Years ago, I heard a talk by Tony Campolo. He was telling about hearing a Good Friday sermon at the church he attended. The basic message was “It's Friday, but Sunday's coming.”
That message has stuck with me for many years now. In it, the pastor talked about how the world look to the depressed and demoralized disciples. Their master, the one they had great hopes for, Jesus, had just been executed on the cross. There was no hope left.
The pastor talked about how upbeat the devil, his angels and followers where. They had just defeated the Son of God! Ding-dong – Jesus is dead, they must have been shouting.
The world looked like it was upside down. Righteousness had been defeated – evil was victorious.
And then, Sunday came. Sunday came and Jesus broke free of the bonds of death. We sing “Up from the grave He arose – with a mighty triumph over his foes!”
When we look around the world, sometimes we're tempted to live on the Friday side of Easter. Certainly the news headlines do not give us reason for hope. The obituaries keep listing people dying – and not just at ripe old ages. The culture keeps corrupting. The devil seems to be winning. Problem occur in our lives and in the lives of our family. Maybe we should just give up and despair!
But then we look to the cross. The cross appeared to be the greatest disaster in the world. Yet, we know different. We live on the Sunday side of the cross, the side where Jesus has risen. Praise God!
When you're faced with problems, situations seem to be determined to beat you up and knock you down – remember the cross.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor ANYTHING else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Paul – to the Romans.)
Pastor John
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
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