Clothesline 247 "Facing the Future"

Alleluia. Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed Alleluia! That was our cry this past Sunday, the day our Savior rose from the dead. And on that day, we completed our preaching series called Facing the Cross. We spent many weeks looking at those things that we need to face in our lives in order to be the best Christians we can be. And Sunday we completed the journey with Facing the Future, and our Gospel gave us the perfect example.

The women have gone to the tomb, only to find it empty! They are troubled, confused. While others leave, perhaps in fright, Mary stays behind weeping. Then…a “man” appears. They way it is written, it seems this “man” appears out of the blue. But that is exactly what happened. Jesus, now in his glorified body, can appear and disappear with no restraint; his body is no longer earthly. And his appearance? Well, Mary doesn’t recognize Him. Thinking he is the gardener, she says, “Please, sir, tell me where you have laid him, so I can take him away.” Her grief is so real, I often have difficulty reading this passage without getting emotional myself.

At the right moment, Jesus speaks her name… “Mary,” and immediately she recognizes Jesus! Can you even imagine her thoughts and feelings? Her first response is to touch Him. But he resists her touch, telling her to go and tell his disciples that he is alive. Go…into the future…telling all that Jesus is risen; Satan has been defeated; heaven’s gates are opened.

For three years, Jesus had prepared his disciples for this very event; yet, it was too amazing for them to grasp…until they saw Him again…face to face.

The future was about to begin, a future with promise. The women are sent. The disciples react and move forward…and the chain reaction begins. The plan for all eternity is set into motion. Go and tell the world that I have defeated death…That is the promise and the hope of every Christian. Jesus came, He taught, He suffered, He died, and He rose from the dead victoriously.

You are not to be stuck in the past remembering the sins of days gone by, feeling guilty about what you have or haven’t done. Because of the resurrection, all that is behind you now. The past cannot be changed, and in the life of Easter people, there is no looking back. God loves you and will take you into the future, a future that will lead you to heaven.

Let the vision of your future glory with your risen Savior guide you every day of your life. May this future glory lead you to be the hands and feet of Jesus to everyone you meet. And like those women at the empty tomb, may you run without fear to proclaim that Jesus is risen from the dead, and you have a future as Easter people of God.