“Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you.” 2 Corinthians 10:15-16
EASTER is not only the joyous celebration of Jesus’ life, but a time to reflect on our own lives as well. The call for every true believer is to walk as Jesus walked. Jesus himself made this calling in, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23. This means we must consider how we may better follow him in his death, in his Burial and in his resurrection. Let us examine these three areas of following Jesus:
FOLLOWING IN HIS DEATH:
“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who loves his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” John 12:23-25. During the fateful week before his crucifixion, while predicting his approaching death, Jesus stated this paradoxical truth about how to live a life of impact. Success demands sacrifice. Nothing worthwhile comes without costs. We know this to be true in the secular world. The most successful businessman is successful, the most prominent athlete is prominent, and the greatest artist is great, because each has denied other goals and interests and has devoted time, energy, thoughts and resources to the achievement of success, prominence or grandeur. The most loving families are close and loving because time, energy, and concern have been devoted to each other, and competing interests and distractions
have been denied in order to achieve closeness.
NO LESS is required of the disciples of Christ. Jesus demanded self-denial of his disciples. He also demanded that God be given first priority in their lives. Not only did he expect this to be the intention of their lives, but he expected to see the visible, living result of his way: in holding to his teachings (John 8:31-32), in loving each other (John 12:14-15), and in bearing fruit (John 15:8). But Jesus did far more than make demands of his disciples; he provided a living and powerful example – a life of sacrifice where he took up his cross and died to himself every single day. The rule of Jesus’ entire life was his eminent death. He voluntarily left heaven to die the most painful of deaths in order to provide a way for mankind to share in the wealth of eternal life with God. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might, become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9
NOT ONLY did he die and then resurrect on Easter morning, but he practiced his death every single day providing the ultimate example of self-sacrifice. This demands that our lives reflect a similar sacrifice in every area as a daily part of our discipleship. With God as our first priority and self-denial as our model, our energy, our time, our thoughts and our resources must be given first to God. Having died to self and to sin we have become slaves to righteousness (Romans 6). Everything we once had, has been purchased by God and belongs to Him and He has left those resources in our hands as His stewards. With this perspective, it is unthinkable to leave only left-overs for God. God is unimpressed, indeed He is insulted by such an offering of leftover time, leftover money or leftover thoughts (Malachi 1:6-14). If our secular pursuits had first priority, we would never dream of giving only the leftovers to them . When we attempt to give God only what is left after other interests have been served, we mock Him and treat Him like an entity to be ritually appeased. God does not expect rituals but changed lives (Psalm 51:16-17). “God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Galatians 6:7
FOLLOWING JESUS in his death involves giving up of something precious, of something that really costs the giver (Luke 21:1-4, 2 Samuel 24:24). To give such a sacrifice requires true faith in the power and resources of God . Abraham had such faith when he was called upon to offer Isaac in sacrifice to God . In Abraham’s mind, Isaac already was dead as they climbed the mountain and he trusted in God’s power to restore what was sacrificed (Hebrews 11:17-19). That is why. in response to God’s intervention to spare Isaac’s life Abraham said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided” (Genesis 22:14). We must strive to imitate this example of faith . For example, the DC Congregation is preparing for a Special Contribution for world missions in conjunction with the upcoming Global Leadership Conference. Each of us here must consider prayerfully how to achieve sacrifice in our giving, trusting in God’s resources and power (Malachi 3:10. Philippians 4:11-13). In every area of our lives, each of us must consider how to reflect Christ’s example of death and sacrifice. Undoubtedly, we would be remiss if we did not follow Jesus wholeheartedly by imitating how he died for each of us. God has given us his best! How can we offer anything less to him?
“Therefore. I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy. to offer your bodies as living sacrifices. holy and pleasing to God – which is your spiritual worship” Romans 12:1
FOLLOWING IN HIS BURIAL:
“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:4
In John 3:3-13 Jesus scolded Nicodemus saying, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again…..You should not be surprised at my saying, You must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit….You are Israel’s teacher, said Jesus, and do you not understand these things?…I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?”
IF THESE THINGS should not have surprised Nicodemus, how much more should they not surprise us?
So what things?
PERSONALLY, I find it exciting that being buried with Christ opens peoples’ eyes to the full truth of his scriptures, his plan and his church!
FOLLOWING IN HIS RESURRECTION:
“In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:11-12
GOD never intended for us to only be resurrected once—the day of our baptism. Nor did he intend for us to get stuck in life or to stay the same person our entire life. He intended for us to grow and change and mature as we imitate the savior and become more and more like him. What God was going for was not superficial changes and things added to our existing lives, but real, deep permanent changes on the inside. The troubles of life keep us stuck and stunt our spiritual growth if we do not rely on the power of the Holy Spirit which we received at baptism. The only way to overcome is through a daily renewal of the mind and heart. Through his promise of “daily renewal” we overcome life’s challenges – “…Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16 Thus, we die every day, but Jesus resurrects us and renews us every single day. Is that not awesome?!
AS WE CONSIDER the meaning of Easter and as we celebrate what our Lord and Savior did for us, let us also consider the response he expects us to have and the rewards and benefits which he bestows upon us as we follow in his footsteps and walk as he walked. There is no more fulfilling and impacting way to live than to be like Jesus. He knew the degree to which this world would be changed, is to the degree to which each person lives like he lived. This is undoubtedly why he called everyone who would take the ultimate challenge of being his follower to also be his imitator. Let us understand the full meaning of Easter and so live in such a way as to turn this world upside down—that is to imitate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ in our own life. And to him be all the glory, honor and praise. Amen!
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