No, this post is not about President Obama or politics. Rather, it is about the hope and change made available to us through Christ’s resurrection. You can read all about it in the Bible in 1 Corinthians 15. As Christians we have hope because Christ rose from the dead. As Paul writes:

“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:19-20)

Because Christ has been raised from the dead, we too will be raised. And so we have hope in Christ, both for this life and the life to come. Not only do we have hope, we will also be changed:

“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

In an instant, when Christ returns, we who have hoped in Christ will be changed. We will trade in these earthly bodies for our new spiritual bodies.

“For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:53-57)

Now that’s hope and change you can believe in!

Why we celebrate Good Friday: Today Christians around the world celebrate Good Friday, the day Jesus died on the cross. To many observers it seems a misnamed holiday. That first Good Friday seemed anything but good. Jesus was betrayed by one of his own disciples; he was forcibly arrested, falsely accused, grossly mistreated, illegally tried, and unjustly sentenced to death. His followers deserted him and fled. Peter denied knowing him.

Furthermore Jesus was innocent. He had done no wrong to deserve such punishment. Even Pilate, the Roman Governor, testified: “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” (Luke 23:4) And so on Good Friday we celebrate the execution of an innocent man who was abandoned by his friends and sent to his death on trumped-up charges. What’s so good about that?

To answer the question we need to go back to Jesus’ birth when the angel announced to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11) Good Friday is good because it is the culmination of the good news that the angels brought to the shepherds that first Christmas morning. We have all sinned and broken God’s law. And therefore we are all in need of a Savior. Jesus came into our world to be that Savior, and he accomplished the work of salvation by dying on the cross for us.

The New Testament refers to Jesus as the “Passover lamb who was sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:7) The Passover lamb was an animal without blemish or defect. In the same way Jesus is the perfect Son of God. When Jesus died on the cross, he was not dying for his own sins, because he had no sin. He was dying for our sins; he was dying in our place.

The good news announced by the angels at Christmas was fulfilled in Christ’s death for us on Good Friday. What’s so good about Friday? Jesus, who was born to be the Savior, completed his work of salvation on the cross. It was a good work, and God made a way of salvation for all who believe. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Of course three days later, the story gets even better. But that would be peeking ahead to Easter!

Click here for more Easter related posts.

A recent Barna poll indicates that less than half of all churchgoing adults plan to invite a non-churchgoing friend to church for Easter.

The Barna research … examined whether churchgoing adults perceive Easter weekend to be a good time to invite people to attend worship services with them. While most active churchgoers said they would be open to doing this, a minority said they would be likely to do so. Overall, 31% of active churchgoers said they would definitely invite someone they know who does not usually attend a church to accompany them to a church service on Easter weekend this year.

That’s too bad. According to research by the North American Mission Board, most Americans say they would visit a church if invited by a family member, neighbor or a friend. Easter is a great time to invite someone to attend church with you. So what are you waiting for? Easter is only a few weeks away. Who will you invite this year to hear the good news that Jesus rose from the dead?

Related posts:
    • Church Holiday Two-Timers
    • Most Americans Open to Church Invitations

“If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen — nothing else matters.”

–Among the last words of historian Jaroslav Pelikan (1923-2006)

Happy Easter!

HT: Of First Importance

According to a recent poll, nearly two-thirds of all Americans plan to attend an Easter church service this year. Maybe they will attend yours if you invite them!

Lenten Series:
    1. What is Lent?
    2. Should Christians Celebrate Lent?
    3. Should I Give Something Up for Lent?
    4. What is Ash Wednesday?
    5. What is Maundy Thursday?
    6. What is Good Friday?
    7. What is Easter?

Easter is the day Christians celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Actually every Sunday is a celebration of Christ’s resurrection, but Easter commemorates the actual day of Christ’s rising.

The date of Easter shifts each year depending on when the full moon comes in relation to the vernal equinox (see the article: Determining the Dates for Easter and Passover). The date of Easter each year determines the arrangement of the other days in the Christian calendar.

Easter is a joyful day of celebration. It is customary to greet one another with the words, “He is risen!” to which the hearer responds, “He is risen indeed!” Some churches like to hold an Easter Sunrise service to commemorate Christ rising from the dead in the early morning hours.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” (Matthew 28:5-6)

Lenten Series:
    1. What is Lent?
    2. Should Christians Celebrate Lent?
    3. Should I Give Something Up for Lent?
    4. What is Ash Wednesday?
    5. What is Maundy Thursday?
    6. What is Good Friday?
    7. What is Easter?

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter. In the Eastern (Greek Orthodox) Church it is known as Great Friday. Good Friday marks the day Jesus suffered and died on the cross. It is a solemn day, commonly observed with fasting, Scripture readings and prayers. Many Good Friday services offer reflections on the final seven words of Christ from the cross.

“He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” (1 Peter 3:18)

Related post: What’s So Good about Friday?

Lenten Series:
    1. What is Lent?
    2. Should Christians Celebrate Lent?
    3. Should I Give Something Up for Lent?
    4. What is Ash Wednesday?
    5. What is Maundy Thursday?
    6. What is Good Friday?
    7. What is Easter?

Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter. This marks the day Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples in the Upper Room. It is also known as Chare Thursday and associated with Tenebrae (the extinguishing of candles in preparation for Good Friday).

As a kid I always thought it was “Monday Thursday,” and I am sure there are plenty of adults who still wonder what the word “Maundy” means. There are two possible origins. Most connect it to the word “command” (Latin mandatum) in John 13:34: “A new command I give you: Love one another.” Others connect it to the word “wash” (Latin mundo) and Jesus washing the disciples’ feet.

Most churches that observe Maundy Thursday celebrate the Lord’s Supper together on this night. Other common practices include holding a Passover or Seder Meal, practicing a symbolic foot washing, extinguishing candles and stripping the church of its ornamentation.

Jesus said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 22:15-16)

Here are three Easter poems by George Herbert, one of my favorite poets. As with all poetry, you will get the most out of the poems if you take them slowly and read them through several times, out loud if possible.
 

“EASTER (1)” – by George Herbert

Rise heart;  thy Lord is risen.  Sing his praise
                                Without delays,
Who takes thee by the hand, that thou likewise
                                With him mayst rise:
That, as his death calcined¹ thee to dust,
His life may make thee gold, and much more just.

Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy part
                                With all thy art.
The cross taught all wood to resound his name,
                                Who bore the same.
His stretched sinews taught all strings, what key
Is best to celebrate this most high day.

Consort both heart and lute, and twist² a song
                                Pleasant and long:
Or since all music is but three parts vied³
                                And multiplied;
Oh let thy blessed Spirit bear a part,
And make up our defects with his sweet art.

_____
1. calcined. Burnt to ashes.
2. twist. Weave together, as in polyphonic music.
3. vied. Increased in number by addition or repetition.

“EASTER (2)” – by George Herbert (This is the speaker’s response to his own call in Easter 1.)

I got me flowers to straw thy way;
I got me boughs off many a tree:
But thou wast up by break of day,
And brought’st thy sweets along with thee.

The Sun arising in the East,
Though he give light, and th’ East perfume;
If they should offer to contest
With thy arising, they presume.

Can there be any day but this,
Though many suns to shine endeavour?
We count three hundred, but we miss:
There is but one, and that one ever.

“EASTER WINGS” – by George Herbert (Notice how the shape of the words in each stanza resembles a pair of wings.)

    Lord, who createdst man in wealth and store,
            Though foolishly he lost the same,
                  Decaying more and more,
                        Till  he  became
                            Most poor:
                            With  thee
                        Oh  let  me  rise¹
                  As larks, harmoniously,
            And sing this day thy victories:
    Then  shall  the  fall  further  the  flight  in  me.

    My   tender   age   in   sorrow   did   begin:
            And still with sicknesses and shame
                  Thou didst so punish sin,
                        That  I  became
                            Most thin.
                            With  thee
                        Let me combine,
                  And feel this day thy victory:
            For,  if  I  imp²  my  wing  on  thine,
    Affliction   shall   advance   the   flight   in   me.

_____
1. rise. See Isaiah 40:31 and Malachi 4:2.
2. imp. To imp, in falconry, is to engraft feathers in a damaged wing, so as to improve or restore damaged powers of flight.

Source (for poems and footnotes): George Herbert: The Country Parson, The Temple (The Classics of Western Spirituality; 1981)

Click here for more poems by George Herbert.
Click here for more Easter posts.
Click here for an Easter poem by Ray Fowler.

Here is a poem for Holy Saturday by George Herbert, one of my favorite poets. As with all poetry, you will get the most out of the poem if you take it slowly and read it through several times, out loud if possible.
 

“SEPULCHER” – by George Herbert

Oh blessed body!  Whither art thou thrown?
No lodging for thee, but a cold hard stone?
So many hearts on earth, and yet not one
                                      Receive thee?

Sure there is room within our hearts good store;
For they can lodge transgressions by the score:
Thousands of toys¹ dwell there, yet out of door
                                      They leave thee.

But that which shows them large, shows them unfit.
Whatever sin did this pure rock commit,
Which holds thee now?   Who hath indicted it
                                      Of murder?

Where our hard hearts have took up stones² to brain thee,
And missing this, most falsely did arraign thee;
Only these stones in quiet entertain thee,
                                      And order.

And as of old, the law by heav’nly art,
Was writ in stone;  so thou, which also art
The letter of the word,³ find’st no fit heart
                                      To hold thee.

Yet do we still persist as we began,
And so should perish, but that nothing can,
Though it be cold, hard, foul, from loving man
                                      Withhold thee.

_____
1. toys. Trifling things.
2. took up stones. See John 10:13.
3. The letter of the word. See Hebrews 8:10 and Proverbs 3:3, 7:3.

Source (for poem and footnotes): George Herbert: The Country Parson, The Temple (The Classics of Western Spirituality; 1981)

Click here for more poems by George Herbert.
Click here for more Easter posts.
Click here for poems by Ray Fowler.

Here are two Good Friday poems by George Herbert, one of my favorite poets. As with all poetry, you will get the most out of the poems if you take them slowly and read them through several times, out loud if possible.
 

“GOOD FRIDAY” – by George Herbert (Notice how each stanza roughly resembles the shape of a cross.)

                Oh my chief good,
How shall I measure out thy blood?
How shall I count what thee befell,
                And each grief tell?

                Shall I thy woes
Number according to thy foes?
Or, since one star show’d thy first breath,
                Shall all thy death?

                Or shall each leaf,
Which falls in Autumn, score¹ a grief?
Or cannot leaves, but fruit, be sign,
                Of the true vine?

                Then let each hour
Of my whole life one grief devour;
That thy distress through all may run,
                And be my sun.

                  Or rather let
My several sins their sorrows get;
That, as each beast his cure doth know,
                  Each sin may so.

_____
1. score. Mark, as in counting.

“THE PASSION” – by George Herbert

Since blood is fittest, Lord, to write
Thy sorrows in, and bloody fight;
My heart hath store; write there, where in
One box doth lie both ink and sin:

That when sin spies so many foes,
Thy whips, thy nails, thy wounds, thy woes,
All come to lodge there, sin may say,
No room for me, and fly away.

Sin being gone, oh fill the place,
And keep possession with thy grace;
Lest sin take courage and return,
And all the writings blot or burn.

 
Source (for poems and footnotes): George Herbert: The Country Parson, The Temple (The Classics of Western Spirituality; 1981)

Related posts:
    • What’s So Good about Friday?
    • What is Good Friday?
    • Good Friday Poem by Christina Rossetti.

Click here for more poems by George Herbert.
Click here for more posts relating to the Cross.
Click here for more Easter posts.
Click here for poems by Ray Fowler.

Palm Sunday is next week. Last year for Palm Sunday I preached a narrative sermon re-telling the events of Palm Sunday from the donkey’s perspective. Click here to read the sermon:  Straight from the Donkey’s Mouth.