I love Easter! I think it’s my favorite holiday. One of the of the reasons I like Easter so much is because there are massive implications of Jesus walking out of the tomb. For followers of Christ, that day in history changed everything! Lately I have been wondering if I have embraced, to the fullest extent, the resurrection power and life that is available to me.
A few weeks ago I preached at a church in San Diego and they were having a baptism service. They wanted the message I gave to have something to do with baptism, so I was brushing up a bit on the theological reality of our inclusion in Christ that baptism beautifully symbolizes. One of the verses that always comes to the forefront of my mind in regards to baptism is romans 6:3-5. It reads,
3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
The Holy Spirit stared to burrow into my soul the reality that today I have an invitation to live a new life. The truth is that I have been included in his death on the cross AND I have been included in his resurrection from the dead. I think we are comfortable with the reality of all that means for us AFTER we die, but I’m not sure we have grasped what it means for our life today. That For all believers a new reality is within our grasp. While we may know that truth theologically, I wonder how many of us have practically stepped into that glorious invitation?
Now, I know what you are thinking about all of the issues and the problems that are going on in your life. The struggles that you just can’t seem to overcome, the relationships that are falling apart, and a litany of other things. That’s my first thought too. But, I wonder what might happen if we really started to take God up on his offer – if we started to believe that I is possible. I think a lot of us view this new life in Christ sort of like the closet door to Narania. It’s as though we stand at the door to the closet, we might even crack it open and look at a completely new and different life inside, but we rarely walk in to experience all that God has for us.
This week I am starting a new series called The Other Side of the Cross. I’m a fan of Easter, but I think we too often let the resurrection have it’s one day a year and leave it there. I want to explore the new reality that we are invited to live in TODAY because of the truth of the resurrection. I don’t want to stand at the door and look in… I want to jump into the life God is inviting me to.
