We tend to think of mission work as being “over there,” something done in a far-away place. It is good and right to support foreign mission work with our prayers and offerings. However, something is off if we allow our appreciation for “over there” mission work to take our eyes off the mission that is right before us. Here is the two-fold reality worthy of our undivided attention this week. First, if we have seen the grace of God, we will serve as witnesses for Christ. Second, we need not cross the ocean to share the gospel. We can simply cross the street. In our various callings—parent or grandparent or sibling, friend or neighbor or coworker—God will provide one opportunity after another to serve as the witnesses Jesus has made us to be. So, let us continue to pray for and support “over there” mission work. But let us also give our undivided attention to the mission that God had placed right before each of us.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

When the Church gathers, it regularly remembers Christ’s ascension. The words “He ascended into heaven” are found in the three ecumenical creeds Christians use to confess their faith. In addition, the Church sets aside a day each year to focus on Christ’s ascension. This is for good reason. Jesus’ ascension marked the fact that his work was complete, in one sense. Never again will a sacrifice for sins need to be made. However, Jesus’ ascension also marks that, in another sense, his work is just beginning. Through the Church, Jesus now proclaims forgiveness of sins throughout the world. The Church consists of people like us who are often weak and timid witnesses for Christ. So, Jesus promised to send us his Spirit to give us power from heaven, that we might take the gospel to the ends of the earth. More, he ascended into heaven and sat down on the throne of God. He lives and reigns over everything for the benefit of his Church.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

Conventional wisdom says that joy is a direct result of circumstance. Our disposition is nothing more than the product of the events, conditions, and relationships of which our life consists. Therefore, it would seem that for our disposition to change, our circumstances need to change. But Jesus offers a joy that is superior. It is not a product of circumstance; it’s a product of Easter. Easter proves that God can take what normally causes people to weep and turn it into what causes people to rejoice. Sin, death, and shame went into Jesus’ tomb. Forgiveness, life, and glory came out. Our risen Savior gives us a joy that remains constant in the highest of life’s highs and the lowest of life’s lows. Because he lives, we have deep and lasting joy.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

If someone saved you from a horrible death, what would you do to thank them? Probably just about anything they asked! You would be that grateful. Jesus not only saved us from eternal death in hell, but he won for us an eternity in paradise. What shall we do to thank him? This week we see that Jesus asks for just one thing—love. He asks us, in every interaction we have with others, to demonstrate the same selfless love that he has shown to us. That is how we thank him. Fortunately, Jesus doesn’t just ask us to show love. Jesus empowers us to show love. The same divine power which raised Jesus from the dead now raises us up to a new and better life, enabling us to set aside our natural selfishness and self-glorification and instead live in a more excellent way. Like Christ, we strive to do everything for the benefit of others. Because he lives, we live lives of lavish love.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

The world is full of talkers. There are plenty of people who say they care about you. But we are aware of what many of those people will do when it comes time to put those words into action. Jesus tells you in his Word that he cares for you dearly. . . that he would do anything for you. . . that he’s leading you into the green pastures of paradise. How do you know you can trust him? Simple. Jesus followed up his words with action. Jesus promised he would die to save you from your sin. He did. Scripture promised the Savior would rise from the dead, proving that payment for sins was complete. It happened. Jesus always does what he says. His every promise is fulfilled. Jesus once illustrated that point in a striking metaphor, that of the Good Shepherd. All shepherds use words, calling to the sheep hoping they will follow. What sets the Good Shepherd apart is the fact that his words are followed by action, including his willingness to lay down his life for his sheep. Because he lives, we know Jesus is trustworthy and true.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

A recent survey asked Americans which of the five senses they would least like to lose. 77% chose sight. Navigating life blind poses a plethora of challenges that the sighted do not face. This is why Scripture often uses the concept of blindness as a metaphor for how hard it is to navigate life without a correct understanding of Christ. Spiritual blindness can take many different forms. In some cases, it is hostile opposition to the message of Jesus. In others, spiritual blindness might be demonstrated in confusion about Jesus’ true identity. In still others, spiritual blindness might be the inability to understand our spiritual condition. No matter the form spiritual blindness takes, Easter has the power to replace it with sight. Easter allows us to see where we sinners stand with a holy God. It enables us to see the path through life that is worth pursuing (as opposed to those that lead to a dead end). Spiritual sight gives us the ability to see who holds our future in his hands and who is worth our eternal worship. Because he lives, we can see things clearly.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

In the darkness before dawn, the women walked to the tomb with heavy hearts. Jesus was dead. His mission was over. In their mind, they were feeble followers of a failure. All that was left to do was finish embalming the corpse and then try to move on. Yet, Jesus wasn’t dead. And because he lived, they were not followers of a failure at all. They were disciples of the one who had conquered sin and defeated death. It is as simple as this. Because he lives, we have a whole new identity: not sinners, but redeemed saints; not rebels, but God’s chosen nation; not doomed, but saved; not only servants, but sons and daughters of God Almighty; not losers, but victorious, because Christ gives us the victory. The living Lord has given us a whole new identity. It is all because of him. It is all because he lives.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

Death can sting in many ways. First, death can sting by casting a shadow over every moment of life. No matter what earthly joy you are experiencing, death guarantees it won’t last. Second, death can sting by separating loves. There are no phone calls or hugs from the dead. Third, death can sting by instilling fear of what follows. Deep down, every human being senses that after death there is some sort of reckoning. . . a judgement. Yes, death can sting in many ways. Note that word can. Because he lives, death has lost its sting for those who put their faith in the living Lord. Because Christ lives, we have all the proof we need that God accepted Jesus’ death as the complete and final payment for all our sin. Those who are in Christ need no judgment. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. More, Christ’s resurrection is the assurance that our Christian loved ones are not lost. We will see them again in the resurrection. For Christ’s resurrection means we will rise to a world of incomprehensible and unending joy. Death remains unnatural. But Christ has defeated death. So, while death may still cause tears, death does not cause dread. Because he lives, death has lost its sting.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

 If Jesus remained dead, all he would provide is an example of a beautiful life. Therefore, if Jesus remained dead, the mission of his followers would simply be to share advice. “Here is how Jesus would want us to love one another. Or “Jesus would want us to think about money like this.” Or “This is how Jesus would pray.” But because he lives, his followers now have a meaningful mission. It is not to share advice, but to testify to what we have seen and know to be true. Christ has risen! Thus, Jesus is not a standard, but our Savior. Jesus is not primarily an example for this life, but the doorway into eternal life. His resurrection to glory will be the resurrection of all who put their faith in him. Sharing that good news—that’s our mission. The Sunday after Easter can seem like a bit of a letdown. Chances are the church isn’t quite as full. There might not be a choir or special instruments to go along with our hymns. Even the lilies have begun to wilt. It might feel like the fun is all over. Wrong! The adventure has just begun. Because he lives! Therefore, we have a meaningful mission. Let us open our eyes to the privilege and the opportunity.

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!

As we begin Holy Week, we see Jesus bury humanity’s endless attempts at seizing power. In our world, power dynamics are almost always in play. Those who don’t have power want it, often more than anything else. Those who have power are willing to do anything to keep it. In contrast, Jesus—who possesses all power as the Son of God—willingly surrendered his power and placed himself in the hands of his enemies. Why? What he wanted more than anything else was not power, but you. So, Jesus begins this Holy Week riding into Jerusalem on a donkey colt, knowing full well that he was riding to the cross. He would surrender himself to the punishment that our sins deserved, so that through Spirit-wrought faith we might seize the glory and heaven that only he deserves. 

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Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!