Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!
I Corinthians 15:1-8 (ESV)
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
I know, I know. Or as they say here in Buchan Land: I ken, I ken. It is nearly two weeks after Easter and just now am I getting up a posting on Easter. Well, I have been super busy, and sometimes I find it too easy to keep putting off a posting for another day, and the days of putting it off just keep stacking up. But I perceive that my busyness has been a good type of busyness.
I Corinthians 15:1-8, the biblical text printed out above, focuses on the Cross and the Empty Tomb as a message of first importance for God's People. The Apostle Paul proclaimed that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared' to over 500 witnesses.
As believers in Jesus Christ we are called to proclaim the Good News of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ and appeal to people to put their trust in what God has done through Jesus. If the proclamation of his death and resurrection are diminished in any way, our Christian faith is thereby diminished as well. The Cross of Christ and the Empty Tomb are at the heart of the Scriptures and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I acknowledge that I have neglected the Cross and the Empty Tomb throughout much of my time in ministry. I certainly did believe that Jesus died on the Cross for the forgiveness of my sins and that God raised him from the dead on the Third Day, but it was just a belief without much substance to it. Six years ago when I was working on my thesis, the crucified and risen saviour Jesus Christ came to the foremost place in my life as well as in my theology. I have always believed in the Cross and Empty Tomb. But from that time they took central place in my life whereas they were off to the side before. Now the Cross and the Empty Tomb stand solidly at the very heart of my life. The Gospel changes things and changes my life. The Gospel is at the centre of God's People.
Last year was my first Good Friday and Easter at St Fergus Parish Church. Besides myself, only one person, an elder, from the church showed up to join in Holy Week services in other churches in nearby Peterhead. Fewer people attended the Easter Morning service than we normally had on other Sundays. People seemed distant from the Crucified and Risen jesus Christ. There was little awareness of the death of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and his resurrection from death to life.
From Easter 2013 onward I vowed to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ as often as I could. Sunday by Sunday I pointed to Jesus' death on the Cross for the forgiveness of sins and his being raised from death to life on the Third Day. That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is what we proclaim. The Gospel of the Crucified and Risen Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is at the very heart of the Christian Faith. Without trusting in what God has done through the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ, we have no faith, no life, and no hope in this world.
As I preached through the Gospel of Luke through most of 2013 and through the Gospel of Matthew since November of last year, I sought to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ every Sunday. The gospel message is embedded in the Scripture. Whenever I lead in the service of Communion I proclaim the Mystery of Faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
I have sensed that change is taking place in people. It is a slow change, but a noticeable change in terms of their view of Jesus. I sense that the Good News of Jesus Christ is slowly seeping into their lives and changing things in their lives. My hope is that they will start to see the crucified and risen Jesus Christ dwelling in the very core of their lives.
This Good Friday and Easter Sunday I sensed that God is at work within the people. There was a sweet spirit in the air on Resurrection Sunday that I hadn't sensed before. Things are happening. May the dear people of St Fergus Church know and put their faith in Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins and his resurrection from the dead. Come into our lives and our congregation. May it be so, Lord Jesus.
Blessings to you and yours,
I Corinthians 15:1-8, the biblical text printed out above, focuses on the Cross and the Empty Tomb as a message of first importance for God's People. The Apostle Paul proclaimed that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared' to over 500 witnesses.
As believers in Jesus Christ we are called to proclaim the Good News of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ and appeal to people to put their trust in what God has done through Jesus. If the proclamation of his death and resurrection are diminished in any way, our Christian faith is thereby diminished as well. The Cross of Christ and the Empty Tomb are at the heart of the Scriptures and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I acknowledge that I have neglected the Cross and the Empty Tomb throughout much of my time in ministry. I certainly did believe that Jesus died on the Cross for the forgiveness of my sins and that God raised him from the dead on the Third Day, but it was just a belief without much substance to it. Six years ago when I was working on my thesis, the crucified and risen saviour Jesus Christ came to the foremost place in my life as well as in my theology. I have always believed in the Cross and Empty Tomb. But from that time they took central place in my life whereas they were off to the side before. Now the Cross and the Empty Tomb stand solidly at the very heart of my life. The Gospel changes things and changes my life. The Gospel is at the centre of God's People.
Last year was my first Good Friday and Easter at St Fergus Parish Church. Besides myself, only one person, an elder, from the church showed up to join in Holy Week services in other churches in nearby Peterhead. Fewer people attended the Easter Morning service than we normally had on other Sundays. People seemed distant from the Crucified and Risen jesus Christ. There was little awareness of the death of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and his resurrection from death to life.
From Easter 2013 onward I vowed to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ as often as I could. Sunday by Sunday I pointed to Jesus' death on the Cross for the forgiveness of sins and his being raised from death to life on the Third Day. That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is what we proclaim. The Gospel of the Crucified and Risen Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is at the very heart of the Christian Faith. Without trusting in what God has done through the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ, we have no faith, no life, and no hope in this world.
As I preached through the Gospel of Luke through most of 2013 and through the Gospel of Matthew since November of last year, I sought to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ every Sunday. The gospel message is embedded in the Scripture. Whenever I lead in the service of Communion I proclaim the Mystery of Faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
I have sensed that change is taking place in people. It is a slow change, but a noticeable change in terms of their view of Jesus. I sense that the Good News of Jesus Christ is slowly seeping into their lives and changing things in their lives. My hope is that they will start to see the crucified and risen Jesus Christ dwelling in the very core of their lives.
This Good Friday and Easter Sunday I sensed that God is at work within the people. There was a sweet spirit in the air on Resurrection Sunday that I hadn't sensed before. Things are happening. May the dear people of St Fergus Church know and put their faith in Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins and his resurrection from the dead. Come into our lives and our congregation. May it be so, Lord Jesus.
Blessings to you and yours,
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