Good News Weekly Message

Judging by appearances, it's easy to conclude that God is either inactive or absent in our world. That's no surprise considering he removed his visible presence from our world long ago. Thankfully, we don't have to trust our eyes to know where God is and what he is up to in our world. God is still at work, especially when it looks like he isn't. Today we celebrate the day when this fundamental change in how God interacts with us first took place. As promised, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be his advocate during the earth’s last age. The invisible way in which Jesus interacts with us seems wrong. As a result, so does everything the Holy Spirit teaches us about God. But because Jesus sends the Holy Spirit from his throne in heaven, we can trust what the Holy Spirit says even more than what our eyes can see.

Jesus didn’t come to help us succeed within the pre-defined rules of a world limited by death. He came to change those rules completely. By appearing alive outside his grave, he won for us a life “outside the box,” one that death can no longer limit. This week we see how life unlimited by death is life free from boredom. Because Christ has ascended far above the heavens, all of history is now his story and the story of his people. As he rules over all things, he is the head of a body of which each one of us is a part. Every gift we have and every opportunity to put it to use serve the purpose of bringing his saving purposes to their ultimate completion. Every facet of our lives is charged with purpose and significance.

Jesus didn’t come to help us succeed within the pre-defined rules of a world limited by death. He came to change those rules completely. By appearing alive outside his grave, he won for us a life “outside the box,” one that death can no longer limit. This week we see how life unlimited by death is life free from selfishness. So often the good we do for others easily becomes good we do for ourselves. It’s easy to say the right things and support the right positions not because it actually benefits specific people but because it makes us look virtuous. Because our virtue is secure in the vicarious work of Jesus, we are set free to truly love others. We are free to love our neighbor in need as Jesus has first loved us.

Jesus didn’t come to help us succeed within the pre-defined rules of a world limited by death. He came to change those rules completely. By appearing alive outside his grave, he won for us a life “outside the box,” one that death can no longer limit. This week we see how life unlimited by death is life free from futility. If this life is all there is, we would be stuck trying to make a lasting impact with our own power and ability through some sort of heroic effort or innovation. But because Christ is risen, the power of Easter is flowing through our veins to produce the fruit Jesus calls us to produce. That fruit will often look different from the world’s definition of productivity. But because Christ is risen, the fruit we produce while connected to him will last forever.

Jesus didn’t come to help us succeed within the pre-defined rules of a world limited by death. He came to change those rules completely. By appearing alive outside his grave, he won for us a life “outside the box,” one that death can no longer limit. This week we see how life unlimited by death is life free from lies. Because Jesus has laid down his life to defeat our enemies for us, he can speak to us in a way that no other religious leader can. He does not make demands of his sheep but only offers them his best gifts. No matter how many voices we may hear, the voice of our Good Shepherd always stands out.

Jesus didn’t come to help us succeed within the pre-defined rules of a world limited by death. He came to change those rules completely. By appearing alive outside his grave, he won for us a life “outside the box,” one that death can no longer limit. This week we see how life unlimited by death is life free from guilt. At Easter, God exalted and glorified his servant Jesus. As a result, there is forgiveness and freedom from guilt for all who trust in his name. Jesus wants his name to be heard, believed, and called on in all corners of the world until his return so that all would know the relief of a life free from guilt.

Jesus didn’t come to help us succeed within the pre-defined rules of a world limited by death. He came to change those rules completely. By appearing alive outside his grave, he won for us a life “outside the box,” one that death can no longer limit. This week we see how life unlimited by death is life free from fear. The established and witnessed truth of Easter—Christ is risen!—means that nothing that might oppose us can possibly be as strong as the Savior who is for us. Because death itself has been defeated, we can hold onto the gospel and hold out the gospel completely unafraid.

Searching for happiness and success within parameters defined for you ahead of time often leads to a dead end. Thankfully, Jesus didn’t come to help us succeed within the pre-defined rules of a world limited by death. He came to change those rules completely. The walls of the grave that would otherwise put a limit on our lives and everything that gives them meaning were torn down by Jesus on Easter. By appearing alive outside his grave, he won for us a life “outside the box,” one that death can no longer limit.

Some things can be salvaged. Some can be revived. Some can be restored. But sometimes, the only way to deal with something is to bury it. This is true of many things in our lives, including our misguided desires, misdirected ambition, and our misplaced hopes. However, like a small and seemingly-lifeless seed planted in the ground, life springs forth from this painful but necessary burial. This week we see how there are no shortcuts in our lives as Jesus’ followers. We would love to be able to bypass and avoid all those times in life when we must die to ourselves for Jesus. Doing so, however, puts us on a path that leads us away from our destination rather than toward it. Therefore, we fix our eyes on Jesus and run the race he’s given us, no matter where it takes us.

Some things can be salvaged. Some can be revived. Some can be restored. But sometimes, the only way to deal with something is to bury it. This is true of many things in our lives, including our misguided desires, misdirected ambition, and our misplaced hopes. However, like a small and seemingly-lifeless seed planted in the ground, life springs forth from this painful but necessary burial. This week we see how Jesus invites us to die to our own will. When what we want conflicts with God’s clear will for us, Jesus calls us to do as he did—to submit our will to God’s. We might think that, as a result, we follow Jesus against our will. However, Jesus’ willing sacrifice on the cross draws people from every age and place to follow him willingly.

Some things can be salvaged. Some can be revived. Some can be restored. But sometimes, the only way to deal with something is to bury it. This is true of many things in our lives, including our misguided desires, misdirected ambition, and our misplaced hopes. However, like a small and seemingly-lifeless seed planted in the ground, life springs forth from this painful but necessary burial. This week we see how Jesus invites us to die to work. Hard work can earn us many things in this life: success, wealth, recognition, etc. However, when it comes to God our work gets us nowhere. Instead, God’s grace both exposes the futility of our work and the completion of Christ’s perfect work for us.

Some things can be salvaged. Some can be revived. Some can be restored. But sometimes, the only way to deal with something is to bury it. This is true of many things in our lives, including our misguided desires, misdirected ambition, and our misplaced hopes. However, like a small and seemingly-lifeless seed planted in the ground, life springs forth from this painful but necessary burial. This week we see how following Jesus means dying to wisdom. Natural instincts and worldly wisdom can give us vague ideas about God’s existence and his attributes. They cannot, however, reveal the full truth about who he is. Instead, the way in which he most fully —in Jesus’ on the cross—appears to be foolish and weak in our eyes. We must die to our assumptions to see the cross as God’s power and wisdom on full display.

Some things can be salvaged. Some can be revived. Some can be restored. But sometimes, the only way to deal with something is to bury it. This is true of many things in our lives, including our misguided desires, misdirected ambition, and our misplaced hopes. However, like a small and seemingly-lifeless seed planted in the ground, life springs forth from this painful but necessary burial. This week we see how following Jesus means dying to gain. Jesus tells us that all who follow him must be willing to lose all else if necessary. Our desire to gain other worldly things must be put to death. However, Jesus promises that this painful loss brings about real and eternal gain. Whoever is willing to lose his life for Jesus will end up finding a much better life in exchange.

Some things can be salvaged. Some can be revived. Some can be restored. But sometimes, the only way to deal with something is to bury it. This is true of many things in our lives, including our misguided desires, misdirected ambition, and our misplaced hopes. However, like a small and seemingly-lifeless seed planted in the ground, life springs forth from this painful but necessary burial. This week we see how we are marked for this life of painful struggle from the time we become God’s children. In baptism, God marks us as his children. However, Satan sees that mark too and immediately begins his attacks.

A world like ours needs a Savior who is willing to disrupt the status quo and overturn the ordinary order of things. From the moment he set foot in this world, Jesus did just that. He never shied away from making waves in order to be the Savior we needed. This week we see how the biggest and longest-lasting waves Jesus made in our world did not come from him cranking up the volume of his voice or turning up the intensity of his light. Rather, they came when he pressed mute, so to speak. He hid his glory and allowed his voice to be silenced by willingly going to the cross. His transfiguration and his resurrection prove, however, that his death was not the end of his impact but only the beginning.

A world like ours needs a Savior who is willing to disrupt the status quo and overturn the ordinary order of things. From the moment he set foot in this world, Jesus did just that. He never shied away from making waves in order to be the Savior we needed. This week we see how the waves Jesus came to make are more than just a splash. He came to have an impact that would last more than just the brief time he was here on earth. While he often healed people of their temporary ills, his gospel heals us of our terminal disease and its everlasting curse. It also provides an inexhaustible source of renewal as we endure life’s struggles.

A world like ours needs a Savior who is willing to disrupt the status quo and overturn the ordinary order of things. From the moment he set foot in this world, Jesus did just that. He never shied away from making waves in order to be the Savior we needed. This week we see how Jesus disrupts this world’s endless inundation of bad news. Our world runs on the principle that people ought to get what they deserve with its accompanying messages of judgment and vengeance. The kingdom of God, however, operates on grace. Its message is simple but clear: Repent and believe the good news!

A world like ours needs a Savior who is willing to disrupt the status quo and overturn the ordinary order of things. From the moment he set foot in this world, Jesus did just that. He never shied away from making waves in order to be the Savior we needed. This week we see how Jesus disrupts the infinite loop of noise that we want to hear—including from God—with the authoritative word he speaks to all humanity, including us. First through prophets and then through Jesus, God declares the universal sinfulness of mankind as well as the universal salvation worked through Jesus. Rather than the still, peaceful sounds of our own making, Jesus delivers a message to which all must listen.

A world like ours needs a Savior who is willing to disrupt the status quo and overturn the ordinary order of things. From the moment he set foot in this world, Jesus did just that. He never shied away from making waves in order to be the Savior we needed. Today we see how God disrupts the natural silence in our lives with the sound of his voice. By nature our minds and our hearts are a vacuum for the truth of God’s Word. That vacuum naturally fills up—but not with divine wisdom. Thankfully, God finds us in the silence and calls us by name. His voice awakens our hearts and minds and enables us to listen.

A world like ours needs a Savior who is willing to disrupt the status quo and overturn the ordinary order of things. From the moment he set foot in this world, Jesus did just that. He never shied away from making waves in order to be the Savior we needed. Today we see how Jesus has done that through baptism. Based on outward appearances, a baptism doesn’t look like anything significant or disruptive. The person baptized looks the same after as they did before. However, through his baptism, Jesus joined himself to us as our substitute and Savior. Through our baptism we are joined to him as children of God and heirs of eternal life.