Easter 2024
Disclaimer: I began to write this back in April, then life got more life-y and here I am in late August wrapping it up. Despite the delay, I think this message is one we should consider 365 days a year.
I briefly wrote about the Easter service I attended this year in one of my latest In Conclusion segment, but the depth of the message deserved more real estate on my site than the small corner it got there. Like I mentioned, Easter is a pastor’s Super Bowl. It’s the one Sunday a year you can almost guarantee every seat will be filled. Atheists and Christians on paper show up to take their annual picture showing off their floral garb for Instagram. If you’re offended, it’s probably because you’re convicted but relax, sarcasm is a way of expressing myself. And I am a recovering Christian on paper so I get it.
So, like some, I go into Easter holding my breath. Praying for Jesus to move, but also bracing myself as the pastor delivers the most important sermon of the year, while expecting little. Why is it that I do that? Set the bar on the floor. If God is in the room, He is going to move, even if I don’t see it. And He was definitely in the room. Anyway, this Easter I had greater expectations as my pastor delivered a provoking message the year before. I was also remaining positive and hopeful since I was going to Easter with my boyfriend, his family, and my mom - I obviously wanted the message to resonate. This sermon turned out to be a smack in in the face, and a brutally honest yet comforting wake up call. It was also a reminder for me to push myself to remain comfortable in the uncomfortable, especially when it comes to growing in my faith.
When a message kicks off with one of the opening statements being we’re all going to die, you know it can only go up from there. Pastor Josiah did not shy away from the anxiety inducing topics on Sunday: death, doubt, and doctrine. It had a heavy apologetics overtone, and it’s what my heart needed to hear this year.
We read the following excerpt on the resurrection: 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 12-16, 17-23, 24-26, 40-42, 43-47, 48-49, 54-57
It’s a lot, but just read it. So good.
We then dove right into the death and doubting of it all.
As Josiah discussed death, some of the main themes were the following:
You’re gonna die; It’s a reality that haunts us all
Our society, particularly in the west and in America, downplays death
Death is not natural, we were made to be eternal beings
Samuel Johsnon was quoted, “No rational man can die without uneasy apprehension”, and I agree. While I am not afraid of death because of what I believe comes after death, I am not necessarily looking forward to it. It’s interesting, I know that life after death is so much better than the suffering we experience here on earth, but at the same time I don’t want to miss out on the slices of heaven we can experience here on earth; marriage, children, building a family, friendships, exploring the world. I think God gives us these experiences here as a foretaste of what is to come. In some ways I think we will have elements of the joys we experience on earth as we know it, but it will be made perfect and without sin. Sounds like a nice set up to me.
As Pastor Josiah discussed doubting, comfort crept over me. This is something I have struggled with in the past, a lot. I can imagine every person with a pulse has also experienced the sensation of doubt. I personally hate it. In the context of the sermon we examined doubt as it relates to the resurrection (duh). A statement that stuck out to me through the message is that everyone who encountered the resurrected Jesus doubted it at first. Can you imagine seeing Jesus with your own eyes, after his death, in real life. I can understand why it was so hard to comprehend as resurrection by ones own account had never been done before. If the people who walked with Jesus for years and knew him doubted, imagine how much more we do to. At the same time, something I know I don’t do as much as I should is doubt those doubts. When Josiah said that my brain exploded. It’s something I’ve heard before but sometimes you just have to hear something twice. Doubt your doubts. We will doubt everything, BUT our doubts. Wow.
This frame of thought has bled into other areas of my life, not just my faith. I never want to be in a place where I am a skeptic of everything, but it has made me wonder what do I believe, or not believe so easily? What I’ve gained from this is to be thoughtful, in all things. And ultimately to ask God for that guidance, because He promises that to us.
I also think there is a point where we need to surrender. Maybe we don’t have all the concrete answers, but we can see specks of evidence in our lives of something more. To me, it’s a worthwhile gamble.
There is the famous C.S. Lewis quote that says, “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance, the only thing it cannot be is moderately important?”
The resurrection is the reason there is a point to all of this.
We may not feel it or see it everyday, but it does not make it any less real or any less worth it.
I write this for myself as much as I write it for anyone else because I, like most people, go through peaks and valleys. For those moments when you’re in the trenches, consider this prayer:
Dear Lord,
There is turmoil and unrest in my heart. I do my best to live my life according to your will and what you have in mind for my life. I know your way is better than my way and your love makes it all worth it. But still, I find myself questioning. I pray that these thoughts would not be in vain, but they would draw me closer to you. Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief. Forgive me when I fall short, restore my soul. Fill me with you when I don’t feel like seeking you and show me mercy. Holy Spirit, speak to me and help me feel your presence. I love you, Jesus. Thank you for the gift of your resurrection and the hope of new life. Amen.
You can watch the full sermon here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc5ZwMC8otw
