Easter Day: A Reminder for Jesus' Mission to the World for the Church

Richard Angelus: What is the Church? The word ‘Church’ is from the Greek word ‘Ekklesia,’ which means “an assembly” or “a gathering” or “a fellowship.” It is derived from the verb ‘ekkaleo,’ which ‘ek’ mean ‘out’ and ‘kaleo’ mean ‘to call,’ which together means ‘to call out.’ Therefore, the church is theologically, logically, is not a building or a location; it referred to the people who are called out by Jesus as they assembled together. Technically, it’s impossible to “go to Church” – we are the Church. So, when we think, thank and worship God during Easter day, remember the reason why Lord Jesus died on the cross and why the Church exist: We – the Church – exist to tell the world the Good News about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and how He has made a way for people to be reconciled by God and to represents Jesus by caring for those in need, the marginalized and oppressed, just like Jesus would. Celebrating Easter Day should remind us of this mission.

                                                                                                                                            

Dan Kimball: (from Adventures in Churchland) When we look at what Jesus said to his twelve disciples when he first called them and what he said to them years later the last day he was on earth, it’s interesting that both times he emphasized their unique mission. When he called his disciples, he said, “Come, follow me… and I will send you out to fish for people” Jesus was speaking to vocational fishermen, so he used the fishing metaphor to communicate a new purpose for their lives. Unlike the fishing they were used to doing, this new type of fishing involved being sent out into the world to find other people and share with them they joy, life, and peace that come from knowing Jesus. They would now be fishing for people.

Notice that Jesus doesn’t say to them, “Come, follow me, and I will send you into buildings to retreat from the world, protect yourself from evil, and create your own Christian subculture.” Jesus didn’t say, “Come, follow me, and I will send you once a week into a church building where paid religious professionals lead you in singing some songs, preach a sermon to you, and then send you home to go about your own business for the rest of the week.” Jesus didn’t say, “Come, follow me, and I will turn you into a judgmental, inwardly focused people.” He called his followers to lovingly share his message and represent him to the world. From the very beginning, when Jesus called people to follow him, he called them to focus on others. Jesus told his disciples that following him was not just about living for themselves; it was about serving others.

Not only were Jesus’ first recorded words about mission, but we also find that his last recorded words were about mission as well. According to the gospel of Matthew, after Jesus resurrected and prior to his ascension to heaven, his last words to his disciples were, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus didn’t send his followers to settle down comfortably in Churchland; he wanted them to be outwardly focused, going out into the world, not just to make converts or have people make quick decisions, but to make disciples. Disciples are those who model themselves after another person, like an apprentice does. This means building relationships, teaching, and committing to adjust life to the teachings of Jesus.

May the Message of Easter Day remind you of Jesus’ Mission for us to the World

Jesus is Risen, are We, the Church? Happy Blessed Day.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Most Nonsense Debate on Easter Day: Try to Proof that the Resurrection of Jesus is a Hoax

“Now, since our message is that Christ has been raised from death, how can some of you say that the dead will not be raised to life? If that is true, it means that Christ was not raised; and if Christ has not been raised from death, then we have nothing to preach and you have nothing to believe. More than that, we are shown to be lying about God, because we said that he raised Christ from death—but if it is true that the dead are not raised to life, then he did not raise Christ. For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is a delusion and you are still lost in your sins. It would also mean that the believers in Christ who have died are lost. If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more, then we deserve more pity than anyone else in all the world.

But the truth is that Christ has been raised from death, as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised” (1 Corinthians 15:12-20, GNB).

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the central fact of Christian history. On it, the church is built; without it, there would be no Christian church today (Remember: ‘church’ is not a building but people). Jesus’ resurrection is unique. Other religions have strong ethical systems, concepts about paradise and afterlife, and various holy scriptures. Only Christianity has a God who became human, literally died for his people, and was raised again in power and glory to rule his church forever.

Why Resurrection of Christ is so important?

§  Because Christ was raised from the dead, we know that the kingdom of heaven has broken into earth’s history. Our world is now headed for redemption, not disaster. God’s mighty power is at work destroying sin, creating new lives, and preparing us for Jesus’ second coming.

§  Because of the Resurrection, we know that death has been conquered and that we, too, will be raised from the dead to live forever with Christ.

§  The Resurrection gives authority to the church’s witness in the world. Look at the early evangelistic sermons in the book of Acts: Apostles’ most important message was the proclamation that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead!

§  The Resurrection gives meaning to the church’s regular feast, the Lord’s Supper. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we break bread with our risen Lord.

§  The Resurrection helps us find meaning even in great tragedy. No matter what happens to us as we walk with the Lord, the Resurrection gives us hope for the future.

§  The Resurrection assures us that Christ is alive and ruling his kingdom. He is not legend; he is alive and real.

§  God’s power that brought Jesus back from the dead is available to us so that we can live for him in an evil world.

§  The power of God that brought Christ’s body back from the dead is available to us to bring our morally and spiritually dead selves back to life so that we can change and grow.

Christians can look very different from one another, and they can hold widely varying beliefs about politics, lifestyle, and even theology. But one central belief unites and inspires all true Christians – Jesus Christ rose from the dead!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Reference:

Life Application Bible Commentary: Mark (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc: USA), Page 475-476.

Jesus, the Ransom. I, the Ransomed

Jesus’ ministry on earth was very short, approximately 3 years. It was packed with wonderful teaching and miracles, but all the time Jesus knew that he was going to die, a fact that I still amaze while reading the gospels! He didn’t hide this fact from his disciples. Several times Jesus told them that he was going to suffer at the hands of the Jewish leaders and be put to death.

“[The] Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31, NIV. See also Mark 9:31; 10:32-34).

Jesus, the Savior. I, the Sinner

This is out of my mind, I said to myself, I can’t imagine what Jesus felt and thought knowing that he was going to die soon. (By the way, how would you handle it?). But strangely as his prediction of his own death was, he made it plain that his death would not be pointless. It would achieve something even more wonderful than his teaching and miracles. Jesus told his disciples that he would “give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

‘Ransom” is not so familiar word for me, “to redeem” is. But the word “ransom” is richer in its meaning. Here it means two things: First, kidnappers demand a ransom to release the people they’ve captured, and all of us humans have been captured by the power of sin. Jesus told his disciples that he would pay the ransom which would release humans from the captivity of sin. Jesus would pay it by giving up His life, by the shedding of His blood on the cross.

The other meaning is that, because of sins, all of us humans have to be punished by the holy God. God who is holy can’t stand to see any sin – even a dot of sin – hated it and will cast sinners to hell out of His holy presence (Check: How holy is your God?). This punishment can be thought of as a fine – the fine of death. Jesus told his disciples that he would pay the ransom – the fine – which would release us sinners from the punishment of God. Jesus would pay it by giving up His life, by the shedding of His blood on the cross.

Jesus taught that He would suffer and die.

His death would achieve something greater than His teaching and miracles

He gave up his life “as a ransom for many” by the shedding of His blood on the cross

To free us from the power of sin and the punishment of the holy God

This is how much Jesus has done for you – what is your respond to this truth?

To all of this wonderful work of salvation, I say, “Hallelujah!”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

3 Reflections about Easter's Day.

Before Christmas, you can hear people proudly say, ‘Everyday is a Christmas!’ but seldom have I heard, ‘Everyday is an Easter!’ …Maybe because Christmas is the celebration of a birth. Well, almost everyone in their right mind would love to be reminded about the birth of the Savior. But how about the celebration for the death and the resurrection of the Savior? The world point out that death is the end of the games of life. Death means defeated. But not so with those who have their faith in Christ. For Him, dead is the beginning of life. Death had been won by His Cross. Death will have no more stings. Death will only bring us closer to God. The further sin can have any effect on us is the grave. He had won!

…since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all…

Here are my 3 reflections about Easter’s day. I hope it will bless you as it did for me. I hope it will spark your conscious as you realize how much Jesus when through to save you from your sins. I hope my reflection is not enough that you will dig the Gospels for yourself. 

3 reflections about Easter’s day (Click to read)

Part 1: "Nail Him to a Cross!" 

Part 2: "It's done... complete."

Part 3: "He is not here, but raised up."

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

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