The events of Good Friday are the most heart-wrenching injustice in human history.  To think about the brutal, horrific nature of Christ’s death and to understand that He willing laid down His life to pay the penalty of your sin and mine, should move us to a place of deep humility and gratitude as we realize, He did that for me.  How awful it must have been in those days between the crucifixion and resurrection morning. 
 
But then, early in the early morning hours of the first day of the week, as the women went to the tomb, the message was proclaimed:  He is not here; he has risen!  (Luke 24:6)  Reflect for a few moments on the mystery, wonder and beauty, the hope and joy of the resurrection, and the significance of the truth of this historical event.
 
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:17…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, it’s incomplete, of no real value.  If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.  BUT, Christ has…been raised from the dead! (20)
 
Dr. Billy Graham is quoted as saying: If I were an enemy of Christianity, I would aim right at the resurrection, because that is the heart of Christianity.
 
The authenticity of the resurrection matters, because the Bible declares it to be true, and the Bible is our source of truth and faith.  If the Scriptures are wrong on this point, they become altogether unreliable.  Paul reminds the believers in Corinth, For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.  (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
 
Let there be no confusion on this point, everything in the Gospels, everything in the book of Acts, everything in the Epistles stands in perfect harmony on this point, Jesus Christ died and then was raised from the dead.  And it matters; it matters because it authenticates the truth of the Bible; the account of the empty tomb validates the stories of those who encountered the risen Lord.
 
The truth of the resurrection is essential to our doctrine and our faith, but the implications of this truth are more than just theological in nature.  There are profound implications regarding our understanding of death and the afterlife.
 
When we stand at the graveside of a loved one, it’s very easy to feel overwhelmed; it’s not unusual to wonder if we will ever see them again.  In the early church some believers faced this very human struggle.  The Apostle Paul addresses this concern in his first letter to the Corinthians by reminding his readers that their confidence, their hope rested on whether or not Jesus was raised from the dead.
 
It’s interesting; Paul does not rebuke these believers for their doubts and fears.  Nor does offer any ‘proof’ of the resurrection.  He simply states it as a fact…that Christ died…that he was buried, that he was raised on the third…(1 Corinthians 15:3-4).  He points them back to the empty tomb and says, ‘remember, God raised His Son from the grave’!

Everything hinges on whether or not it’s true, on whether or not you believe it to be true.  To drive home his point, he argues, what if Jesus has not been raised from the dead?  If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.  (17-19)
 
It all hangs on that little word “if…If Christ has not been raised… (17).  But, what if it is true?  Look again at the authoritative truth of the Holy Scriptures:  Christ has indeed been raised from the dead!  (20)  And because it is true, we can simply reverse all that Paul has just argued: our faith does have meaning, deep, profound implications for life and eternity; we do have forgiveness and the sure hope of life beyond the grave.  We can be certain about our own future; about all who die in Christ.  Death has been swallowed up in victory.  (15:54).  Our dying in Christ becomes the passageway to heaven.
 
During my 30+ years as a pastor, I have stood at the bedside of the dying, I have stood at the graveside more times than I can remember.  It never gets easier.  The hardest part for me is driving away from the hospital or the cemetery; the finality of someone being gone weighs on my soul, it just does.  I’ve seen all the death I care to see, even though I will likely see more before my time on earth is done. 
 
Where do we find hope in the face of death?  We find it in the truth of God’s Word; in the certainty of the resurrection!  In Christ all will be made alive.  (15:22)
 
Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  (15:57)

As we approach Passion week and take some time to reflect on the events that lead up to the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and all that it means to us, I find myself dwelling on the importance of the detailed account of the crucifixion that we find in the pages of the Bible; the historical reality of Jesus’ death, which is the very foundation of our faith.
 
The Biblical account authenticates the truth/ the reliability of God’s written testimony about His Son.  The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:  I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved…Otherwise, you have believed in vain.  For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.  (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
 
The story of Jesus’ death in the pages of the Bible validates its historical reality, it affirms that what is recorded in the Holy Scriptures is true and it reminds us that a price was paid, an awful price was paid for our salvation.
 
Peter writes…it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ.  (1 Peter 1:18-19)
 
…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.  (Hebrews 9:22)
 
But, Christ…has appeared once for all…to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.  (Hebrews 9:26)
 
His death and burial provide for us a graphic picture of what it means to be forgiven, to have our sins removed.  The Hebrew word for ‘forgiveness’ means to lift and take away.  Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  (John 1:29)   Christ has removed our sin once and for all and forever.  He has provided forgiveness by His sacrificial death and in so doing, He has removed the sting of death.
 
Death has been swallowed up in victory.  Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?  The sting of death is sin…But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)
 
Start anywhere in the Bible and the result is the same; all roads lead to the cross.  It’s at the cross that we are reminded a sacrifice was made once and for all.  Jesus Christ laid down His life, He suffered was crucified, died and was buried; His sacrifice solves the problem of our sin--there is no other solution. His sacrifice gives us a righteous standing before a holy God--there is no other way.
 
The crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus Christ is the most important event in history.  Everything before it, leads to it.  Everything after it, looks back on it.  Nothing that has ever happened has had the impact of the cross of Jesus Christ.  But, we need to understand, His death was not the end of the story…on the third day He rose from the dead!

Lately, as I have been reflecting on my own journey of faith, I have been pondering some verses in Scripture that have most impacted by life.  As I share some of those texts with you, it’s my hope that these verses will encourage you and that you might find yourself reflecting on your own journey and the truths from His Word that God has used to build your faith, your life.
 
It was over 40 years ago now that God intercepted my life as a 17-year-old kid who didn’t think I needed God in my life.  In the corner of the Sheraton Brock ballroom on Good Friday, 1977, one text from the Bible gripped by heart, Titus 3:4-5:  When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved (me), not because of righteous things (I) had done, but because of his mercy.  I came to realize that God, in His mercy and kindness was drawing me to Himself and that night I quit ‘fighting’ with God and simply surrendered to His love and grace.
 
Shortly after coming to Christ I was encouraged to memorize Proverbs 3:5-6:  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will direct your paths.  
 
I was young and spiritually naïve when I made a covenant with God to seek to the best of my ability to trust Him; I knew I could not to rely solely on my own instincts, I had to look to His leadership in my life.  In a strange but wonderful way, this covenant I have with God has sustained and renewed me for the past 40+ years.  It is a rich part of my Christian experience; it is also the very foundation of my spiritual life.
 
But, as the hymn writer has written, Prone to wander, Lord I feel it.  I know how easily I can be distracted; how easily I can come to rely on my own strength.  So, there is one verse of Scripture that God has to bring me back to, time and again.  It is the centering verse of my life:  I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)  I have to cycle back time and again to the words of John 15:5; to recalibrate my heart and mind as I continually learn what it means to abide in Christ.
 
Over the years there has been one verse above all others, that has come to be for me, my life’s verse; it’s a verse that has an element of stubbornness, of defiance to it:  Stand firm.  Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)
 
This is the way I would want to live out my remaining days, because one day, more than anything else that drives what I do, I want to hear well done, good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21) from the One who has called me on this journey, the One who calls me His beloved and is right now preparing a home for me in heaven.
 
Jesus said…Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:1-3) This is the hope that sustains my life as l seek to live with one eye on eternity and look to that day when my Saviour says, ‘welcome home’!
           
That day will come for all who are in Christ.  Until that day, may we all be reminded of one last truth
that so very often lifts and encourages my heart:  He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  (Psalm 91:1)
 
What text, what verses speak deeply to your heart?  Use the form below to share your response; to bless and encourage the hearts of others!

The words are familiar to many of us, we them by memory as we recite ‘The Lord’s Prayer…forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  (Matthew 6:12)
 
The key word in this text is the little word ‘as’, the conjunction that joins the first half of this petition with the second half.  When Jesus says ‘as’, He is setting up a comparison, a contrast between the way we extend forgiveness to others and the way God responds to us.  This text says that we set the standard, we establish the pattern and God responds to us accordingly.  What I am asking is for God to deal with me the same way I deal with other people in this matter of forgiveness. 
 
I have to ask, as each of us must, how does that truth settle with my soul?
 
What am I saying, if my heart and mind are holding onto thoughts such as:  I’m angry at him, I will not forgive him; she’s been ungrateful, I will not extent kindness to her; I just want to get even!  If my heart is soft before God and my heart is open to the truth of His Word, these kinds of thoughts should frighten me.
 
St. Augustine called this text “a terrible petition”.  He pointed out that if you pray these words while harboring an unforgiving spirit you are actually asking God not to forgive you.  We are asking God to give us what we are unwilling to give to someone else. Jesus tells us in this text, we cannot have it both ways.  If I want to be forgiven, I have to forgive others.
 
You might wonder is that what this text is really saying?   Is God’s forgiveness of us somehow linked to our forgiveness of others? The answer is yes; the words of Jesus are straight forward, we cannot claim ignorance or ambiguity. 
 
Jesus gives us this pattern of prayer in verses 9-13 of Matthew 6 and then singles out one part, and only one part for additional teaching. He spells it out so clearly, there is no doubt.  For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.  (Matthew 6:14-15)
 
I must ask myself as you must ask yourself, do I still want to nurse that grudge? I do still want to hold on to that anger?
 
As strange as it may sound, there is such a thing as an “unforgiven” Christian; not that our salvation is in jeopardy; that would render the cross insufficient.  But rather in the sense that the channel of God’s grace and favor is blocked.  It means we are choosing to hang on to anger and to forfeit the fullness of God’s blessing in our lives.  
 
When we refuse to forgive, we make a mockery of the cross, we block the flow of God’s blessing in our lives, we waste our time nursing old wounds and become enslaved to anger and resentment, our prayers go unanswered and our faith is rendered powerless--and that is a very scary place to be.
 
If God has already forgiven my sins through the blood of Jesus Christ, am I then going to withhold forgiveness from another?  That’s really the issue.  How could I be unforgiving after what Jesus Christ did for me on the cross?
 
Jesus is telling us that there is a vital link between the way we treat other people and the way God is going to respond to us. If you are a Christian, a genuine believer in Jesus Christ, if your sins have been forgiven, then you can forgive another.  What God has done for you, you can, you must do for others.  If you won’t forgive just know…if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.