The main event!

​Happy Easter! What a wonderful time to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. I am reminded of what a big deal this is. For those of us that follow Jesus, we do so not because we want to follow a set of religious rules or obligations. We are not trying to earn our way to some type of eternal reward. We do not even believe what we believe because the Bible tells us to. We are Christ followers because of an event in history. Jesus came and lived in 1st century Palestine. He interacted with people, he taught, he lived and most importantly, he predicted his death and resurrection and then pulled it off!
​I heard someone say recently that when Jesus died, he had NO followers. They all fled, mourned and went back to their old lives. No one believed that Jesus was the Messiah after he breathed his last on the cross. It was over.
That all changed on Sunday morning. When Jesus came back to life, the people around him were changed completely. Jesus was really who he said he was. By being raised from the dead, he changed everything. This single, monumental event is the hinge on which everything we believe and do rests. Paul said it this way: “13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” He goes on to say that “17 if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15) If Jesus was not resurrected, then our faith is dead and we should turn our energy to other things. BUT . . . if he did rise from the dead (and the evidence overwhelmingly supports this event) then following him is the single more important activity that we are engaged in. So be encouraged this week. We follow a risen Savior!