EASTER! God’s “YES”! … Results in Our “AMEN”!

Jeremiah 31:1

"At that time," declares the LORD, "I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they will be my people." 2 This is what the LORD says: "The people who survive the sword will find favor in the desert; I will come to give rest to Israel." 3 The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. 4 I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful. 5 Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit. 6 There will be a day when watchmen cry out on the hills of Ephraim, 'Come, let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.”

Jeremiah 31:34

No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

In the final days of Jesus' ministry it appeared to His disciples that everything they worked for had fallen apart. During the course of his ministry the disciples had come to believe, one by one, that he was the Messiah. They had seen him heal the sick, perform many other miracles, and raise people from the dead. But, they also mistakenly believed that he would soon establish God's kingdom here on earth—a kingdom that would compete with and ultimately defeat the Roman empire.

Only, it didn't happen that way. Things began to unravel in the disciples eyes. Judas Iscariot betrayed Him arranging for him to be arrested. Jesus was put on trial for treason, found guilty, and sentenced to death. In the final hours of His life, all but one of His disciples deserted Him. From all appearances, His plan to save the world had failed and the dream they had shared suddenly ended in despair.

But, as you know, that's not the end of the story. In fact, the only reason we celebrate Easter is because the story has a much different ending. You know what happened. After Jesus died on the cross on Friday afternoon, He was placed in a borrowed tomb. On the third day—Sunday morning—He was raised from dead.

This Easter is so significant. This is what distinguishes Christianity from all the other world religions. We don’t pay homage to our dead founder! We celebrate a living Lord! … the One Who died and Who lives forevermore! We’re here to celebrate the One who has the power to destroy death! We’re here to celebrate Him who said, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.” (Luke 24:46) We’re here to praise, honor, glory, celebrate, and follow Jesus who has ALWAYS kept His word. He is the One who said, “My Word is truth!” … and, “The truth will set you free.”

Friends, EASTER is God’s “YES!” to all His promises, or as Paul declares, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through Him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:20. The lesson that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus teaches is but the brightest, most colorful, spring ‘landscape’ of what God had already spoken in Isaiah 55: 8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. 9 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Resurrection! Eternal Life! Who would have thought?!

In the thirty-first chapter of Jeremiah, God issued His divine invitation and Spirit-motivated opportunity to bounce back from the defeat they had suffered as a nation.

The prophet’s words are just as true today for God’s people as they were then. I pray that you and I will understand that the promises of God contained in those brief verses are meant to touch every aspect of our lives. Indeed, they are meant to transform us so that every day we can say “AMEN!” to the promises of God, for the glory of God. First, please believe that …

EASTER is God’s “YES!” to Loving You (us) With His Everlasting Love!

Frankly, humans cannot comprehend the concept of the kind of love that God has for us. At least, not until the Spirit of the living God touches them—and even then it’s almost unimaginable! He loves us beyond what we are capable of understanding.

Think of the person you love the most. Maybe it's your husband, or wife, your best friend, or your children. A person to whom you would give your undying love. No matter what they did, you would continue to love them, support them and believe in them. Do you know someone like that?

There is a reason why you love that person. Maybe you see certain qualities in them that make them lovable – like goodness, or kindness, or a great sense of humor, or their loyalty. Or, if it's your child, maybe you see in them a reflection of yourself or of your spouse. Even though humans are capable of great love, we tend to love those who are most lovable.

God's love is different.

His love for us is incomparably greater than any love we could ever have for Him or anyone else. Our greatest love is merely a drop in the ocean compared to His love for us. God's love for us is not based on anything we have done to be considered worthy of His love. God doesn't love us because we are lovable; He loves us because He is love. Regardless of anything you or I have done, or anything that happens to us, His love will never change. He cannot love us any more than He already does right now. The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ verify God’s promise: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3

A number of decades ago the diary of Madelyn Murray O'Hare (founder of American Atheists) was auctioned off by the IRS in an attempt to raise money for back taxes and creditors. On several different occasions she had written in her diary, "Somebody, somewhere, love me." Throughout her life, as she was seeking to be loved, she fought against the God she believed didn't exist. And all the while He loved her – and wanted to draw her to Himself.

God loves you and me with an everlasting love. His love for us will never change!

EASTER is also God’s “YES!” to Rebuild Your (our) Life!

“I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt.” Jeremiah 31:4 We all face challenges of different types – some bigger than others. Some of us may feel like we're losing the battle; others might feel like you're losing the war. If we are honest with ourselves we have all experienced defeat in some way. Some have been defeated in their marriage. Some in their relationship to their children ... or their parents. Some of you have been defeated by drugs, or alcohol, or porn, or work, or sex, or some other behavior that controls you. Some are experiencing the results of having been defeated by their own selfish, sinful nature and desires.

Here’s the message, and concomitant power, of the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified and risen: God can turn any defeat into victory! Whatever failure you have experienced, God can forgive in Jesus Christ. Through Jesus God can renew, restore and rebuild your life. He says, "I will build you up and you will be rebuilt." I like the emphasis in these words: When God rebuilds, you are REBUILT … totally and completely.

These promises were first addressed to the people of Israel. The Israelites had a history of following God, then falling away, then following, then falling away. As his people, they did this many times throughout history. Yet, when they repented and turned back to God, it was God drawing them to Himself, receiving them, and reviving them!

Our defeats may threaten our career, our marriage, our family, our finances, our soul – but God can turn any defeat into a place of grace, restoration, and unforeseen victory. Through Holy Spirit wrought faith in him, he will rebuild and restore you. God says, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Jeremiah 31:34

There are no “wrecks” that anyone can experience in life that God cannot rebuild, no sin that he cannot forgive, no defeats that he cannot turn into victory, no failure that God cannot turn into fruitfulness, no life so broken by sin and shame that God cannot rebuild—recreate—into a life that gives Him glory .

Even more, …

EASTER is God’s “YES!” to Filling Your Life With Joy!

When you experience any kind of defeat, it sometimes seems that you will never be able to laugh again – that the dark cloud of overwhelming sin, setback, or sorrow, will haunt you forever.

I believe that Satan is determined to hide the blessing and freedom of confession (of our sin) and absolution (receiving God’s forgiveness) by making us think that our sins are “bigger” than God’s grace. Don't get me wrong. Sin is SIN. I'm not trying to diminish the seriousness of sin in our lives; rather, I want to emphasize that as destructive as sin is and can be, God's constructive, life-giving grace, and recreating forgiveness is greater. There is no sin too great (and none too small) for His EASTER grace and mercy to completely cover in Christ.

Because of that truth, God can promise: “Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful.” Jeremiah 31:4 That’s why the Psalmist in Psalm 126 could confidently say: “5 Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. 6 He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” That’s why King David, having been confronted with his sin by the prophet Nathan, prayed in Psalm 51:12: “Restore unto me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

God wants us to be a joyful – joy-filled – people. Joy is one of His glorious gifts to His people. G.K. Chesterton reminds us, “It is really a natural trend to lapse into taking oneself gravely because it is the easiest thing to do … for solemnity flows out of men naturally, but laughter is a leap. It is easy to be heavy; hard to be light. Satan fell by force of gravity.”

And again, …

EASTER is God’s “YES!” to Making You Effective in Life!

“Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit.” Jeremiah 31:5

I want you to know that perhaps the biggest lie you will ever be told is, "God is finished with you and He can never bless you or use you." Friends, because of God’s overwhelming love and grace, many times in life our most useful endeavors and effectiveness come after our greatest defeats.

Do you know what H.J. Heinz, Walt Disney, and Milton Hershey have in common? Two things:

• they are household names (Heinz 57, Disney World, Hershey's Chocolate); and,

• they all declared bankruptcy before becoming successful.

Never lose sight of one of the greater Easter truths Paul delineates in Romans 6:1-14, that through your Baptism you have a personal, intimate, life and strength bestowing spiritual connection with Jesus. He put it like this in John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Long before those words of Jesus, the Holy Spirit inspired David to write in Psalm 1:3, that the man of God, “… is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” And the Proverbist writes, “5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3

Way too often I’ve heard people say, “It’s too late for me!”, referencing many different difficulties, disappointments, sin and other setbacks in life. People will say, "I tried, but I failed. Now it's too late. I'll just have to live with being a loser; I'll just have to live with being alone; I'll just have to live with being overweight; I'll just have to live with being a failure; I'll just have to live with being an unforgiven sinner. It's too late."

Friend, because of God’s everlasting love for you, because of EASTER—God’s “YES” in Jesus—“It’s never too late.” EASTER is the celebration of the fact that God has ultimate power over our major adversaries in life: sin, death, self, and the old Evil Foe - Satan - the incessant “Accuse,”and he delights to share the victory with us by His grace through faith. EASTER, is not only God’s “YES” to all His promises in the Holy Scriptures, but, in a very real way, it is God’s “YES” in Christ to you, and to what you can be and experience in Christ. God can rebuild your life, restore your joy, and make your life effective once again.

EASTER! IS God’s “YES” to all His promises in Christ … and, His “YES” to you through Jesus!

The Lord is Risen! He is risen INDEED! Alleluia! Amen!