A Word From Our Pastor

April 2024

Another Easter has come and gone. The day is one if not the most important day of the year for Christians. Much time is spent in preparation for the day. You probably attended church and spent time reflecting on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Your day was most likely spent with family and friends. But Easter is over. What do we do now?

It can be tempting to go back to life as “normal.” It is so easy to succumb to focusing on the frustrations of life. It is time to go on with our lives, go on with our programs, go on with our work, and our play, and it is springtime, so we get into sports, soccer, baseball soon we all think about summertime, vacations. The sad truth is, now that Easter is over, many Christians will not think about the resurrection for another year. This is much like Christmas, which also only gets our attention once a year; however, it should never be this way.

Christians are Easter people. We celebrate the risen Christ. Jesus died for our sins and rose again. Death was defeated, hope restored. It changed the world. Easter, the resurrection of Jesus, defines who we are. Our identity is shaped by resurrection.

As Easter people, our lives are now bound up entirely in the hope that we now have in Jesus. And yet, for so many Christians this life-changing and life-giving truth is often drowned out by the counter claims of the world around us. It’s all too easy to get distracted in our Monday-to-Saturday lives and forget to live out our identity as Easter people.

Easter is more than a date on the calendar; it is our way of life. The truths we preach, sing, and read about during this season should shape everything we do. Easter is something that should impact the life of a believer every day.

A life forever impacted by the events of Easter shows love.

Love is the defining mark of a resurrected life. It was love that sent Jesus to the cross, and it was love that brought Him back to life again. God is love, and when His Spirit fills a person’s heart, love takes up residence. Service to others is the expression of love. The greatest service that God provided to humans was the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is what we needed most. Jesus expressed it like this, “…the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 28:20) A resurrected life is focused on the needs of others because that is what the Spirit of God is focused on. The Apostle Paul explains the Holy Spirit’s desire in Philippians 2:4, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Easter is a way of living – a certain perspective and a life our whole lives are intended to be lived in response to the Easter victory. The Easter story is not only our source of comfort and strength. It is also our message to a broken world. Jesus died so you could have a new life and be forgiven. He rose from the dead as proof that He is our Savior and to empower us to take this message to others. You and I are surrounded by people who are living in the darkest, most confusing, and most frightening moment in modern history. We are Easter people. Let’s live like Easter people.

Pastor Tim