Reflections

Today is Easter, and He is risen!

The sermon today was a little different than I remember previous Easter sermons being. Pastor Nick focused on two characters in the story of the crucifixion and resurrection: Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea:

John 19:38–42 (NET 2nd ed.)

38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus (but secretly, because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he went and took the body away. 39 Nicodemus, the man who had previously come to Jesus at night, accompanied Joseph, carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about seventy-five pounds. 40 Then they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it, with the aromatic spices, in strips of linen cloth according to Jewish burial customs. 41 Now at the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden was a new tomb where no one had yet been buried. 42 And so, because it was the Jewish day of preparation and the tomb was nearby, they placed Jesus’ body there.

With this story, a few points were made during the sermon:

1. There is a cost to following Jesus.

Nicodemus and Joseph forfeit Passover to ensure Jesus was given a proper burial.

2. It's better than anything it might cost you.

Passover pointed to Christ, and both Nicodemus and Joseph recognized that and acted accordingly. They chose to participate in the fulfillment of Passover, instead of the shadow of it.

3. You'll never regret it.

I wholeheartedly believe we will get to see these two men numbered among the saints in eternity.

With these three points, number two resonated the most with me, as it seems like the closer I get to Christ and the more I grow in faith, the more strained earthly relationships become not just between myself and unbelievers but believers as well. As my wife and I grow closer together and grow in faith, relationships with others seem strained and more difficult than they were before.

If the Bible is to be believed, this is a feature and not a bug. The reminder today that Christ is better than anything else, and we'll never regret following Him was a much needed reminder. We should never stop running the race that has been set before us, and never tire of doing good for the sake of His name. If Jesus suffered so much for me, the least I can do is endure the comparatively little suffering that has been allotted to me.

Today is Easter, and He is risen indeed.