It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.
Ephesians 2: 3-6 The Message
We continue to bask in the good news of grace in these first weeks after the Day of Resurrection. Theologically and liturgically, Easter is more than just one day. It is actually a season in the life of the church. Why? Simply because the good news of the Resurrection deserves more than just a single day. It deserves an entire season. In fact, it should be a part of every season of our own lives.
This passage from Ephesians reminds us of God’s choice. Caught between His goodness and our wretched sin, God had a choice. Either He could wipe out the sin and us at the same time, or He could save us from our sin.
God feels both anger and compassion. In the days of Noah, when a flood came over the whole of the earth, God was filled with anger and rage at the people’s willingness to worship false idols, and to deny God’s existence. Only Noah and his family were saved. In the eyes of the Lord, they were the only ones who worshiped Him.
Here, with Jesus, we see the Lord of compassion expressing that emotion by sending His son Jesus to us. This choice was filled with love and grace, rather than anger. God “took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ.”
The descriptive language in the Message translation speaks the truth. Sin has a way of slowly deadening us. It kills what is good and right and holy. It hampers relationships. It leaves no joy in its wake…
God specializes in surprising us, and doing the impossible. Therefore, the Lord wants to take our sin-dead lives, and makes them alive through the life, death, and resurrection of His son Jesus Christ.
The good news of Easter is not just that the Lord raised Jesus on that morning, but that through Christ, we all can be raised to new life as well. In spite of our past sin, our eternal destination can be heaven, in the company of Jesus, our Messiah and Lord.
None of us deserve it! Yet God’s love is so immense, and so merciful, that it reaches out to us in spite of our sin. Through His amazing love, God make us alive through His resurrected son, Jesus Christ.
This day, rejoice again in the good news: we have the choice to be no longer sin-dead! Instead, we can be alive in Christ, and through Christ! Praise the Lord!
Prayer
Lord I praise You for the amazing gift You offer me of salvation through Your Son Jesus, who died on the cross for all of my sins. Help me to remember that this is a gift, and not something I deserve. Forgive me when I am not the servant to others that I should be. Help me to honor You through my daily walk. Lord, help me to be the person who makes you smile. I pray this prayer in the name of Your son, the One who makes me alive in You, Jesus Christ. Amen
