Posts Tagged With: resurrection

Easter: From Mourning to Joy and Hope

Posted on April 17, 2022 by Michael E. Lynch

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4; all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible).
“{F}or the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17).
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
“After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also” (John 14:19).

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.

The Bible tells us that several women, including Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of our Lord, went to Jesus’ tomb on the Sunday following His resurrection. They were grieving. Shock and sadness filled their hearts as they went to complete the preparation of His body that began two days earlier.

Shock gave way to confusion as they found the tomb empty and two angels saying that Jesus had risen from the dead. For Mary Magdalene, confusion gave way to joy when she came face-to-face with her beloved rabbi, whom she had watched die just a few days earlier (Matthew 28:1-10; John 20:1-18).

Easter celebrates the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ on the third day following His crucifixion. In His death, He triumphed over our sins. Because of His atonement on the cross, we can freely receive forgiveness and everlasting life. By His resurrection, He triumphed over death. Death does not have dominion over Him. It also does not rule over us. Death is not the end of our existence.

Christ’s resurrection offers hope for all Christians. Because He lives, we also will live. His resurrection is the assurance that we will also rise again. We shall live forever!

Jesus’ resurrection also offers us comfort when we mourn those who have died in the faith. Those we love who placed their trust in Him will also live forever. Perhaps you have lost a loved one in the past year. He or she will live forever. If he or she knew the Lord, you will meet them again in heaven.

Let Easter be our special annual reminder to comfort one another with the assurance of resurrection and everlasting life.

“Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen” (Book of Common Prayer).

As we celebrate Christ’s resurrection and the assurance of eternal life for believers, I would like to share the song “Grave Robber” by Christian rock band Petra, released in 1983. I hope it blesses you as it has touched my soul on many occasions.

What do Easter and Christ’s resurrection mean to you? How can you find comfort and strength in the assurance of resurrection? Share your thoughts, experiences, or suggestions by clicking the “Leave a comment” link below.

Copyright © 2022 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.

Categories: Bible meditations, Church Calendar: Holy Days and Seasons, Sermon on the Mount | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Children of the Covenants

Posted on April 25, 2021 by Michael E. Lynch

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22-24; all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible).

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay. 

The Christian is a citizen of a cosmic kingdom. Our citizenship is in heaven. While we currently live in the physical world, our true home is in a very different perfect world. Although we have numerous relationships in this world (family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, enemies, and general nuisances), many of those relationships are temporary. We are already in fellowship with those who have gone before us, the “righteous made perfect.” We will live eternally with them and with the Lord. Those “righteous made perfect” constitute a “great cloud of witnesses” who are already celebrating our spiritual victories and encouraging us to stand up when we falter.

The church is a covenant community, united under Jesus. That covenant is eternal. That covenant community received instruction from Jesus that is preserved in the Gospels. The covenant was sealed in His body and blood, given on the cross for our sins. Its promises were secured in Christ’s resurrection and ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Ancient Israel was part of a covenant people who received their instructions at Mount Sinai. On that mountain, God showed His power: fire, a loud voice. The message was clear: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The same God who had rescued the Israelites by leading them through the Red Sea had destroyed the Egyptian army in the same sea. You cannot play games with God and hope to get away with it. “And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, ‘I am filled with fear and trembling’” (Hebrews 12:21).

On Calvary, Jesus forged the New Covenant, which showed another aspect of God’s power. Here, Jesus showed His mercy. Yes, God revealed His power that day: darkness covered the land, an earthquake occurred, and the veil of the temple was torn asunder (Matthew 27:45-54; Mark 15:33-38; Luke 23:44-47). Onlookers saw the power of God on full display. But, Jesus willingly surrendered His life. The One who created the universe subjected Himself to humanity’s ability to destroy life. Yet, at that moment, He conquered death. A preview of His power to conquer death was seen as several Old Testament saints rose from the tombs and appeared to people around Jerusalem. (Some readers are probably imagining a zombie apocalypse like “Dawn of the Dead,” but I doubt it was anything that morbid: Perhaps a little unnerving, though, especially if they appeared to people who had known them while they were alive.)

By faith in Him, we come to a spiritual Mount Zion, the “heavenly Jerusalem.” “You have come,” the writer of Hebrews tells us. We are not looking forward to our heavenly destiny. It is not something we hope for with uncertainty. Our destination is guaranteed in Christ, as certain as if we are living in it now. Yes, suffering surrounds us, but we can live in victory because the One who dwells in us is more powerful than the forces of hell and evil (1 John 4:4).

Today, those of us who follow Jesus are part of that righteous community. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, “the righteous made perfect.” One day, we will shed our mortal flesh and be fully united with them. This is our goal. Let us take comfort that God, in His power, has given us righteousness and mercy, which can guide our steps as we journey through life to the spiritual Mount Zion where we live forever in His presence, glory, and joy.

I would like to hear from you. Share your thoughts or suggestions by clicking the “Leave a comment” link below.

Copyright © 2021 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.

Categories: Bible meditations, Christian Life | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Line Dividing Good and Evil

Posted on April 11, 2021 by Michael E. Lynch

“But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, ‘Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all’” (Acts 3:12-16; all Scripture quotations from the New American Standard Bible).

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay. 

One of the great ironies of the Gospel is that Jesus, the Righteous One, was killed by religious people.

It was not harlots, tax collectors, murderers, drug addicts, sex offenders, or child abusers who led the cries urging Pontius Pilate to “Crucify Him!” It was the chief priests, the teachers of the Jewish Scriptures, and other religious leaders. The people who claimed to know and obey God called for the execution of the Son of God.

Jesus brought life and healing. Religious men brought death.

Jesus brought forgiveness and salvation. Religious men demanded condemnation.

Religious leaders of the people of God mocked Jesus while He died. It took a pagan “godless” centurion to declare, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54).

Religion, ritual, rules, tradition, and dogma do not guarantee righteousness. The men who demanded Jesus’ death were seeking God, but they sought Him on their terms, based on their finite understanding of God’s Word. When they encountered Jesus—the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature—they could not recognize Him.

It is easy for us to condemn the chief priests and Pharisees. However, is it possible that we can be more like them than we are willing to admit? Do we really hold to the righteousness of God, or do our own biases sometimes get in the way? Do we sincerely love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength? Do we truly love our neighbor as ourselves? Or, do we find more entertaining things to lure us away from God? Do we find excuses why the other person might not count as our neighbor?

“If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of their own heart?” (Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn).

Photo from imgur.

Perhaps most of us struggle with the same challenge. We start our day well. Maybe, like me, you find time to pray and read the Bible before starting your workday. Perhaps you find ways to serve God and His people in ministry, either through your church or other avenues. Maybe you spend most of your day “doing the right things.” At some point, though, temptation takes over and you live more like the devil than like a child of God. The line dividing good and evil had cut through your heart.

The great message of the resurrection is that Jesus lived a righteous life and then died for our forgiveness and salvation. Whatever evil exists in your heart and life, Jesus offers forgiveness and cleansing. He rose from the grave to conquer death, the ultimate evil.

Today, let us bring our entire hearts to Him—the good and bad, the righteous and unrighteous, the religious and profane—and welcome His cleansing power. He came to give us life and to shine His light and glory through us:

“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:5-10).

I would like to hear from you. Share your thoughts or suggestions by clicking the “Leave a comment” link below.

Copyright © 2021 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.

Categories: Bible meditations, God's Moral Attributes | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hallelujah! The Lord is Risen Indeed!

Posted on April 4, 2021 by Michael E. Lynch

Alleluia. Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us;
therefore let us keep the feast,
Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.
Christ being raised from the dead will never die again;
death no longer has dominion over him.
The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all;
but the life he lives, he lives to God.
So also consider yourselves dead to sin,
and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by a man came death,
by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die,
so in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia. (Book of Common Prayer)

Image via pixy.org. Published under a Creative Commons 4.0 license.

The above prayer, named “Christ our Passover” or “Pascha Nostrum,” is based on three New Testament passages (1 Corinthians 5:7-8; Romans 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22). The Book of Common Prayer includes it as part of the morning Daily Office of prayer every day during Easter week. One can also pray it on any mornings between Easter and the Feast of the Ascension (40 days after Easter; in 2021, it will be May 13). If you are interested in praying the Daily Office, you may familiarize yourself with it by following the daily prayers and readings at the website of the Mission of St. Clare.

Many Christians forget that the church calendar views Easter as an entire season. It begins on Easter Sunday (Resurrection Sunday in some churches) and ends seven weeks later on Pentecost. Easter is not just one day for bunnies, colored hard-boiled eggs, chocolate, new clothes, bonnets, etc. It is the fulcrum of our faith. The entire Christian life hinges on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and its assurance of our future resurrection. So, we can celebrate Easter every day. It does not matter whether it is April 4, May 2 (Eastern Orthodox Easter this year), December 25, or any other day. Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. Because He has risen, He has triumphed over death, and in Him, we can all be made alive forevermore.

Hallelujah! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

I would like to hear from you. What are your thoughts about the importance of Easter and Christ’s resurrection. Share your thoughts or suggestions by clicking the “Leave a comment” link below.

Copyright © 2021 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.

Categories: Bible meditations, Church Calendar: Holy Days and Seasons | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Weep With Those Who Weep: Thoughts for All Souls’ Day

Posted on November 2, 2020 by Michael E. Lynch

“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for the one who has died is freed from sin.
“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him” (Romans 6:3–9; all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible).

A Christian cemetery in Bangladesh on All Souls’ Day. Photo by Nasir Khan, via Wikimedia Commons, under a Creative Commons license.

Today is All Souls’ Day in some churches. The Book of Common Prayer calls it the Commemoration of All Faithful Departed.

Many of us have been touched by death and grief over the last eight months. As of November 1, 2020, at 3:20 PM EST, there have been 1,204,121 deaths worldwide caused by COVID-19. 236,349 of these occurred in the United States, 33,687 of them in my home state of New York, and 2,216 of them occurred in my home county, Nassau. The disease has hit home for many of us.

However, people have continued to die of the usual causes as well. I had two uncles who passed away, one from cancer and the other after a few strokes. Several friends have lost parents or other close family members. I refer to these as the “collateral damage” of the pandemic, especially since some of the deceased may not have received the same level of care they would have at normal times. It has been a hard year for many of us.

Today, let us thank God for the ways our lives have been enriched by those who are no longer with us. Yes, we mourn and we grieve. But, we can think of those whom we have lost, whom we miss dearly, who have touched our lives in positive and powerful ways. We may be sad to know that they are gone, but we can rejoice that we have been blessed to know them. We can especially rejoice that for those who are now enjoying eternal life in the presence of God.

Today, let us pray for those who are in the depths of grief. The fact that two of my uncles died recently means that several of my cousins lost their fathers. Two of my aunts lost their husbands. One aunt and my mother lost their brothers. Several cousins’ children lost their grandfathers. Also, I have several friends whose mothers have passed. Grief hit home directly for each of them. I am sure most of you can add your own list of friends and family who are in mourning. Some of our friends and loved ones are grieving very deeply. Pray for them. Call them. Email or text them. Let them know that you care and that they are not alone.

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, thank God this day for the assurance of the resurrection and everlasting life. Death has been defeated. When our time in this world ends, we begin eternity in heaven where there is no grief, pain, or sorrow. Jesus has promised us:

“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40).

Let us always rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). Sorrow assails us throughout the year, and all of us need the encouragement and love of others at all times.

Who are you mourning for this day? Who is grieving and would benefit from your compassion? Share your thoughts by clicking the “Leave a comment” link below.

Copyright © 2020 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.

Categories: Bible meditations, Church Calendar: Holy Days and Seasons | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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