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This Sunday is Easter Sunday (previously discussed here).
More than a day for chocolate bunnies, packing in the “Creasters” to church, and extended family around the dinner table, Easter is celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave over two thousand years ago.
Right, I think that much we know. But here is the rub:
Many of us contemptuously look at the ways in which our culture has corrupted the true reason for Easter (Christ’s resurrection) and turned it into a mere child’s holiday to help support candy stores; we get on our high horses and valiantly proclaim, “He is risen.”
And indeed He is risen – for there is no greater truth that impacts our lives in such a monumental way.
But those words roll off our tongue…and I believe that is it. I believe most of us proclaim that He is risen, and then go on our way, allowing that transformational reality to have no bearing in the lives we lead.
What, then, truly is Easter? And how is it that we can so easily lose sight of such a magnificent truth?
If we look back to the Old Testament, we would see that Christ’s resurrection wasn’t just the conclusion of something that had happened three days before, or even thirty-three years before, but was actually the glorious completion to what had been developing for thousands of years. 
When Moses met with the Lord atop Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19) with all of Israel in tow, the Lord was there in all His fullness, might, and majesty. We see in verses 16-19 that Yahweh descended on the third day in lightning, thunder, clouds, and smoke in what had to be the most awesome and terrible display of power imaginable.
And while the Lord revealed Himself to Moses and to Israel, He did so only in part. He revealed His character in the commandments – His jealousy and His morality and His justice – but He did not reveal all of Himself. He revealed the beginning of the plot, that Israel was to be God’s people, committed by way of a treaty of suzerainty and the Immanuel Principle.
God revealed how the story would begin, but He did not reveal how it would end – not then at least.
We see steps, progressions of God revealing Himself even further to Israel.
In Exodus 40: 34-38 we have God entering the tabernacle, indicating He would no longer meet Israel atop Sinai, but would travel with them, would be their God wherever they were.
But this was not the end of the journey, only another step. One-on-one fellowship with God was not yet permissible, for only select individuals were permitted into the tabernacle to commune with God (Numbers 1: 51-53).
As David prepares to build the temple (1 Chronicles 22), the Lord tells him no, preferring instead his son build the temple. While Solomon is David’s son, and does build the temple (2 Chronicles 2-5), the incident foreshadows a greater son of David – Jesus – building a more permanent temple than even Solomon’s.
So look further, beyond earthly temples built by the hands of man, to the Living Temple that is our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. As we remember Good Friday and Easter Sunday, remember the reality that Jesus Christ is the true Temple, resurrected from the grave to bring us the ultimate reality of fellowship and communion with the Lord.
All that Mt. Sinai and the tabernacle and the temple foreshadowed are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. All that God promised in the millennia leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ was ultimately fulfilled in His death, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.
Praise God and worship Him daily.
Because Christ is risen, we have the privilege of celebrating Him every second that we are awake. We do not need to wait for the “Easter holiday.”
So go, go and be transformed. Remember that our Savior and Lord is risen. Remember He promises to provide, to sanctify, and to guide. Remember He is holy and mighty and just.
Christ is risen and the promises of God are fulfilled. Go and be transformed.
He is risen.
We read these words by Jesus in the 13th chapter of Matthew:
The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and buried again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
– Matthew 13: 44
I have always loved this passage; the devotion and desire we are to have for the Kingdom of God is of beautiful simplicity.
Whatever the treasure this man may have found in the field, he counted it worthy of his all. His home, his possessions, the fruits of his labor of his entire life.
But what has always stuck out to me is the unwavering allegiance depicted in this passage. It isn’t that the man simply goes out and sells all he has, but he buys something else, something of infinitely more value.
Too often we try and be good people: we give up our addictions and our vices, thinking that will make us better people. But this negative move alone, this giving up of the evils in our life, just isn’t enough.
In emptying our hearts of an attachment to all that is temporal and passing, we must fill our hearts with longings for the eternal and the divine. As we sever the ties that bind us to this world, we must form new ones to the one that awaits us.
Christ paid the price and bought us free and clear, securing redemption, reconciliation, and regeneration with His death on the cross. As we leave behind all that this world has to offer, we must secure our hope and our rest on He that promises new life.
May our hearts be ever more attached to the grace, love, and truth of Jesus Christ. Not only is He the Savior of our souls, but He is the Lord of our lives.
There are numerous reasons why I love the accounting of Jesus turning water into wine* in the second chapter of the Gospel of John; we have discussed it before (found here).
For starters, I love it when Jesus addresses His mother in verse 4: “Woman! Why are you saying this to me!?” Only the Son of God can get away with talking like that to His mother, and if I ever addressed my wife as, “woman!” I would most certainly be on the couch for a week. But I digress….
It is interesting to see Mary commanding the servants to follow Christ’s instructions, no matter what they are (verse 5).
How often are we resolved to obey Christ completely and fully?
How often do we go to Him openly, humbly, and willingly, desiring to be obedient to His every command?
And notice: When the servants have obeyed Christ, what is the result?
The wine He produces is far and away better than the wine the wedding feast was already serving.
Too often we are afraid that following Christ results in a lackluster and uninteresting life.
But in reality, He promises life, and life abundant – indeed life to the full – John 10:10.
Now I am not suggesting we obey Christ because we will get a new car, a raise at work, or not have to deal with our in-laws anymore.
But in obeying Christ with our entire heart, we are submitting to His desires and purposes for our life, and in doing so we will find fulfillment and satisfaction in pleasing Him and glorifying Him.
When we obey Christ, we get the better wine!!
*The wine used in the first century bore little resemblance to what we know as wine today. The water they had was unsanitary and not used much for drinking by itself, milk and wine were frequently used. The wine was primarily water mixed with a small amount of fermented grape juice.*
5And from the throne came a voice saying,
“Praise our God,
all you his servants,
you who fear him,
small and great.”
6Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
– Revelation 19: 5-9
26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
– 1 Corinthians 11:26
The picture we are given in Revelation is of Christ coming back in all His glory to claim His bride – us, the church. And in doing so, there is a great feast – a supper.
So we are told by the apostle Paul that each time we turn to the table, we proclaim the Lord until He comes again; we proclaim His life, death, and resurrection. We look back to His death and we look forward to His coming again. We look back to the last supper Christ shared with His apostles, and we look forward to the celebration depicted in Revelation.
So eat of the bread and drink of the cup, and remember that our Lord came, and He is coming again.
Eat and drink, and so proclaim we are His people living here and now for His glory, constantly being perfected in His grace as we eagerly await His return.
Communion reminds us we are not alone; Christ is here, alive and working among us today.
Communion reminds us we are to live for His glory and proclaim His name.
Communion reminds us Christ is coming back to reign and rule forever.
