If man wonders why Christianity has triumphed throughout so much of the world, then he needs to look no further than the fact that Christians are ready to die. As Tertullian said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Here is a principle that every man can grasp. If you face an army in which every soldier is ready to give his life, then you face a formidable force. Christians live in this world for something more than this world. We live in this world for the next world, the resurrected world. And the Christians who live most for that world are the most effective in this one.

Let the resurrection have its full force. You are coming out of the ground, my friends. This is a promise upon which we stand flat-footed. Your casket will crack. Your lungs will heave. Your ears will hear the sound of resurrected Canadian geese. And you will attend the mother of all family reunions with honors and treasures given for how each one lived in this life. This resurrection will happen on an appointed day. Maybe a Tuesday. I’m betting Sunday. And what a day it will be.

This resurrection frees you from the fear of death—and not just physical death when you depart the body. The resurrection frees you from the fear of every death you face between now and then—those “dying-daily” deaths. There is no other way to do good works. Death must be at work in you so that life is at work in others. And how will you face those regular Thursday afternoon deaths? Honestly, how are you going to carry your cross on that long road to Calvary? It is quite simple: The same Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you. 

Jared Longshore – March 31, 2024

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Jesus said that unless a grain of wheat goes into the tomb, unless it dies and is buried, it remains alone. In other words, the way God multiplies is by death. From the very beginning this is so. God multiplied Adam by laying him down in deathlike sleep and fashioning a woman from his rib.

We don’t know what it would have been like without sin, but in this fallen world it continues this way: the woman lies down in the death of childbirth, the man puts his body on the line every Monday morning when he goes out to turn his time and sweat into the means of his family’s provision, the two of them together died to their unbridled freedom when they bound themselves in covenant marriage to the other, and they bury themselves in dishes and laundry and sick youngsters and leaky pipes and sleepless nights. These are the means by which God has ordained us to be fruitful and multiply. We die and die and die. And if we did not, we would remain alone. But in God’s great wisdom, He multiplies by means of our death.

This was true of Adam, it is true of every family, and it is far truer of Christ.

None of us really know what we’re getting into, but Jesus did. He stretched out his hands willingly to receive the Roman nails. He was the only crucifixion victim ever who wasn’t powerless, who stayed voluntarily. No one took his life from him, but he laid it down willingly. He gave up his spirit, his side was pierced as Adam’s was, and he went into the ground like a seed.

And when he rose again on Easter morning, he rose triumphant with a host of captives in his train. He rose again in order to give life abundant, life eternal to an uncountable number of saints. God multiplied by Christ’s death.

If you love your life, you will lose it. But if you hate your life in this world for the sake of loving God and neighbor, then God will raise you up as he raised Jesus. The temptation is to cling to our lives, to selfishly carve out a little bit for us. But that’s just hewing out broken cisterns, it’s putting water in a sieve. The way to save your life is follow Christ’s example, and to lose it. 

Joshua Edgren – March 31, 2024

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Artificial intelligence is here. We stand on the shore and look towards the horizon. A vast ocean separates us from this undiscovered frontier. What’s out there? What discoveries will be made? Are there dangers? The prophets of pop culture warn us of impending doom: war with machines, Skynet, and The Matrix. There are some here who are not only reluctant to use A.I., but would rather avoid it altogether. But the truth is, we’ve been here before: the printing press, electricity, the telephone, the automobile, radio and television, personal computing, and of course the internet. For each technological milestone, Christians across the world have tried to find the balance between unadulterated fear and probing discernment. 

In the late 19th century, people were experimenting with electricity without fully understanding its potential dangers which led to electrocution and fires. But as knowledge was gained, safety measures were instituted and electricity was widely adopted. Had we allowed our fears to overtake us we might still be huddling around candles for light, instead of clean and efficient LEDs. The key approach then to artificial intelligence is to ask God for wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and discernment. Proverbs 2:3-6 says, “Yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.”

  Hebrews 5:14 says, “Solid food (speaking of the more advanced oracles of God) is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” Philippians 1:9-10 says, “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, “…test everything; hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” 

The application of the Word of God is not restricted to certain segments of your life. Its utility is comprehensive. Including how to deal with disruptive technologies. When I was using AOL in the 90s, there was no way for me to predict the heights of human creativity that would come as a result of the burgeoning internet. But I was also unable to forecast, the extent of which man’s depraved nature would be put on display. A.I. will be no different. So the Christian may be tempted to boast of his “superior” choice, “I refuse the technology therefore I’m pure.” Another chides, “You are a luddite and old fashioned.” Both attitudes are erroneous. Whether you do or do not, proceed with faith. And if you do decide to make use of A.I., your options are like the soldiers of Gideon: plunge your head in and lap up the water like a dog, or kneel down, cup the water in your hands and look around while you drink.

Daniel Namahoe – March 31, 2024

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Two thousand years ago on the first Easter Sunday, Mary Magdalene returned to the garden tomb in which our Lord was laid and found it empty. Struck with concern for her Master’s body, she rushed away and returned with Peter and John, who confirmed that his body was indeed gone. While they returned to their homes, Mary lingered in the garden, weeping—for she did not understand what this all truly meant (Jn. 20).

Mary loved Jesus. When most others had fled, she stood at the cross alongside his mother and John, suffering with Him. And here again, she refuses to leave Him—or at least where she thought He should be. As she cried, a man approached, whom she presumed was the gardener. He asked why she was weeping, and she responded with interrogation, asking where he moved Jesus to.  And it was at this moment, when Jesus the Gardener simply replied, “Mary,” that her eyes were opened. 

Here was her resurrected Lord and friend, no longer dead but alive, calling her by name. She replied with joy, exclaiming, “Rabonai, Teacher!” While she did not understand what was happening, her patient love and devotion to Christ, though mixed with grief, allowed her to see and believe. With that one word—her name spoken by Christ—her whole world was turned upside down. The tears she had sown in that garden quickly reaped a harvest, and Mary received her reward. 

In this, Mary is a picture of Christ’s bride, the Church. And Mary is an image of you this morning—if you hear His voice. Christ knows your sin and weakness. He knows your fears and grief. He knows that you are often slow to understand all that He is doing. And as the Good Shepherd He comes near in comfort, calls you by name, in order that you would recognize His voice (Jn. 10). 

So this Easter Sunday, remember that His resurrection is not merely a historical fact. It is personal. If you have died with Him, if your sins have gone into the grave—you too now share in His resurrection. So hear and believe this Good News, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and in your believing may you have eternal life (Jn. 20:31).

Shawn Paterson – March 31, 2024

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