Reflections: He is risen, and He’s coming!

As I write this, I’m sitting in a favorite Airbnb we often use when visiting family near Kansas City, processing thoughts and reading scriptures as we prepare to attend Easter Sunday—or as I prefer to think of it, Resurrection Day—services at The Hill Ministries, where our son Brian serves as worship/creative arts pastor and Luke as media director. 

I always look forward to worshiping in church as my family use their talents for God’s glory, but even more so today as Christians worldwide celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ following his sacrifice on the cross for the sins of mankind. He is risen! He is risen indeed, and that’s something to celebrate, not only with special commemorative activities on Easter/Resurrection Sunday but also all year long! 

A popular contemporary worship song this Easter has been Phil Wickham’s “Sunday Is Coming,” which our son Brian led the team and congregation in singing at the Good Friday service. Obviously, Good Friday didn’t look so good for Jesus’ followers witnessing the crucifixion. I’m still moved to tears at video depictions like “The Passion of the Christ;” and our granddaughter buried her face in my sleeve during a similar video at Friday’s service, asking, “Did they really do that to Jesus? Why do we call it Good Friday?” 

Yes, sweetie, they did. But Friday was good, because Jesus, even in his very real human pain, submitted to that cruel treatment because He knew it was part of the plan. Sunday was coming!  

Looking around the world, our nation and many aspects of culture these days, I have to ask myself sometimes, if we’re really doing that to Jesus—disobeying some of his clearest commands; failing to act with compassion toward the suffering, including some of Jesus’ Jewish brothers and sisters; pushing aside time for studying His Word or gathering corporately with other believers as we bow to “the tyranny of the urgent.” 

Jesus addressed some of those things during his last few days on earth and his last evening with his closest followers. He also included the Great Commission, recorded by the Gospel writers. And in the Olivet Discourse, he clearly told them He would return—not to die for our sins this time, but to ultimately defeat the enemy and usher in God’s eternal Kingdom. Our job is to study his commands, obey them and be ready, following the example of Christians who have gone before us and many who stand firm in the face of persecution even today. 

Sometimes the world around us looks like the worst aspects of Good Friday, but Sunday’s coming!