Resurrection

Piled high on my desk is a stack of books that I’ve started, but not finished. This is not to say that the books are no good, I have every intention of finishing them. Truthfully, I lack the attention span to finish them before moving on to something else.

The Bible is a library filled 66 books, letters, poems, and hymns. While it’s a collection of ancient writings, it does have a focal point that we can’t afford to overlook. Reading the Bible without the Resurrection is like reading a story without knowing whether or not the hero is victorious in the end. In a nutshell, Scripture spends its time leading up to the Resurrection (Genesis-Malachi), then tells us about our response to the Resurrection (Acts-Revelation). We hear the story of Jesus in the four Gospels, which is the same story told four different ways. Even the Gospels themselves are centered on the Resurrection. From Christ’s birth, to the sending of the Holy Spirit, the Resurrection is the pivotal focus of the story that Christians share with the world. Without the Resurrection, the story is just another classic.

In the Bible we hear of violence and war. We hear of sex and scandal. We hear of dragons and sea monsters, man-eating fish, and skeletons come to life. Some heroes are brought back from the dead, others are healed, and the blind are made to see. While all that is entertaining, the only piece that makes our story unique is the Resurrection. If the tomb had not been empty, then the appropriate response to the Bible would simply be, “that’s interesting” and move on. Because of the Resurrection, we can’t leave this book unfinished on the desk. We can’t miss what truly matters, the fact that the tomb is empty is the whole story. Easter is not just another church holiday, it is the entire point of why we gather to serve, pray, and love one another. The Resurrection is why we do not fear death. It is why sin has lost its power. The empty tomb is how we know God loves us and that Christ has saved us.

Don’t get me wrong, everything else in the Bible is indeed interesting and helpful, but without the Resurrection, we wouldn’t know that we’re saved. Honestly, we’d probably still be waiting for our savior. Christ’s Resurrection means that we are loved and that we are saved. The reason why I preach that God loves you Sunday after Sunday, is because everything else in the Bible stems from that. Because God loves you, that must mean that God loves all people. People who know what it means to be loved will then know how to love others. When we know we’re loved, then we’ll love others unconditionally, unceasingly, without hesitation.

Today, and everyday, I will pick up the Bible on my desk and read about how God loves me and all people. Will you join me in that challenge? To not just read the Bible everyday, but to hear only the love that it reveals. The Resurrection is a gift, given to all because God’s nature is just that...love.

Flipping through the pages,

Pr. Lucas McSurley

Photo by Simon Wood