Living Savior Podcast

Jesus’ disciples lost him through the cross but then regained him through his glorious resurrection. With the culmination of his work, he brings them and all his followers unbridled and unending joy. How so? It all rests on this fact: Easter still stands! Jesus rose from the dead!

Therefore, grief turns to joy just like a mother’s childbirth pain turns to elation. This kind of joy made a believing woman like Lydia open her home to Christ’s ambassador Paul. This kind of joy is experienced when we see that God is making all things new. This kind of joy is ours right now as we share in his everlasting peace and promises.

The evening before he went to the cross, Jesus is teaching about the relationship between the Father and the Son. What does that look like? Love. So when St. Paul describes what the members of the body of Christ look like, he is compelled to speak of the same thing: Love. We belong to the Father’s family because of the love of his Son, Jesus Christ. Now we get to love one another, powered by his love for the Father and for us.

Easter still stands. Jesus lives as our Head. Therefore our love for one another “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

The Focus this week - The evening before he went to the cross, Jesus is teaching about the relationship between the Father and the Son. What does that look like? Love. So when St. Paul describes what the members of the body of Christ look like, he is compelled to speak of the same thing: Love. We belong to the Father’s family because of the love of his Son, Jesus Christ. Now we get to love one another, powered by his love for the Father and for us.

Easter still stands. Jesus lives as our Head. Therefore our love for one another “always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

The Focus this week - A shameful death leads to a glorious life? How ludicrous! Robes once stained with sin and guilt are made white with the blood of a Lamb? How preposterous! That Lamb will prove to be the Good Shepherd? How absurd! Troubled individuals will listen to the voice of that Shepherd and find shelter and security at God’s throne? How ridiculous!

What natural reason considers ludicrous and preposterous becomes marvelous as the Holy Spirit works through his Scriptures. What human wisdom regards as absurd and ridiculous gathers countless grateful saints around the risen Lord Jesus Christ to shout his praises … because Easter still stands!

A shameful death leads to a glorious life? How ludicrous! Robes once stained with sin and guilt are made white with the blood of a Lamb? How preposterous! That Lamb will prove to be the Good Shepherd? How absurd! Troubled individuals will listen to the voice of that Shepherd and find shelter and security at God’s throne? How ridiculous!

What natural reason considers ludicrous and preposterous becomes marvelous as the Holy Spirit works through his Scriptures. What human wisdom regards as absurd and ridiculous gathers countless grateful saints around the risen Lord Jesus Christ to shout his praises … because Easter still stands!

Saul of Tarsus was headed to another city, planning once again to arrest Christians and drag them back to Jerusalem in chains. In the meantime, Saul was wearing chains himself, shackled by his hatred for Christ and by his vindictive ignorance. Then the risen Redeemer spoke to him, cut away his chains, and commissioned him to proclaim his Name throughout the world. We who were once wearing the chains of hatred, ignorance, guilt, and fear have ourselves been set free. In his grace and mercy, Christ has spoken to us of forgiveness, resurrection, and eternal life. He has now commissioned us also to proclaim his liberating Name even to those who are wearing the chains of unbelief: “Christ is risen!”

It’s kind of hard for us to accept the supernatural. Like Thomas, we find it difficult to believe something that goes beyond our understanding or transcends our reason. Yet we are drawn to those very things in entertainment, in our relationships, and in the world around us. We are attracted to superheroes, fantasy lands, and mystical plots. We want crazy love and strength from the people we rely on the most. We crave stability greater than what we can see. And it just so happens that the resurrection gives us what we are inclined towards and more. Life, forgiveness, peace with God, fearlessness . . . all of these are ours through the living and enduring promises of God because Easter still stands.

Easter isn’t just a day; it’s a season. Today is just the beginning of the resurrection comfort God has for you. Join us for “STILL STANDING,” our Easter series which continues through the next six weeks. The road of shame, suffering and sacrifice lead the cross. And since Jesus died for all and rose again, his life counts for all. The tomb is still empty. Therefore, no matter what happens . . . even if everything else collapses, God’s eternal promises are still standing.

The road of shame, suffering and sacrifice lead the cross. And since Jesus died for all and rose again, his life counts for all. The tomb is still empty. Therefore, no matter what happens . . . even if everything else collapses, God’s eternal promises are still standing.

Today we enter the home stretch with our Lord Jesus. Yes, we have been here before. There is something very familiar about the Palm Sunday celebration. But this final stretch is far from routine. It’s certainly not the time to travel on auto pilot, because behind the familiar palms and praises is the God-man who left his heavenly home to purposefully enter the city of his death. He did so for an extraordinary reason: to seek and to save the lost. For this final stretch of his journey, he chose to humble himself to death — even death on a cross — all so that we might journey back to his heavenly home with him.