Pastoral Message for Easter 2020

Pastoral Message
(for member and friends of)
Geeseytown & Newry Lutheran Church)
The Resurrection of Our Lord
April 12, 2020
We begin by remembering:
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
(Psalm 118:24)
Let us pray:
O God, you gave your only Son to suffer death on the cross for our
redemption, and by his glorious resurrection you delivered us from the power of
death. Make us die every day to sin, that we may live with him forever in the joy of
the resurrection, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Scripture Readings: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Colossians 3:1-4 and John 20:1-18
Thoughts from the Pastor:
The resurrection of our Lord shows us the ultimate love of God for us. There
is no limit to God’s love for us. The resurrection of our Lord is the essential part of
the Christian faith. Without Jesus delivering us from the power of death through
his resurrection, we are really lost in our sin; but, God’s love for us never gives up
on us and God has given us the gift of faith in Jesus Christ, and this gift of faith is
in our hearts. Yes, we are truly saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and
God gave us this faith through the resurrection of our Lord.
Of course, the resurrection proves that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and
that his atoning work on the cross has been completed and is effective. As I thought
further, I began to think of another blessing from our Lord’s resurrection, and we
are still part his resurrection because we are his disciples. Jesus did not leave us
without truly blessing us with another powerful gift which is his love in our hearts.
How can we show this gift of love to others? Show them that you care about them.
As a disciple of Jesus Christ, we show love to everyone we meet with care
throughout the year. Jesus cared for everyone he met during his earthly mission
and ministry.
Yes, Jesus practiced what has been called “caring evangelism.” Did this type
of evangelism begin with Jesus. No, it began with God, and we have all been blessed with this form of evangelism. A good friend of mine and my family did this
with her life and she did not quit until she died and went to be with Jesus. Her
name was Katie, and before she died she was a patient in a nursing home suffering
from a terrible stroke. She knew that Jesus died for her and she was going to show
others his love.
Every week Katie would send a card to someone who missed the Sunday
morning worship service in her church. Her sister would tell her who was missing.
She also made sure that those church members who were in the hospital received a
get well card. What powered this woman? It was the power of God’s love within
her heart. Sometimes we forget that women were the first witnesses of the
resurrection of Christ. Yes, they were believing women. As I look back at Katie’s
life she was just like those first believing women with a powerful faith and love for
others
As I begin to close we always need to remember that God cared for you and
God proved it by sending his Son, Jesus Christ for all of us. The glorious truth of
the resurrection was not understood immediately by his closest friends. It gradually
dawned on these grieving people that their Lord was not dead, but alive. And what
a difference it made when the full realization of his resurrection took hold of them.
For Mary Magdalene it meant moving from tears to joy, for his disciples it meant
going from fear to courage and for Thomas it meant moving from doubt to
assurance. God has given us faith and love knowing that Jesus is alive within our
hearts giving us the courage and assurance that he will lead us. Remember he is
alive in your heart. Christ has risen. To God be the glory for the resurrection!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Dick Henry