“CHRIST IS RISEN!” NOW WHAT?

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations – Jesus

I recently officiated a wedding. At the end, I announced the couple and presented them to the congregation as husband and wife. They turned and faced their families and friends and then the groom thrust his fist into the air with a look of triumph, as if to say, “Yes!!! I did it! I’ve won!” He was so proud of his new wife. And perhaps, he might have thought at one time that he would never be so lucky as to have her as his wife. The wedding was the culminating moment of all his hopes and dreams. He had won his prize.

I smiled. And I thought, alright, buddy, the wedding isn’t the end; it’s just the beginning.

Among Biblical scholars the study of salvation history is called soteriology. Of course, much of this is tied to Jesus’ atoning work on the cross. And for many of us, the death and resurrection of our Lord is the climax of the story. The empty tomb is the culmination of all of humanity’s hopes and dreams. Jesus had won the prize! I imagine the disciples walking around for days, thrusting their fists in the air, and exclaiming, “Yes!!! He did it! He won!”

But the resurrection is not the end; it’s just the beginning. Christ’s disciples would spend 40 more days with Him, learning from Him, and being instructed by Him. At His ascension, Jesus commissioned His disciples to carry on the work of salvation. Far from being the end, the resurrection was the beginning of a new chapter in the book of soteriology. Most of those disciples wrote new chapters using the ink of their own blood.

Many churches today treat Easter as the culmination of humanity’s hopes and dreams. It is the climax of the story. After we celebrate, the credits roll, the lights go up, and everyone heads towards the exits with warm feelings in their hearts. There’s nothing more to be done. But that is not the message of scripture.

To personalize this a bit, many Christians focus so much on salvation being at the point of conversion, that they ignore the ongoing affect and transformation that salvation is meant to have on their lives. Yes, conversion, or confirmation, is a powerful moment in any individual’s life. But it isn’t the end; it’s just the beginning. Just like a marriage relationship hopefully lasts many years after the wedding ceremony, so our relationship with Jesus Christ lasts a lifetime. In fact, it lasts an eternity!

So this Easter Sunday we will focus on the “Now What?” Yes, we will declare Christ as risen, but we’ll also ask how that affects and transforms our lives individually as well as corporately. We’ll recognize the resurrection as not the end, but the beginning of the story. And just as a marriage takes work and time to grow and stay healthy, so we’ll look at ways to grow in our faith and stay in a healthy relationship with our Lord.

Visitors may be surprised by this different approach to Easter, but hopefully they will be challenged as we all will be. Christ is Risen! Now what?

May God richly bless you even as He blesses others through you!

In His Love & Service,

Lance