a little faster just thinking about it, and so I invite you to bask in the truth of those impossible possibilities with me today:
1. Redemption is Possible. The cross wiped out the impossible hamster wheel of works and the law – imperfect people desperately and unsuccessfully trying to live a perfect life, with eternity hanging in the balance (Ephesians 2:8-9, Hebrews 10:1-10). Christ was the perfect, spotless Lamb, the once-and-for-all sacrifice that made true forgiveness possible (John 1:29, I John 1:9). But the Risen Christ takes it one step further, wiping out the inevitable end of imperfect people by conquering death on our behalf (Romans 6:23, I Corinthians 15:54-56). Hallelujah, what a Savior.
2. Restoration is Possible. If you’re like me, you lost things along the road to redemption. Many of us bear the scars of our pre-redemption life. Relationships seem irreparably damaged. Years have been wasted. Hurts and heartaches have been accumulated. I’m here to tell you that absolutely nothing in this life is beyond the restorative powers of our Risen Savior (Joel 2:25, Isaiah 43:19, 61:3, Revelation 21:5). And the more you get to know Him, the more you realize that His gracious gifts of restoration are often more abundant and more blessed than what you had to begin with (Psalm 13:6, 30:5, 34:8).
3. Transformation is Possible. Just as Christ can restore the things in your life, He can restore you (II Corinthians 5:17). Plug into Him, read His Word, spend time with Him in prayer, surrender your stubborn will to Him piece by piece, and He will slowly, steadily, and graciously restore your heart and mind to its original factory settings (Romans 12:1-2). You were made in His image, and in spite of all the gunk that this world infuses us with, we can move closer and closer to that original image each day, and one day in glory, we will be made complete in His likeness once again (I Corinthians 11:1, II Corinthians 3:18, Galatians 2:20, I John 3:2).
4. Commission is Possible. You have been commissioned to reach others for Christ, and as impossible of a task as that may seem, there are works, purposes, plans, and people assigned specifically to you (John 15:5,8, Acts 1:8, II Corinthians 5:18-20, Ephesians 2:10). You feel inadequate, and in truth you are, but the God of the impossible can equip you to do incredible things for His glory. They may not seem to be on a grand level by earthly standards, but they’re the kind of deeds that have eternal consequences and the kind of successes that all of heaven stops to celebrate (Matthew 25:21, Luke 15:23, Jude 1:23).
Celebrate the Resurrection every day, but don’t miss the opportunity this Sunday to celebrate it with the family of God, in the House of the Lord (Psalm 35:18, 100:2-4, 122:1). Sing, shout, and celebrate your salvation and the glorious, humanly-impossible possibilities that we owe to the empty tomb and our Risen Lord. To God be the glory.
YOUR PRESCRIPTION
Don’t miss it. Praise God that Jesus is Your Risen Savior today and every day, and MAKE the time to celebrate all the impossible possibilities of the Risen Lord AND to share the victory with others.
Leave a Reply