Resurrection Sunday (2020)

The resurrection of Jesus was not a surprise but was prophesied for thousands of years. Jesus is who He says he is and that He did what He promised He would do. The resurrection proves that Jesus defeated death and that He is Lord and God. Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead so that we can bring His gospel to the world. We can do that by Reaching Up (to God), Reaching In (to each other), Reaching Out (to the lost). In situations like the current pandemic, when we are afraid, we can reach up to our heavenly Father and ask for wisdom on how to deal with our fearful situations. Feelings such as fear are not sin, theyare indicators of how our mind wants to respond to situations. Despite three years of Jesus telling His disciples that His death was part of the plan, they were afraid after His crucifixion that what they had believed in had failed, and that the Jews would come after them next. After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus (though they didn’t recognize Him) and showed them through the Scriptures how this was the plan all along (Luke 24). When we are afraid, we can go toGod for wisdom to remind us that we don’t need to be afraid because His plan always prevails and that He will always be with us (Matthew 28:20).

We can also Reach In to our community of faith to encourage each other during difficult times. The women who went to visit Jesus’ grave were instructed by the angel to go and tell the disciples that Jesus had risen just as He promised He would (Matthew 28:7). This news was meant to encourage the disciples that the plan had not failed. We can also Reach Out to the community. The resurrection story is the greatest story of reaching out ever. God loves the world so much that He sent Jesus to die for us all (John 3:16). It isnow our job to share this love with the world. We can do this in many ways, such as the Love Is Calling campaign. Jesus always starts where people are at. We can simply call people just to ask them how they are doing. Jesus would ask people what they needed. When we call, we can ask them what do they need, how can I help? Jesus would also find out where they were in their spiritual walk and how He could help them move forward. Likewise, we can ask people where they are and how we can pray for them.

The same Spirit that moved in Jesus, that raised Him from the dead, that turned the disciples from being fearful people into people that changed the world, is available to you (Acts 2:4). If you are still afraid,Reach Up to Him, He wants to fill you with His Spirit to empower you to Reach In and to Reach Out to others.