Easter is almost upon us.
Join Together
We will, as we do each year, meet on Good Friday to read through an account of our Lord’s humiliation and death, and on Easter Sunday to rejoice in His resurrection. It is good to remember by listening to the eyewitness accounts that the events at the foundation of our faith, what we need always to remember as the gospel that saves us, “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” [1 Cor. 15:1-4], it is good to remember that these events are real.
We are not followers of the philosophy of a dead teacher, but followers of a living Saviour. And it is good to proclaim that in our darkening world by gathering, not out of habit or tradition, but out of joy and thankfulness. In Christ we have hope. He is light in our darkness, resurrection in our death, enduring love in a world of partings, a sure word in a world of broken promises, and the one whose resurrection ensures justice will prevail in a world corrupted by oppression and injustice. He is the Saviour of the world [John 4:42]. So come and join together to witness to the truth of the gospel and rejoice before our saving God.
We are not followers of the philosophy of a dead teacher, but followers of a living Saviour. And it is good to proclaim that in our darkening world by gathering, not out of habit or tradition, but out of joy and thankfulness.
A verse to meditate on
And give yourself time this Easter, whether at home or enjoying that longed for holiday, to think about the consequences of the Lord Jesus’ death and resurrection for you by meditating on this verse from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God with your body.”
You are not your own. That confronts our culture’s commitment to our personal autonomy and freedom, the right to do whatever we like with our lives and to be accountable only to ourselves for what we do, a commitment we absorb just by living here. For many You are not your own, for you were bought with a price sounds the very reason not to be a Christian. But in fact it speaks of a great privilege. Believers belong to the living God, and share the security and status of being members of His household. He cares for them, protects them, shares with them His life, and will have them dwell in His presence. Here is our identity – servants of the living God, and purpose – to do His good will.
“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God with your body.”
You are not your own. That confronts our culture’s commitment to our personal autonomy and freedom, the right to do whatever we like
And we have this privilege because we have been purchased for God at great cost, the cost of the death of His Son [Rev. 5:9-10]. Paul has already spoken of the cross as the power and wisdom of God, of Christ crucified as our wisdom from God, our righteousness, sanctification and redemption [1 Cor. 1:30]. In the preceding chapter he has reminded the Corinthians that Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed, that it is through His death we are freed from bondage to sin and death. The gospel account we will read on Good Friday gives us a little understanding of what that cost was for the Lord Jesus, and perhaps the beginning of an inkling of what the Son’s death cost the Father. Such a short phrase – you were bought with a price – and what a great ocean of pain, suffering and grief lie behind it, a price nature itself could not bear to look on. Meditate on that phrase so when you say with Paul of Jesus “The Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me” [Gal. 2:20] you know the love you speak of.
That costly belonging has a consequence – “So glorify God with your body.” We are not to live for ourselves. We have to purposefully seek to live our embodied lives to bring honour to our God, to enhance His reputation, turning away from sin, in 1 Cor. 6 sexual sin, to do what is right and good. “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God with your body.” is a good place to take stock of your life this Easter.
We are not to live for ourselves. We have to purposefully seek to live our embodied lives to bring honour to our God
Ask yourself
As well as asking am I growing in knowledge of the Son’s love for me, as well as nurturing my hope in the resurrection, ask who you are living to please – yourself, your family and friends, your employers – or the one who has bought you at a price? Whose will are you conforming your life to? Would people know you take your orders and direction from the Lord Jesus? Ask yourself, Does my life bring glory to my saving God, or dishonour by my wilful disobedience or half-hearted commitment?
Ask who you are living to please – yourself, your family and friends, your employers – or the one who has bought you at a price?
The events we remember at Easter are true. The Lord Jesus lives, and living, He will return as He promised. So this Easter take the opportunity to rejoice in that hope and in the gracious love that has given you that hope, and also make sure you are living as His, bought with a price, so that when you meet your Lord you are amongst those servants who hear “well done, enter into the joy of your Master.” [Matt. 25:21] In God’s mercy may that be us all.
