Because He Lives

Last updated on: March 31, 2018 at 1:10 pm by Matt Pearson

Because He Lives 2018-03-31T13:10:43-05:00 Matt Pearson

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In response to her grandmotherâ€™s question, â€œWhat is your favorite Bible story?â€ A young nine year old girl questioned back, â€œDo you mean what is my favorite story besides Jesus dying on the cross that every kid in church has heard a hundred times?â€

Every person who is or grew up as â€œthat kid in churchâ€ can relate.

Every person who knew â€œJesus dying on the crossâ€ would be the right answer to their childhood Sunday School teacherâ€™s questions can empathize.

Every person who got new Easter clothes, a nice Easter basket, took Easter pictures, and consumed ham and deviled eggs for lunch Easter Sunday nods their head in understanding.

We all know this should be our favorite story andÂ thatÂ story is the greatest – but weâ€™ve heard it â€œa hundred timesâ€ (before the age of ten).

For those of you like this nine year old girl, and like me, letâ€™s commit to some things on this Saturday between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.

First, letâ€™s rejoice that we grew up in homes where we heard the greatest story ever told â€œa hundred timesâ€ before we started using deodorant. What an incredible gift to â€œthat kid in church.â€ Letâ€™s thank the Father for that. Perhaps, if possible, call the ones responsible for this and let them know you’re thankful for their sacrifice and effort.

Second, letâ€™s ask the Father to give us â€œears to hearâ€ tomorrow as we go back and sing (either publicly or just humming it in our heads) â€œUp from the Grave He Arose (He Arose)!â€ Ask the Father to help you hear the Good News again with an expectant heart…mind…spirit…attitude.

There is nothing the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus doesnâ€™t impact.

Whether a nine year old church kid or a eighty-five year old Sunday School teacher. The death, burial, and resurrection of the carpenter from Nazareth brings fullness and joy and anticipation and peace and life and hope and wholeness to every situation before us.

Yes, itâ€™s the old, old story. Itâ€™s the story to whichÂ every other story points. And itâ€™s the story that allows us to â€œface tomorrow.â€ Letâ€™s be thankfulÂ for how often weâ€™ve heard it. And letâ€™s beg the One who dreamed all of this up – for us – to apply it to our souls…again.

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