Living the Good (Easter-shaped) Life!
Like most days, I walked to church this morning in the glorious sunshine, under a beautiful blue sky. I passed by $3m homes, people towing caravans, people watering their garden, people playing tennis, people chatting with friends, people walking around the Green. Life in St Ives is good today. You might say many are triumphing at life!
What would triumphing at life look like for you?
Perhaps we will all have a different answer to that question but here is what the ultimate triumphant life looks like:
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-15)
For Jesus, triumph came through his submission to the will of God, his subsequent suffering on the cross for us and his work of defeating the enemy of his friends through that same death.
Triumph came not by seizing the day or gaining all that life has to offer. Triumph came through his suffering and death. This is the upside down nature of the Gospel and the Christian life; or perhaps we should call it the right way up nature of life - for the Gospel sets us back on the only path that’s really worth living as Jesus triumphs over all that holds us back from being truly human and having life to the full.
Easter is a celebration of this triumph. A reminder of the good life lived by Jesus and won for us by Jesus. For at the cross, Jesus bore our sins in his body that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; that we might give away the pursuit of things in this life and look ahead to the things of the next life.
So make sure you join us over the Easter weekend. Also know that Easter is one of the best times of year to invite friends to church. It’s an easy free-kick into good gospel chats. Who could you bring to church or invite onto your couch this Easter? Who in your life needs to hear that the truly triumphant life is found only by trusting in Jesus?
Note also that this Easter we have a new service on Thursday evening 28th March - This is Love: A Night of Reflection for Easter.
This service will be quiet, reflective and preparatory for all that the weekend holds. There will be readings from the gospel of John, and songs and prayers to help us prepare our hearts for Easter. So come to quiet your heart and mind, put away the busyness and distractions of life, and draw close to Jesus and one another in love.
Particularly, this will be a service for anyone from our church who longs for time and space to slow down and dwell on the significance of Easter through reflection and worship.
More information about all the Easter Services can be found at www.christchurch.com.au/easter.
See you Sunday.
