By Joe Chesser
I watched the sun come up the other day. Needless to say, it was awesome. From where I sat, most of my surroundings were only dimly visible in the pre-dawn light. But, I could see the reddish-orange glow on the horizon and knew the sun would appear at any moment. And then … there it was, peeking through the leafless trees. Just a sliver at first, but it quickly began to be fully visible. The more I saw of the sun, the more the dimness around me vanished. How wonderfully things had changed at sun up.
Then it dawned on me how wonderfully things changed at Son up!
Two men were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus late one Sunday afternoon. Even though the sun was still up, their hearts were in darkness. Their hopes for the redemption of Israel had been nailed to a cross when Jesus was crucified just three days earlier. This left them downcast, filled with doubts and uncertainties. So, when a stranger approached them, they couldn’t help sharing with him their heartaches and disappointments. They even related to him how some friends had gone to Jesus’ tomb earlier that morning and found it empty. They were at a total loss about what to do.
Fortunately for them, that stranger turned out to be Jesus. Beginning with Moses and the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. A short time later, as they were breaking bread with Jesus, their eyes were opened. They were no longer in the dark. The Son had risen, now they understood it, now they could see! Even though it was dark outside, they hurried back to Jerusalem to tell their friends that the Lord had risen! The Son is up! Now there’s hope! (Luke 24:13-35).
Nothing cheers the heart more than the resurrection of Jesus. It gives substance to faith, victory over sin, and purpose to life (1 Cor. 15:12-19). Jesus’ blood frees us from the guilt of sin, but it’s Jesus’ resurrection that gives us hope for life (Romans 6:3-10). Jesus came to be life and light for all (John 1:4).
The challenge is for us to open our eyes to the light. It may only be a sliver at first, but eventually you can be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph. 4:12-15). As the light of Jesus grows within you, darkness and doubt will be replaced with faith and hope and peace. You’ll want to tell everyone about it.
How wonderfully your life will change when you see the Son!
I watched the sun come up the other day. Needless to say, it was awesome. From where I sat, most of my surroundings were only dimly visible in the pre-dawn light. But, I could see the reddish-orange glow on the horizon and knew the sun would appear at any moment. And then … there it was, peeking through the leafless trees. Just a sliver at first, but it quickly began to be fully visible. The more I saw of the sun, the more the dimness around me vanished. How wonderfully things had changed at sun up.
Then it dawned on me how wonderfully things changed at Son up!
Two men were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus late one Sunday afternoon. Even though the sun was still up, their hearts were in darkness. Their hopes for the redemption of Israel had been nailed to a cross when Jesus was crucified just three days earlier. This left them downcast, filled with doubts and uncertainties. So, when a stranger approached them, they couldn’t help sharing with him their heartaches and disappointments. They even related to him how some friends had gone to Jesus’ tomb earlier that morning and found it empty. They were at a total loss about what to do.
Fortunately for them, that stranger turned out to be Jesus. Beginning with Moses and the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. A short time later, as they were breaking bread with Jesus, their eyes were opened. They were no longer in the dark. The Son had risen, now they understood it, now they could see! Even though it was dark outside, they hurried back to Jerusalem to tell their friends that the Lord had risen! The Son is up! Now there’s hope! (Luke 24:13-35).
Nothing cheers the heart more than the resurrection of Jesus. It gives substance to faith, victory over sin, and purpose to life (1 Cor. 15:12-19). Jesus’ blood frees us from the guilt of sin, but it’s Jesus’ resurrection that gives us hope for life (Romans 6:3-10). Jesus came to be life and light for all (John 1:4).
The challenge is for us to open our eyes to the light. It may only be a sliver at first, but eventually you can be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph. 4:12-15). As the light of Jesus grows within you, darkness and doubt will be replaced with faith and hope and peace. You’ll want to tell everyone about it.
How wonderfully your life will change when you see the Son!
- Joe Chesser preaches for the Fruitland Church of Christ,
Fruitland, MO. He may be contacted at joeandareva@yahoo.com
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