WHO IS IN CHARGE AROUND HERE?

 

May 6, 2025

Colossians 1:18 

 “And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy.”


Ephesians 1:22–23 

“And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.”

Our verse today from Colossians describes the Church as more than a gathering, a building, or an institution -- it is a living organism, and Christ is its Head. Yesterday we looked at the community of Jesus as the Body of Christ and saw that the Apostle Paul likened it to the human body. We encounter this idea again today in both our verses. Just like the head directs the body, Christ leads and governs His people. His authority is not symbolic, but complete. Jesus is the source of life, wisdom, direction, and unity for the Church.

In our lives, it’s easy to take control and make decisions based on what feels right or what our culture encourages. But as we all know, a body cannot function if it tries to act independently of its head. The same is true for the Church. When we operate apart from Christ, when we prioritize our own ambitions, preferences, or traditions, we drift off course. But when Christ is given His rightful place as Head, the Church thrives, matures, and reflects His love and truth.

This isn’t just about acknowledging Christ with words, it’s about yielding or surrendering and dependence. It means letting Jesus lead your heart, your plans, your relationships, and your church. It’s trusting Him as the source, not just the figurehead. When every part of the body listens to the Head, we move with unity, purpose, and power.

Reflection Questions


Is Christ truly the head of your life or are you trying to lead things?

What is one area where you need to surrender to Jesus leadership?

In what ways do you see Christ leading your church?
Are there areas where we need to realign with Him as Head?

How would our decisions change if we consistently sought Christ’s direction first?

 
Let Us Pray

Jesus, You are the Head of the Church, and I want You to be the Head of my life. Forgive me for the times I’ve gone my own way. Teach me to follow You, to listen for Your voice, and to trust Your leadership. Help our church to honor You as the One who holds all things together. Lead us, shape us, and unite us by Your Spirit. Amen.

WHAT A BODY!

 

May 5, 2025

 1 Corinthians 12:12–27

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

Our Key Verse

"The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ."

1 Corinthians 12:12 

 

In our reading today, the Church is compared to a human body, which is diverse in its parts but yet united in function and purpose. Each part—eyes, ears, hands, and feet—serves a unique purpose, but together they create one living organism. Likewise, a Christian community is made up of individuals, each one playing a unique role with intention and purpose.

There is a temptation to consider certain roles in the church as more important than others. The roles that are more highly visible can often be ranked as of more value. We might think the Elders, Deacons, teachers, or Pastor matters more than the person who sets up chairs and tables, or the one who plans fellowship meals, or the individuals that make sure people are welcomed, or those quietly praying in the background. But notice how Paul shatters this thinking: “The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable” (v. 22). Every part matters. Every person matters.

Here is the thing we must always remember we were not meant to be a copy of someone else. We were meant to be ourselves, the way God created us to be, with our personalities, abilities and interests. We are women and men who are filled with the Spirit and are uniquely equipped to serve in a way no one else can. You see, when we each embrace our God-given roles and honor the roles of others in our community, the Church becomes a powerful and beautiful expression of Christ on earth.

Reflection Questions

What role or gift has God given you within the Body of Christ?

Have you embraced it or dismissed it as unimportant?

Do you sometimes compare yourself to others in the Church?

What might happen if we fully stepped into our role in the Body?

What could God do through our obedience?


Let Us Pray

Lord, thank You for making me a vital part of Your Body. Help me to see my worth not by comparison, but through Your eyes. Teach me to honor the gifts in others and to joyfully use what You’ve given me to serve and build up the Church. Unite us, Lord, as one Body, led by Your Spirit and centered in Your love. Amen.

WHY WING IT?

 

May 2, 2025

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

God assures us of His guidance and leading through the joys, difficulties and challenges of life. Bottom line: God will guide you!

We all face countless decisions in a day. Some are rather small and insignificant like deciding to wear a blue or green shirt. Yet, some decisions are significant, they have a broader long lasting impact on our lives. Our verse today asks us will we lean on our own understanding and experiences, or will we look to God's higher understanding and trust the Creator? Do we try to figure things out on our own, lean on our own understanding, “wing it” as they say, or do we go to our Creator God in prayer, apply the truths we know from Scripture and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us? Yes, I know this calls for "waiting patiently" and trusting the God we worship. Oh, but the outcome, will be full of promise, wisdom and guidance. Let us continually seek God and ask God to show us the way for we know that He is faithful to his promises, and our Creator will make your path straight.

FOR REFLECTION 

• Can you think of a time when you leaned on your own understanding? How did it turn out?

• What’s one area in your life where you need to stop winging it and submit it to God?

 

• What’s one thing you can do every day to remind yourself to lean on God?

 

PRAYER

 

O Lord, my God, help me to trust you with my decisions and my future. Let me lean on you with all my heart instead of relying on my own imperfect understanding. Give me clear guidance in my life, Lord. As I submit myself to you, I know that you will direct my paths and I can have confidence that your direction is always the best way to go. Hear my prayer, Father. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

WISDOM ANYONE?

 

May 01, 2025 

 

James 1:5

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

We all have a hard time making sense of life. We are often overwhelmed by discouraging situations and we despair about difficulties and hardships. Let’s be honest we even doubt that God will give us what we need to rise above these circumstances. The outcome of this doubt is that we do not bring these “hard places” to God, and seek his help and direction in them.

In life, our experiences can leave us wondering what is the best, or the wisest choice or decision to make. God promises to provide us with wisdom in those moments, freely and abundantly because he is a generous God. He “gives generously to all without finding fault.”

Belief and faith go hand in hand, and trusting in God's wisdom requires a deep openness to His guidance. It’s reassuring to know that when we seek wisdom, we’re not searching blindly, we are asking from the One who has revealed Himself as trustworthy and generous. The act of asking itself is an expression of faith, recognizing that wisdom is not something we gain entirely on our own but something given by God to those who trust in Him.

Can you think of a situation or choice where you need wisdom right now? Ask God for help and direction.

 

PRAYER

Almighty God, You faithfully provide wisdom and understanding whenever I need help and direction. Help me remember the countless times You’ve poured blessings upon me. Comfort me with thoughts of your faithful loving care that I may rid my mind and heart of doubts and anxieties. Help me find wisdom in Your faithful promises. Let them encourage me as I seek and follow Your direction and completely focus on the life You desire for me to have. Amen

THE POWER OF CHRISTIAN WITNESS

 April 30, 2025

2 Corinthians 5:16-20

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.


In 2 Corinthians 5:20, the apostle Paul states that Christians are God’s ambassadors in the world. This is a heavy thought that we should absorb for a moment before moving on. In all I do, as a follower of Jesus, I am called to be a representative of God’s truth in this world. This is also true for you if you have given your life to Jesus.

This means that as we live as citizens of heaven and ambassadors of God’s kingdom, we should expect to find ourselves at odds with the earthly kingdoms and nations in which we live. We should expect to find ourselves at odds with leading political parties, and popular politicians as well. This is especially the case when an earthly “Kingdom” or culture fails to live up to, its God-given roles of bringing order and exercising justice. 

In his book Live No Lies, John Mark Comer discusses the features of the early church which caused Christianity to stand out against the cultural systems of the Roman empire. We see some of these features in the book of Acts, characteristics that led to growing and thriving Christian communities. For example, “The Church was an ethnically diverse group and valued people of varying cultural backgrounds, extending them dignity in accord with their creation.” That sure was counter cultural. As was the economic mix of the communities of Jesus, the wealthy, the poor, the outcast, made up a diverse group of worshippers. The followers of Jesus embraced a radical sexual ethic that was founded on Biblical principles, and we could also point to the emphasis in these early believers on nonviolence in contrast to much of the Roman world.

The point that Comer makes in his book is that "it was exactly this divergence from the values of the culture around them that enabled the Church to exist as such a powerful witness to the new community God was at work creating." Another way of putting it would be to say the Early Christian communities became a transforming witness to the goodness of God, by faithful living as citizens of God’s kingdom and as Christ’s Ambassadors. As we are taught in the Gospels, the mission of Jesus was to reveal the transforming power of grace and to invite us into a partnership with God in the work of reconciling the world to Himself.

Yes, the world of the early Christians was messy, broken, violent, and terribly unkind. That makes the New Testament message relevant to our time, doesn’t it? Here is what I find so powerful and interesting, that Jesus’ followers did not remove themselves from the mess, they didn’t "head for hills", they engaged in their world as kingdom people, revealing God’s hope for the world. A careful reading of the New Testament reveals that the cause of the messiness and unkindness of the culture was believed by those early Christians to be spiritual. As such, they as Christ's ambassadors invited all to "be reconciled to God."

The challenge of all this for me, was and is to never undervalue the power of Christian witness, even though following Jesus will place us in direct opposition to the values and practices of the culture in which we live. The question I have been seeking to answer for myself is how interconnected can I be with any of this world’s systems and still be a faithful witness to God?

We must be people who value the wisdom of God over the wisdom of the world. The words from Isaiah 55:8-9 keep coming to my mind. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”’ My conclusion thus far is that as disciples of Jesus, we must be a people whose thoughts begin and end with him. That will make us different from the culture that surrounds us.

So, we are “kingdom” people, first. As people of Jesus’ kingdom, we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, working and praying for the peace and prosperity of our city and county, well, Our Country and World. All the while praying for those in leadership, at the various levels of decision making, as we boldly engage in our world as women and men and children who are seeking to live as Ambassador’s of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us never undervalue the power of Christian witness as God's spirit works in us and through us to transform. Amen.

NOT-OF-THIS-WORLD PEOPLE?

 

April 29, 2025

I am writing this devotion on the night of our Federal Election here in Canada, and the polls are still open. I do not know what the results will be, but over the last 35 days or so I have been engaged in a theological and ideological journey. I want to share with you where this has taken me in my thoughts and where God has challenged me. I pray that this will helpful as we all seek to serve God faithfully in all of life.

Philippians 3:20

Our citizenship is in heaven.

John 18:36

My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.

Over the past weekend I have had several conversations about Canadian politics, as I am sure many of you have. If there is anything that will spark debate, if not an outright argument, it is a discussion involving politics, even among fellow Jesus followers, these conversations can get very intense, can’t they.

These talks, raised a question for me, “As followers of Christ, what should be our attitude and our involvement with politics?” I know we all have heard that “religion and politics don’t mix.” We have heard from those who advocate for separation of church and state, which has a long history of discussion. But is that really true? Can we have political views outside the considerations of our Christian faith? The Bible’s answer is, no, we cannot. Our faith should inform every area of life even our political views, shouldn’t it?

To a people who were wrestling with questions equally difficult to the ones we face today, the apostle Paul famously said, “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). I wonder just how compelling that idea is to most of us. I wonder how many of us treat Paul’s words not as a solid statement of fact, but as a theoretical and perhaps just some aspiring idea. However, Paul was plain in his words to the Philippians. To him, citizenship in heaven was not wishful thinking, or a far-off promise, but a very present and transformative reality. Do you remember when Jesus stood on trial before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate and declared, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place” (John 18:36).

As followers of Jesus, we are first and foremost to be a not-of-this-world kind of people. Our heavenly citizenship should be what defines us more than anything else we might be tempted to root our identity in. I am a proud Canadian, but I am first a citizen of heaven. You may say, “isn’t that the perspective most Christians already have?” Perhaps we can best answer this by how we respond to the following:

Which keeps you up more at night: the direction of the country or the advance of God’s kingdom?

Which stimulates your conversations more: what this or that politician just did (or Party did) or what God is doing?

Bible seems to be saying that our identity as followers of Jesus should compel us to think of ourselves first as a citizen of heaven and then acknowledge that we also have an earthly place of residence.

So how does this choice of kingdom of God first, over our nation's politics affect us practically?

Here are a few thoughts I have had as I wrestle with being faithful to godly purposes and calling. Peter, suggested in his letters that no matter where we live, the reality that we are citizens of heaven means that we are exiles, strangers, and foreigners (1 Peter 1:11, 1 Peter 2:11) in our earthly land that we call home. Ok, so just how should an exile, stranger, or foreigner relate to his or her country? The words of the Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, may be useful. Writing on behalf of God to the exiled people of Israel Jeremiah says, “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper” (Jer. 29:7).

What is your response to this? Should we seek the peace and prosperity of the country in which we live? Should we pray for it? Should we pray for the leaders of our nation? The apostle Paul seems to instruct us in Romans 13 to do just that, suggesting that these are the wise and faithful actions of a wise and faithful people. So, let’s start with this: we are all called to seek the good where we are, to be the salt and light that Jesus calls us to be, where we work, live and play.

To Be Continued ....



TAKE AWAY

Give some thought today to my question above.

“As followers of Christ, what should be our attitude and our involvement with politics?”

 

 

The Promise of Restoration

April 28, 2025

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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 brokenhearted, 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... to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit..."

Isaiah 61 is a beautiful message of hope, restoration, and healing. God sees the places in our lives that are broken, the seasons where we have sat among the ashes of loss, disappointment, or despair. Yet, His promise is to exchange our mourning for joy, our ashes for beauty, and our despair for praise.

I believe this passage points to Jesus Himself, the One anointed to fulfill this mission. When we come to Him, He doesn’t just patch up the broken pieces; He restores us, often making us stronger and more Joyful than before. His presence brings true freedom, from sin, from shame, from sorrow.

Remember, the Bible tells us that even when we don’t feel it, God is always working to bring about our redemption. Isaiah 61 invites us to believe again, to hope again, and to wear the "garment of praise," knowing that the God of all comfort is making all things new.

Prayer

Father, thank You for being the God who exchanges our ashes for beauty. Help us to trust Your process of restoration, even when we can’t see the full picture yet. Heal our hearts, free our spirits, and clothe us with the joy that only comes from You. Teach us to walk in the freedom and favor You have for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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WHAT DOES THE RESSURECTION MEAN?

 April 25, 2025

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.


John 14:17

The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.


Romans 6:20-23

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


For the disciples, the resurrection changed everything. Because of the resurrection this group of Jesus' followers, moved from fear to faith. What faith the demonstrated, a trust and confidence in God that made them willing to give all they had, even their lives. If you some time over the next few days read some portions of Acts, Chapters 1–7, these chapters provide a great picture of the powerful impact the resurrection had on the disciples and their boldness and fearlessness in the face of unbelief and persecution.

Priorities, relationships, work life, family life, parenting, there was nothing that was not changed in the light of the resurrected Christ. While the wages of sin is death, the gift of God that is made available through the resurrection is eternal life (Rom. 6:23).

Jesus said, “Because I live, you also shall live” (John 14:17) and that He came that we would have life and life abundantly (John 10:10). This is possible only because He is alive. We are all aware of the hold that sin can have on us, but the Bible tells us that Jesus and His truth are freedom. The resurrection is important because it is true, and because it is true it has the power to change us, to conform us into the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29).

Because of this we not only have hope for the future but a hope for the present—a hope that, in Christ, the abundant life is attainable.

Because Jesus is risen, every single claim He made, every promise, and every lesson can be trusted completely. And we can live our lives for Him because He lives in us.

EVIDENCE

 

April 24, 2025

I Corinthians 15:3-8

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 

that he was buried, 

that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, 

and then to the Twelve. 

After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

There is a large collection of evidence for the resurrection of Jesus, both subtle and not so subtle. Our reading today of 1 Corinthians 15:3–8, which is quite likely a very early creed among Jesus' followers, has been dated quite conclusively to be from within three to eight years of Christ’s death.

This early date rules out the possibility that what it says is a product of a myth that developed long after the time of Jesus. I find it rather intriguing that historians have pieced together the historical account of Alexander the Great from writings dated over four hundred years after he lived and from only two men. Obviously much fewer sources than the Gospels, and much later writings, yet still widely accepted by historians and scholars as historically accurate.

Today's passage gives us three crucial points to investigate as evidence for the resurrection: Jesus’ death, an empty tomb, and eyewitnesses.

First, the scholarship of both skeptics and believers has concluded irrefutably that Jesus’ death by crucifixion at the hands of the Romans is the most knowable fact about His time on earth. Tacitus, who not only served as a Roman senator, but is also regarded as one of ancient Rome’s best historians actually references Christians who resided in the area at the time of Nero. His contempt for these Christ followers was apparent; yet in his disdain, Tacitus provided strong evidence of the person of Jesus by acknowledging His execution. In Judea. By Pontius Pilate.

Like the Bible says: “And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.” (Read Matthew 27:1-2)

The Jewish priest and historian, Josephus, in his work, Jewish Antiquities, Josephus mentions Jesus twice, even calling Him “Jesus who is called Messiah” to make His identity clear.  Neither Tacitus nor Josephus were friends or followers of Jesus.

Second, the empty tomb, a vital piece of evidence for the resurrection, even the enemies of Jesus, Jewish Religious authorities and Roman soldiers did not debate that the tomb was empty. Matthew 28:11-15, records "While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

And finally, we come to the eyewitnesses who had, either individually or in a group setting, an experience that convinced them that Jesus had risen. Our reading today says that the Risen Jesus

appeared to Cephas, 

and then to the Twelve. 

After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

1 Corinthians 15:3–8, written within a few years of Christ’s death provides a list of appearances that could be verified as many were still alive.

The conclusion that these lead us toward is that 

"HE IS RISEN!!

HE IS RISEN, INDEED

A COMPLETE REVERSAL

 April 23, 2025

John 20:19-31

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Well known professor and writer N. T. Wright’s research reveals that the common understanding in New Testament times was that resurrection meant a complete reversal of death. Resurrection wasn’t an obscure notion or foreign concept during the time of Jesus. However, while the concept of resurrection had this common understanding, most people didn’t believe it was possible.

When Christians began claiming Jesus had been resurrected, they were claiming something had happened to Him that had happened to no one else. 

Now of course, you may be thinking what about Lazarus? True, he was resurrected by Jesus however, he would eventually die. The whole scene in John 11, reveals that Lazarus' resurrection is symbolic of the new life that Jesus offers to all who believe in Him.

Lazarus' resurrection foreshadows Jesus' own resurrection, which is the cornerstone of Christian faith. The event illustrates the transforming power of Jesus' ministry and His victory over death, offering hope of eternal life to all who believe. Jesus, authority over life and death emphasizes his role as the giver of life. The difference is that Jesus’s resurrection was to eternal life. Lazarus would die again, but Jesus would not.

The Christian claim was that Jesus had risen from the grave in victory with a physical body, a body, with some uncommon characteristics to be sure. For example, Jesus enters a locked up room without needing the door unlocked for him, or think of Luke 24 and the travellers on the road to Emmaus where Jesus just appears with them, and after breaking bread with them "disappears from their sight."

John's gospel reports that Jesus predicted His physical resurrection when He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” referring to His body as the “temple” (John 2:18-22). The New Testament clearly records a physical Jesus appearing and interacting with His disciples on multiple occasions.

“The New Testament insists in a historically reliable way that Jesus' resurrection was bodily. Jesus was not just a spirit, and the term ‘resurrection’ is not just a figure of speech”. (N.T. Wright)

Why does this matter? It matters because the physical nature of the resurrection means we can investigate it because it is a matter of historical record, eyewitnesses abound.

Remember what Jesus said before he called Lazurus out of the tomb? He said "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?"

Perhaps for today, we should here these words of Jesus as spoken directly to you and me.

Scriptures for Reflection:

Luke 24:36–49; John 21:1-15; Jesus appears after His resurrection and physically interacts with His disciples.

AS OF FIRST IMPORTANCE

 

April 22, 2025

1 Corinthians 15:14

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

1 Corinthians 15:17
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.

1 Corinthians 15:19
If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Matthew 12:39-40

He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

The Apostle Paul wanted to ensure that the church in Corinth remembered “as of first importance”, the vital significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Simply put, Paul tells them and us very clearly that if the resurrection didn’t actually happen as a real, physical event in history, Christianity is of no value. He says that if Christ has not been raised, preaching the gospel is useless, faith is futile, and those who believe are the most pitiful people (1 Cor. 15:14, 17, 19). 

Why is Paul so firm regarding the importance of the resurrection? Well, it seems to me that it is because everything about Jesus is confirmed as true by the resurrection event. 

Remember that Jesus made claims about Himself, claims to messiahship, claims  about his relationship with God as Father, and many others. Writer  C. S. Lewis pointed out that Jesus was either an outright liar, a lunatic, or He was indeed Lord. Those were the three choices left open for us according to C. S. Lewis.

Jesus also predicted His bodily resurrection and pointed to it as the “sign of Jonah” (Matt. 12:39; see also Luke 11:29). The resurrection is on a solid historical foundation. We will look at this historical foundation the rest of the week and we will find there a some very good reasons that we can be confident that Jesus wasn’t a liar or a madman, but was and is The Lord of All!!


What do you think your first reaction would have been if you had heard the news that Jesus had risen? 

THE EASTER LAUGH

 

 APRIL 21, 2025

 

Isaiah 35:10

10 and those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

How should you celebrate the day after Easter?

With a good laugh, of course.

Better yet, with a party, a really fun party. Far from being a strange, new idea, this is actually a long-standing tradition rooted in  Christian practice.

I am told it began hundreds of years ago. “A monk, was pondering the meaning of the events of holy week, with its solemn observances of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the astonishing, earth-shaking events of Easter. "What a surprise ending," he thought. Then suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, he had a new insight. His hearty laugh startled his fellow monks, breaking the silence of their contemplation.”

"Don't you see," he cried, "It was a joke! A great joke! The best joke in all history! On Good Friday, when Jesus was crucified, the devil thought he had won. But God had the last laugh on Easter when he raised Jesus from the dead."

The monks called it "the Easter laugh." The idea spread rapidly, and the day after Easter became known as a "Day of Joy and Laughter" in Orthodox, Catholic, and many Protestant countries. In homes and churches, it became common to celebrate God's great joke on the devil with joke-telling sessions. It became the custom even in monasteries. Especially in monasteries.

I read of a group known as The Fellowship of Merry Christians who began to urge churches and prayer groups to revive this very old custom and hold Easter Monday parties or to have Holy Humor Sundays.

That’s a rather good idea, don’t you think? Celebrating “the Easter Laugh”, holding a day or a Sunday for Joy and Laughter.

Yet there is a great biblical truth that drives this practice. The Cross, the symbol of Roman torture and execution, a symbol of anger and hate and brutality, is transformed by God into a symbol of LOVE. “Greater love has no one than this, that they lay down their life for another”. The Easter story of Christ's resurrection is God’s great exclamation point that emphasizes for us the power of love. This love creates and promises hope, renewal, change and newness. The resurrection becomes a symbol of hope and grace and amazing love.

God is still at work. God works in situations that seem utterly hopeless and bleak before he brings surprise endings and has the last laugh.

So, tell your best joke today! Have a day of joy and laughter, as you continue to rejoice as people of the risen king!

Nehemiah 8:10

10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Holy Saturday

 

April 19, 2025

Ezekiel 37:1-14

The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.” 

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’ ” 

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ” 

So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. 

Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 

Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 

Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’ ”

On Holy Saturday, we find ourselves in the in-between. It’s the day after the darkness of Good Friday yet before the joy of Easter morning. It’s a time of waiting, uncertainty, and silence—a day when hope feels distant but not extinguished. In many ways, it mirrors the vision in Ezekiel 37, where the valley of dry bones starts as a place of despair but is transformed by the power of God’s breath and promise.

In Ezekiel 37, God gives the prophet a powerful vision. He shows Ezekiel a valley full of dry, lifeless bones. At first, it looks like nothing could ever change, it is a scene of emptiness and loss.

  But then God speaks, 

                                         and something amazing happens. 

The bones come together, breath fills them, and they come back to life.

This story reminds us of God’s incredible power to bring hope and renewal, even in places that seem broken beyond repair. It’s a picture of what God can do in our lives when we trust Him. On Holy Saturday, we remember the silence and waiting after Jesus’ death, holding onto the promise that God is always working, even when we can’t see it yet.

Is there a part of your life where you feel stuck or hopeless, like those dry bones? Take a moment today to talk to God about it. Ask Him to bring healing and renewal to those places, trusting that He can make things new, even when it feels impossible.