Live Easter, Don't Watch It
Good Friday morning! Over the next 48 hours, you will once again celebrate the most profound and beautiful story the world has ever known.
Jesus Christ, our Living King, laid down his life in our place to pay the price we couldn't pay and give us a hope we don't deserve.
As you adjust to celebrating Easter with friends and family in front of a screen (bizarre, I know), consider the opportunity in front of you to experience the Risen Jesus like never before!
Here's my challenge for you!
What could happen this year if you made the radical decision to LIVE Easter instead of merely WATCHING it?
Of course I'm not suggesting we shouldn't TAKE IN an Easter celebration service this weekend (we certainly will); however, I am suggesting that whatever we TAKE IN should lead to a particular kind of LIVING OUT that will accentuate the compassion and generosity of King Jesus in the eyes of curious onlookers.
I recently came across an incredible declaration with powerful implications that is especially applicable this weekend!
Writing to Christ followers in Galatia, the Apostle Paul writes:
"My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20
Three powerful truths that should lead to three particular outcomes in our lives as believers:
My old self has been crucified with Christ - Let us live with a spirit of ever-increasing gratitude because of the price Jesus paid to forgive our sin and purchase our freedom!
It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me - Let us live today as King Jesus would if he were in our shoes...aware, attentive, and available to the Holy Spirit in all things.
So live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me - Let us live with the same posture of unprecedented love and generosity with which Jesus loved us.
The truth is, while gathering to watch an Easter service can be a powerful source of encouragement and hope in our lives as believers, going to live out the Good News of Easter provides a particularly potent source of encouragement and hope to those who have yet to encounter the heart of King Jesus.
And I can't think of a more fitting time, than right now, to say with a rugged determination in our hearts...
We're not merely going to WATCH Easter on a screen.
We're going to LIVE it on the streets.
So, are you ready to take the challenge?
If so, here are 5 simple ways to make this Easter better than ever!
See like Jesus - A quick scan of the gospels reveals the crystal clarity with which Jesus was able to recognize individuals in the midst of crowds. One of the dangers (among many benefits) of 'social distancing' is that it can create an aversion in our hearts to a crowd; however, following in the steps of Jesus, we should be cautious about letting our concern for proper self-care keep us from providing appropriate personal care to those God would have us see.
So, begin this Holy Weekend by asking King Jesus to give you eyes to see.
Care like Jesus - I've long been fascinated by how willingly Jesus walked amongst eager and excited crowds of people, expending his time, energy, and strength to bring help and hope to the hurting.
Perhaps this is why the early Christians excelled at caring for their neighbors.
In one famous example, the church historian Eusebius describes a fourth century epidemic that swept through the Roman Empire. Far from fleeing the cities or shutting off their homes from others, Eusebius records:"...all day long [Christians] tended to the dying and to the burial, countless numbers with no one to care for them. Others gather together from all parts of the city a multitude of those withered from famine and distributed bread to them all.” As a result, Eusebius concludes, “[the Christians’] deeds were on everyone's lips, and they glorified the god of the Christians."Following their example, may we care like Jesus and in doing so, may many glorify Jesus as a result.
So, look for ways to care like Jesus.
Give like Jesus - One author put it well when he said that this crisis is a great opportunity to think afresh about what it means to be distinctly Christian every day fo the week, in every respect. What does it look like to be noticeably Christian in a world where the previously most conspicuous thing about faith identity - going to church - is gone? Further, demand has never been greater for Christians to be Christian in more than just Sunday ways.
I can think of few more potent ways to "be Christian," than to look for opportunities to demonstrate the radical generosity of Jesus!
In a season when there is ample encouragement to hold on to what we have, I'm inspired by stories of those who are lavishly giving away their time and resources for the good of others.
And, while I'm not encouraging foolish spending, I am encouraging faithful spending toward the things that Jesus spent his entire life toward. Specifically, the hurting, sick, and vulnerable.
This is one reason why, while being careful to practice appropriate caution, I'm taking a few of my older kids with me into places and spaces where they can discover the value of giving away our resources to address the needs of our neighbors in the Metro.
Ask the question, "What would it look like to give like Jesus this Easter weekend?"
And if you need help finding ways to give, check out my last post here for some helpful suggestions.
Slow like Jesus - A careful look at the final moments of Jesus' life reveals how deliberate he was in spending time with the most important people in his life.
He regularly slowed to be with his Heavenly Father, from whom he received perspective and power for his impending path to the cross.
He paused to get around the table with his closest friends, celebrating God's goodness and encouraging them to remain faithful to His calling in their lives.
He stopped to give careful attention to those who had yet to encounter the gracious heart of God
Jesus was masterful in determining the speed at which to travel through life, and more times than not, he lived in first gear, a pace which provided him with the ability to remain perceptive to the needs of those around him.
How will you slow this weekend to enjoy the people God has placed along your path?
Celebrate like Jesus - Finally, I hope that you find yourself celebrating King Jesus like never before!
May our celebration be seen in things like worship, prayer, quiet reflection, gratitude, encouragement, and even the enjoyment of good food and drink with those we love.
May it also and especially be seen in the way we live and give and share our lives with those who have yet to taste the incomprehensible goodness and beauty of Jesus, who is Lord over sin, disease, and death, and in whom we find our true source of hope and joy.
Within Reach, we love you and pray that this Easter is the best yet as, together, we seek to live out the Good News of Jesus in every nook and cranny of our lives. As a result, may the goodness of Jesus be on the lips of all, and may he receive glory!
Grateful,
Jed Mullenix
Within Reach // CEO
P.S. We've launched a Within Reach Facebook Group to capture and celebrate stories that show where God is moving in our congregations and communities. Join the WR community via the link below!