The Resurrection, Luke 24:1-12

What, to the Christian, is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ? Is it just another miracle? Is it a legend? Is it too good to be true? Is it just another piece of the puzzle in the Bible? Is it some elaborate trick done by the disciples? Have you ever paused to consider what the Resurrection means? I find that in my faith, sometime I get too comfortable with Hod and His Word. Things that should be foundational and life changing become arbitrary and obscure. If you are reading this, let me encourage you today to never stop let The Resurrection become obscure or arbitrary when it comes to your faith.

What is the Resurrection? The Resurrection means that God is faithful. The Resurrection means that all of God’s promises are “yes and amen” in Jesus Christ. If He died and was raised to life, that means God is faithful to do the same for those who are in Christ Jesus. The Resurrection means the beginning of the end of death’s reign over this world. It means that sin is no longer the primary principality over the earth. We are no longer under its reign. This also means the Resurrection is hope. It means that the though the women who went to Jesus’ tomb went to grieve, their grief is turned to joy! Though Jesus died is He raised and counted among the living. Though we are surrounded by death everyday, though we will eventually die, in Christ, we too can be counted among the living! Resurrection is resistance and rebellion because death did not get the final word. Because of the Resurrection, we can have confidence in the fact that God will preserve us for life with Him because His Kingdom has come in Jesus Christ and is still coming. Amen and praise God that He has risen!

Isaiah Thomas, Pastoral Intern

Comments

The ARC of Racial Justice - a Reflection and Exhortation from Pastor Matt Lorish

Here we are again. The video footage of Ahmaud Arbery is all over social media. It is a time for lament and a time for righteous anger. I write this blog post as a continuation to the initial posts offered by Northside Church members. My aim in this post is to help my fellow white brothers and sisters think about where we go from here. At the close of Jemar Tisby’s book, The Color of Compromise , he introduces a framework that he calls the A.R.C. of racial justice. Using Jemar’s framework, I’d like to humbly offer some application points that I think are important for me and my fellow white sisters and brothers at Northside Church to move towards. I also write this as a Christian pastor. Christians of all ethnicities are Bible people. The end-game for us isn’t just racial justice. The end-game for us is conformity to Jesus and honoring Him. Racial injustice is one of the areas in which we need God’s Spirit to change us, grow us and conform us (Rom 12:2, 2 Cor 3:18). My prayer is

What is This? - A reflection by Christine Bor

“What is this?”, I demand, frustrated that God would allow this. “What is this?”, I cry, in anguish that God would allow this. “What is this?”, I sigh, exhausted that God would allow this. What is this thing that disrupts me from my day, my life, my comfort, my routine? What is this thing that once again disproportionately affects marginalized communities who have experienced the systemic oppression of food and housing insecurity and healthcare inequality for centuries? What is this thing that exposes and highlights the compounding of racial disparities and blatant prejudices? Manna is manhu, which in Hebrew translates to “What is this.” It’s an honest and brutal question. The Israelites were starving in the desert and when God gave them something to eat, they had the audacity to ask, “What is this?” But here I see the same audacity creep into my heart, my thoughts, my prayers. I question everything He places in my life and instead question, “What is this? How dare you

His face was set for Jerusalem, so we can choose suffering too

My heart was arrested and blessed as I received my sister's prayer request this morning and saw her covered-up body (but sure-can't-cover-it-up glory). As is so often the case, she reminded me of our veiled-in-flesh Jesus. When she set out for Stanford, I wonder how excited those were who knew her. I wonder if they imagined how she might use that crown. What fame, what riches, what glory might follow. As He set out for Jerusalem, I wonder how excited those were who knew him. I wonder if they imagined how He might use that crown. What fame, what riches, what glory might follow. It was no mistake that He found Himself in Jerusalem. His face was set for it. To pay the penalty for our sins, to die while rescuing. He knew all along why he was going and what it would cost him. But we were worth it to Him. It was no mistake that she found herself with Covid patients today. Her face was set for it. Because He did what He did for her, she can risk while rescuing. S

Northside Church of Richmond

Search This Blog