April 09, 2023
Greetings and blessings to all of you. For most of us we have to possibly experience bad news before we can appreciate the good news. Today is Resurrection Sunday; a day to remember that Jesus came to fulfill the prophecy in Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted; to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…..”Some at this point may say to themselves…this do not apply to me because I’m not poor, I am not in prison, I am not in captivity. We can take this verse as a metaphor or literal. We have a knack for being able to rationalize our situation with reasons that are appealing to us and others. But the reality is *that we were born into sin with sinful selfish natures. “All we are like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way.” (Isaiah 53:6) Because we are all children of Adam (recall what the took place in the garden in Genesis 1-3);” for if because of one’s man’s trespass DEATH reigned through that one man…. much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in LIFE through the one-man Jesus Christ.” Hallelujah! (Romans 5:17-21) How are we to get this new life since we are born into sin and condemn to death in the lake of fire? “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God remains on Him.” (John 3:36) “But to all who did receive Him who believed in His name He gave the right to become the children of God who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God.” (John 1: 12) But first… Jesus had to die… then rise from the dead. In I Cor. 15 it reads, “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures that He was buried that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” “and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” “..and if Christ had not been raised your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” The angels at the empty tomb ask the women this question. Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. (Luke 24:5-6) Do we need to tell someone the good news that Jesus has risen to conquer sin and death and given us a *new life IN CHRIST?
With the Love of Christ
First Lady Vivian C. Currie
Pastor ALC