"resurrection" Tag ArchiveBeyond Emmaus

Christ is Risen

Mar 15 2012

Many years ago, a friend and I took a day trip to Colonial Williamsburg. While there, we found this gravestone at Burton Parish Cemetery for one Ann Burges, wife of Rev. Henry John Burges, who died on Christmas day while giving birth to their daughter, who is buried with Ann. Despite the pain of being faced with such tragedy, Henry was able to compose this beautiful epitaph displaying his sure confidence in the promise of resurrection according to the Gospel, the good news about Jesus the Christ.

Here sleeps in Jesus united to Him by Faith and the Graces of a Christian life, all the was Mortal of Mrs. Ann Burges, once the tender and affectionate Wife of the Reverend Henry John Burges, of the Isle of Wight. She died 25th December 1771 in giving Birth to an Infant Daughter, who rests in her Arms. She here waits the transforming Moment when the Trump of God shall call her Forth to Glory, Honor & Immortality. Oh Death where is thy Sting? Oh Grave where is thy Victory?

I love seeing such assurance as it emboldens us to continue our mission to share the message of Christ’s victory over sin, Satan and death, his peace-giving appeasement of God’s just wrath and judgement against us who have rebelled against him, and the forgiveness and new life these we can now enjoy by following Jesus.

Posted in Ruminations Tags: Matt Maher, resurrection

The Savior Who Came to Die

Apr 11 2011

Note: This is an edited transcript of a short message I gave as worship leader at Prince George Christian Church on April 10, 2011.

Easter is coming! Are you excited for this wonderful holiday we’re about to celebrate? It’s even better than Christmas! Don’t get me wrong — Christmas is great — but whereas in December we merely celebrate the birth of our Savior, at Easter we celebrate his triumph over Satan, sin and death! We celebrate his accomplishing everything that he had set out to do — living a righteous life of generosity, healing and preaching; giving himself up to die as an atoning sacrifice to God, making forgiveness of sins possible; and raising himself up from the grave in victory making our own resurrection possible.

What I find most awe-inspiring about these events isn’t simply that they happened at all, but that they were foretold by God through the mouths of the prophets hundreds and thousands of years beforehand. This is how we know that God is trustworthy, that he declares the “end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’” (Isaiah 46:10).

Posted in Worship Tags: cross, Easter, Jesus, prophesy, resurrection