The Resurrection and the Life

Sign, sign, everywhere a signBlockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mindDo this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?So sang The Five Man Electrical Band in their song of 1971. John may have been thinking the same thing as he penned his Gospel. Seven signs Jesus left the world to ponder about who he was and why he entered the world. Signs so singular, in and of themselves, as to arrest the heart and mind of any human being. So extraordinary, people wondered at his person. And yet, while each was a special sign, or calling card, of Jesus, they all pointed to one thing—who he was and why he rent the fabric of time and space to burst forth in human flesh. His teaching left people spellbound; his miracles left the people who experienced them scratching their heads in wonder.So finally, this Easter morning we come to Jesus’ final sign: raising a man from the dead. As amazing as this is, it is not the main thing; it is just another sign of what Jesus was really about—the thing to which every sign pointed—his own death and resurrection. The cosmic fact of history, indeed the thing that shapes everything it means to be human and shows us how we too can experience resurrection and life—real life—that has meaning, purpose, and ultimately joy unspeakable and full of glory, is on full display in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.Easter Sunday is such a great time for us as a gathered people of God. It gives meaning to all our suffering, all the hardships, and all the innocent joys we experience. It helps us face death and resist the urge to either explain it away or avoid pondering it by amusing ourselves to death. Because of Easter and the Resurrection, while death might be the last enemy, we know it is a defeated enemy, and we take comfort in the promise that nothing can separate us from the love of God. So, invite your friends! Tell them we will feed them brunch and share with them the greatest Story ever told. And then invite them to a feast at your table. Let them hear and experience resurrected life—now!Blessings,Jim