-Happy Easter..💛

What say you???

A couple of day's ago I listened to a conversation where this one young man was being questioned on what's so special about Jesus? It was a debate type discussion and I just watched as that young brother got tricked into a useless fight. That's how things go, people speak without having solid facts about what they are saying, and before you know it there is no understanding or objectivity involved in the discussion at all. I listened as this discussion all started about did Jesus really rise from the dead??? Afterwards, I did take the opportunity to share certain things with him. Easter(Resurrection) Sunday is a day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. But what do we mean when we say Jesus rose from the grave? More to the point, what difference does it make if he did? If we can't answer those questions, Easter doesn't mean much !!!

That's why it's very important to not get intellectually distracted about Easter, but understand as a Christian everything is about Resurrection Sunday. Chocolate bunnies and colored eggs have no power to stir passions in our souls. But what if? What if there really was a man who died and lived again. What if the cold flesh of this man's corpse really did grow warm? What if his empty lungs filled with air and his stilled heart actually began to bear again? What if the lifeless limbs of this man - dead and locked in his tomb- became strong two thousand years ago, the man Jesus really did die - and then, three days later- walk out of his tomb alive? would that matter to you? Should it matter to you? The Bible answer is clear !!! for believers and unbelievers alike the resurrection of Jesus matters more than we can know !!!

That's what the Apostle Peter tell us in the first Christian sermon ever preached. In Act 2:22-41, Peter specifically focuses on the bodily resurrection of Jesus and what it means for believers and unbelievers alike. With his words, Peter reminds us how the reality that Jesus conquers death impacts the life of every person who ever lived or will yet live !!! Preaching to the same people who had, only weeks before, demanded that Jesus be crucified, Peter declares "22. Men of Israel, Listen to those words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with Miracles and wonders and sings which God performed through him in your midst, just as you yourselves know 23. this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put him to death. 24"But God raised him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for him to be held in its power. 25" for David says of him, I saw The LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE' FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. 26'THEREFORE MY HEAR WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE; 27 BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. 28 ' YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE' YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.' 29 Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the Patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us this day.30 And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAR one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, 31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. 32" This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. 33."Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. 34 "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, SIT AT MY RIGHT HAD, 35 UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET." 36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both the Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified." 37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? 38 Peter said to them, "Repent and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39" For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself." 40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying Be saved from this perverse generations!" 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls."

Before we can understand the meaning of Christ's resurrection, we have to know who Jesus is. And who Jesus is, is exactly where Peter begins this part of his sermon. In verse 22, Peter reminds his hearers that Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and sings that God did through him...

Just about everyone knows that Jesus was a miracle worker. Fewer know God's purpose behind his miracles. According to Peter, God used the mighty works, the wonders, and the signs Jesus did on earth to testify that Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be !!! And who did Jesus claim to be? The first four books of the New Testament tell us. These books are called the gospels. And one thin the gospels make clear is that Jesus was a man. Jesus was fully human. But at the same time, in the gospels, Jesus also claims to be God !!! In John 10:30, Jesus declares, I and the father (that is, "God the father and I") are one. Likewise, in John 14:9 Jesus says, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father".

And in John 8:58, Jesus takes God's personal name for Himself when he declares, "Before Abraham was, I am. "I am" that's the personal Name of God revealed to Moses in the book of Exodus.

And so we see that Jesus wasn't just any man. Jesus was God become man !!! And as God, the gospel tells us that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, lived without sin, taught and preached with all authority, and even forgave the sins of others. As God become man, everything Jesus did was right. As God become man, everything Jesus said was true !!!

Which raises the question- If Jesus was God, what's Acts 2:23 about? That's where Peter goes on to say, this Jesus - that is this Jesus that God attested to with miracles, wonders, and sings- this Jesus was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God and you crucified and killed him.

Stop and think about that !!! The bible is telling us that "God become man", was crucified and killed!!! How could that happen? More important, why did that happen? In verse 23, Peter reminds us that the death of Jesus on the cross was no accident. Even though Christ was Murdered by sinful men, His death wasn't random. It didn't catch God by surprise. Or the contrary Peter says Jesus died, "according to the definite plan and knowledge of God". And until we know why Jesus died, We'll never understand what his resurrection means!!!

So why did God the Father, plan for sinful humanity to murder Jesus on a cross? The Bible tells us. The Bible says Jesus died according to the plan and foreknowledge of God in order to pay our sin penalty in full !!! Jesus died to suffers God's wrath against our sin. Jesus suffered God's judgment in our place. Jesus died so we can be forgiven- So we can have heaven when we deserve nothing but hell !!!

I'm wondering right now? Do you believe that's true? Do you believe that you're a sinner who deserves nothing but hell? The Bible say's it's true. The Bible says every one of us are sinful and fallen. Not one of us is righteous in the eyes of our Holy God. Even though we like to flatter ourselves, Roman 3:10-12 tells us the truth about ourselves. It declares, "None is righteous No, Not one understands: No one seeks God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; No one does good, not even one". Easy for me to understand because of my constant failure and sins, but do how do you see it, What say you???

Do you believe - or do you deny- What the Bible says? Do you deny your lust? Do you deny your selfishness? Do you deny your pride?, your back-bitting your gossip, your immorality, your unfaithfulness, your vanity, your arrogance, your resistance of what is right? Do you deny your sin? Can't we just be honest with ourselves? I know the word "Sinner" isn't politically correct - but it's the only word that will do. you're a sinner and so am I. We don't please God. We can't please God. As sinners, we have no power to save ourselves from the condemnation we deserve!!! And that's why Jesus died according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. Because God so love the world, Jesus died to pay our sin penalty so we can be forgiven - so we can enjoy friendship with God- so we can have heaven instead of hell!!!

Isaiah 53: 5-6 declares it, "But He (Jesus was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him (On Jesus) the iniquity (the sin) of us all." He laid our sin on Jesus and punished Him in our place !!!

And so now we know who Jesus is. Jesus is God become human. More than that, we know why Jesus died. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin so we can be forgiven and receive God's gift for eternal life.

What say you???

J.P.