Friday, May 15, 2009

Our Easter Promise

Pastor’s Ponderings:

Our Lenten journey is leading us to Holy Week and Easter Sunday. Through Lent, we contemplate our human nature, our short comings, how we sin and fall short of the glory of God. We are given time for reflection, a time to repent, a time to turn toward where Jesus leads. Were Jesus leads is the cross. To be a follower of Jesus is not only challenging but scary as well. To quote Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian who was executed by the SS in April of 1945: “When Christ calls us, he bids us to come and die.” This is what is means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and as a disciple we are called to obey. Is this difficult and hard? Yes it is for us mortals; but with God, all things are possible. We put our reliance, our trust, our confidence, our faith in God’s promises to us through the words of Jesus Christ. Through Christ’s death on the cross our sins are forgiven, by Jesus resurrection on Easter Day we are given the promise of life eternal with Jesus in God’s heavenly realm. With the cross, Jesus takes the sin of the world upon his shoulders as he walks the Via Dolorosa on his way to Calvary and crucifixion. As he is crucified he prays to God to “forgive them for they know not what they do.” To the thief who asks Jesus to remember him when he comes into his kingdom, Jesus replies: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” By Jesus’ blood of cross our sins are washed away, with the resurrection of Easter morning we are given the promise life eternal. This is where Lent is leading us. God’s love for us, and promises to us will unfold during the Easter Season. There is joy is this Good News for us and there is a challenge for us as well. The joy is we are redeemed, we are saved, God loves us and promises us life eternal, the challenge is our living this Good News daily. This life Jesus calls us to live, we do not do on our own, but Jesus is there with us each and every hour of each and every day on our faith journey walk through this earthly life. This is the promise, the joy and the hope Jesus gives to us.

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