Salvation is the Good News of Easter

 

Easter Commission: Reflecting on God’s Faithfulness

Easter forces reflection in me of God’s goodness in big and small seasons of life. That reflection fulfills the message of Christ to ‘go into all the world’.

In Tulsa, there is a neon cross that looms large on the West side of the Arkansas river. It’s visible in the dark from the bike path that stretches the length of the river. On occasion I’ll do my early run there. In the winter especially the sun doesn’t pop above the horizon until after 7:00. Most of my route is in the dark. I can’t tell where the cross is located. The west side is full of industrial parks and factories. There are a few churches, but none big enough to mount a cross that size. The bright contrast between light and dark makes me take notice.

Healing of the Body

It reminds me of times when I was in trouble and God rescued me. Those memories still evoke strong feelings. Difficult seasons stay in our minds long after the stress has subsided. What’s left is the faith we built through it. How many times did I run out of money and eat saltines until pay day? There was always a free meal I hadn’t counted on or a refund from a forgotten transaction.

I’ve had a few health issues too. I had severe asthma as a kid. Being able to run like I do now wasn’t a sure thing. But I witnessed God’s faithfulness through healing and restoration. In adult life I took seriously the instruction to ‘pray for those who persecute you’. This one I resisted hard. God’s way of living is contrary to ours. It takes years of retraining to develop a willing heart. But when I complied, I noticed a positive change in the person who created such difficulty for me.  

When we let Him, He brings to mind His victories in our lives. No detail is too small.

Promise of Restoration

The company I work for used to sew patches on school jackets. I called a customer one day to come pick up his jacket after we had worked on it. In the two days before he came to the store, a shoplifter walked in and stole it right off the finished rack. We didn’t realize it was gone until he’d left. I had to tell the customer that a thief made off with it. That made me look irresponsible; I don’t think the customer believed my story. I asked God to make it right. Amazingly someone spotted the thief with the jacket a few weeks later. I was vindicated.

Nothing sharpens your focus like hardship. Did you ever get separated from your parents in a grocery store as a kid? You could feel the panic start to rise, your temperature spiked and your breathing quickened. You forgot about the magazine on the rack that stole your attention not long before. Nothing mattered like finding mom and dad. All distraction fell away instantly as you zeroed in on being rescued. Eventually it worked out and you were wiser about wandering off the next time.

Like kids we all tend to wander off sometimes. Startling events bring us into focus and strip away everything that’s not critical to solving the problem.

Finding the Lost

That was the situation in Acts 16 when Paul and Silas were arrested for preaching the gospel. The jailer faced a startling event that changed his world in an instant.

“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (NKJV)

An earthquake had just shaken the ground and loosened all the chains of the prisoners. Paul reassured him that no one had left and that he shouldn’t harm himself. It’s a recognition of the plight he’s in. Nothing is left but the truth of salvation. The world as he knew it changed in an instant. If not for a word from Paul, he would’ve taken his own life.

His security in the prison fell away in an instant. He recognized the immediacy of the moment and surrendered his life. Some of us coast along without an earthquake moment. We aren’t guaranteed one either. We don’t always get a chance to see our situation in stark relief. Jesus scolded the elders (Mark 8:11-13) for not being able to discern the times. It’s up to us as well, to recognize the fleeting nature of life on earth. It’s less painful to learn from another’s example. The jailer that Paul baptized, made sure his family was also baptized.

“What must I do to be saved?” should force us to examine our lives with eternity in mind. The cross still has the power to connect with the soul and bring about repentance. It still reminds us of the ultimate sacrifice and the innocent blood.

Conclusion

If you’ve wandered off and felt the immediacy of a scary moment, there’s hope in the cross. Even before your frantic search for help, God was looking for you. There are reminders everywhere of His faithfulness. It just might take a neon cross in the darkness to get your attention.

Go tell someone today. He is Risen! Happy Easter