New Covenant

April 06, 2015 Monday Message:

“When the women found the stone rolled away, they went in. But they did not find the body of Jesus.” Luke 24:2-3 CEV

For thousands of years before Good Friday, mankind sinned and died without hope. Many people believed in God-the-creator, and they believed that God loved them, but not one was able to live a perfect life, to obey every law. So they died in uncertainty.

On Good Friday, Jesus himself paid the price for the sins of the world. He took those sins to the grave.

So Saturday was a strange day, a dividing point, a line in the sand separating the old from the new, separating the law from grace. Both good and bad: Good - everyone’s sins in the grave. Bad - Messiah in a tomb. On Saturday, the next step wasn’t clear. The disciples were disappointed, disillusioned and quite afraid on this transitional day. They could not yet see tomorrow.

But on Sunday, resurrection day, everything changed for the better, and everyone was amazed. Jesus had conquered both sin and death with the same event! Even though he told everyone it was necessary to die and rise again, no one fully understood, so Sunday caught everyone by surprise. But the empty tomb made it abundantly clear that death was not the end. There was indeed hope for everyone who trusted Jesus with their eternal destination.

Easter Sunday, the first day of the week, is the first day of the rest of our lives. Before Good Friday, we were lost; after the Resurrection, we have hope.

“Born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3b ESV

Norton Lawellin

Let’s worship together! Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) gathers at 10 a.m. every Sunday in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This week, April 12, we’ll look at Peter’s call to ministry, and your call to ministry, John 21. See you at church!