Joel Pankow, Pastor of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Topeka, Kansas has a wonderful communication style. He speaks about the gospel in ways that common people, just like me, can easily understand. I love the following story he tells in reference to what Christ has done at Easter.
I have heard that possums are smart animals. You wouldn’t think so because you hardly ever see one except when it’s dead on the road. There’s a joke that goes, “Why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the possum that it could be done!”
But possums, it turns out, are smart. They won’t enter a hole if there’s just one set of tracks going into it. They know there’s something in there. But if there are two sets of tracks. The possum will enter and not be afraid.
The message of Easter is that we can enter the grave - we don’t have to fear death because there are tracks leading out of the tomb! Paul preached the proclamation of Easter: "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" This is the message that we need to hear this Easter: Jesus is risen!
Amen, brother! Well said! Tomorrow is Good Friday: the day we commemorate the death of Jesus on the cross. Ours would be a sad lot indeed if all we knew was the death of Jesus. Our faith would be no more hopreful than that of any other people who have followed a religious leader only to see him succomb to the power of death.
But, alas, there is more! We look forward to the celebration of Easter this coming Sunday morning, as we know that our Savior not only went down into the tomb, but He also came right back out! And because of this, we do not fear the grave!
Perhaps Bill Gaither said it best:
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone!
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives!
I have heard that possums are smart animals. You wouldn’t think so because you hardly ever see one except when it’s dead on the road. There’s a joke that goes, “Why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the possum that it could be done!”
But possums, it turns out, are smart. They won’t enter a hole if there’s just one set of tracks going into it. They know there’s something in there. But if there are two sets of tracks. The possum will enter and not be afraid.
The message of Easter is that we can enter the grave - we don’t have to fear death because there are tracks leading out of the tomb! Paul preached the proclamation of Easter: "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" This is the message that we need to hear this Easter: Jesus is risen!
Amen, brother! Well said! Tomorrow is Good Friday: the day we commemorate the death of Jesus on the cross. Ours would be a sad lot indeed if all we knew was the death of Jesus. Our faith would be no more hopreful than that of any other people who have followed a religious leader only to see him succomb to the power of death.
But, alas, there is more! We look forward to the celebration of Easter this coming Sunday morning, as we know that our Savior not only went down into the tomb, but He also came right back out! And because of this, we do not fear the grave!
Perhaps Bill Gaither said it best:
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone!
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives!