Is There Any Good News?
There is no way to sugarcoat this but the world is full of the worst news we have faced in a generation. Which leads many to ask “Is there any good news?”
The first disciples struggled with this question too. Imagine if you were one of them on the day Jesus entered Jerusalem at the beginning of Passover. Hundreds of people celebrated his coming. The rest of the week was full of victory after victory. Jesus was confronting the religious establishment. Jesus was teaching important lessons. When Jesus was at the top of his game it all came to a sudden end!
You had looked forward to the Passover Meal all week and shortly afterwards everything turned upside down. Jesus lets himself be arrested and in fear you run for your life! You hear word that a trial has happened in the middle of night and Jesus is to be crucified.
You stand from a distance and watch. You see the man you had put your faith in as the Messiah die at the hands of the Roman Empire. You feel all your hope go dark. This is the worst news you can imagine. The Messiah who promised so much is gone.
You gather with your fellow disciples and apostles. Some of you sit stunned. Some want to fight. Some bring a strange and unbelievable rumor that Jesus is alive.
In all this darkness you don’t see any light but there it is! The rumor is from Mary and some of the other women who found the tomb empty. Then Peter and John bring the same news! Later some of disciples turned around from a trip to tell you all they encountered JESUS alive.
Then out of nowhere the one person in the world you never thought you would see again walks into the room. JESUS is alive! He lets you touch his wounds. He eats with you and gives you hope!
Out of this hope you begin to spread the word. Jesus is alive. Jesus has opened the doors to the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus sacrificed himself so we could be free from sin. Jesus calls us to live as daughters and sons of GOD. This is our good news!
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