United in His Death and Resurrection

I hope this past Easter was spiritually meaningful for you.  As we remembered Jesus' death and resurrection, we considered the lows and highs of Christ's work on the cross.  On Good Friday, we reflected on how His sacrifice was done in obedience to God and out of His love for us.  The Apostle Paul says that, for our sake, He, who knew no sin, became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God.  On Good Friday, we acknowledged that He died for our sins and that we are united with Him in His death and resurrection.  As an act of worship, we wrote our names on a piece of paper and stuck it on the cross signifying that we abide in Him and He abides in us. 

Though the cross was originally an instrument of death, Jesus has turned it into an instrument of life.  On Friday, it was beautiful to see the group identify with Jesus' death and life, and place their names on the cross.  Romans 6:8-11 says, "Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus."

Jesus' death on Calvary was a one-time thing.  No other sacrifice is needed to save us from our sins.  When Jesus said, "It is finished" and gave up His spirit, He meant it is finished and always will be finished.  However, we are to embody His death and resurrection in us everyday of our lives.  We are to die to our sin and walk in newness of life in Christ everyday.  2 Corinthians 5:15 summarizes this well by saying, "And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."

Beloved, while Easter is done for the year, may we continue to walk in Christ's atoning death and resurrection life each and everyday. 

God bless,

Pastor Darren