Further Reading:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, with all wisdom…” Col. 3:16
“Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom”. Psalm 111:10
“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5
“Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” James 1:22
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17

If you’re reading this, you aren’t dead, so resurrection is not necessary for you, right? Or is it? I believe resurrection is necessary for each of us today… and everyday!
God resurrected each of us from former lives of hopelessness, loneliness, anger, and bitterness. Satan is constantly trying to enslave us through the impulses, wants, and cravings of our sinful nature. When we follow our impulses, the results are sexual immorality, impurity, hostility, jealousy, selfish ambition, dissension, envy, drunkenness, etc.
The Holy Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in our lives. Which of these fruit are absent in your life? Is it peace that you cry out for? Does self-control seem impossible for you? Would you like to be more gentle and kind? Or more loving and patient? They are fruit of the Spirit…not fruit of our intentions; our willpower; or our good character.

The power of the Spirit can change the life we live today! We must choose to live by the Spirit. Because we belong to Him, the power of the Spirit has freed (past tense – already done!) us from the power of sin that leads to death. The power that brought Jesus back from the grave will also break death’s hold on us.

What is lurking in your day today? Envy? Hostility? Outbursts of anger? Jealousy? Selfishness? Love? Peace? Joy? Faithfulness? The choice is yours…

The first time I read this passage, I felt envious of the disciples who had Jesus there to “open their minds to understand the Scriptures.” I pictured an ‘information dump’, that Jesus raised his hand, and suddenly everything they needed to know was in their minds.
When I thought more about it, I realized how silly I was being.
One, the Bible doesn’t specify how he opened their minds. Was it a supernatural ‘information dump’, or was it hours – even days – of teaching before they understood?
Two, God has placed the entirety of the Bible in my hands – from the Old Testament Scriptures the disciples had, to their accounts of Jesus’ life, to Paul’s and others’ letters to help us understand. He has given me all I need to understand, I just need to be more diligent about using this great gift He has given us. Receiving all the information of the Bible in one ‘dump’ would cheat me of the opportunity to spend time with God, reading his word and developing an intimate relationship with him.
Three, Jesus is very patient and understanding of our limitations. He’ll explain in detail what He wants us to know – give us stuff to ponder and debate and dive into, but then He’ll pull out the central point and repeat it until we get it. He did that when he took all of the laws and commandments, and distilled to the two most important: to love God completely, and to love your neighbor as yourself. He does it again here, summarizing the implications of his life, death, and resurrection into ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ It is a simple truth, but so powerful.
But wait, there’s more…. We don’t just get God’s Word. We don’t just get Jesus’ sacrificial atonement for our sins. We get the Holy Spirit. We get a supernatural person to fill us with power from heaven. Truly, God has given us everything we need to be powerful disciples for His truth and glory.

When I read this passage I often wonder why the women were surprised and puzzled by the empty tomb and the disciples disbelieved their story? The angels even asked the women, “didn’t He say he would rise again on the third day?” Only then, after they were confronted by angels, did they remember Jesus words!
When we read these accounts in the Bible we wonder what is wrong with these people, but isn’t it the same with us. God answers a prayer and we are surprised! God stays with us through a crisis and we say, WOW! Looking back on a circumstance we see God’s hand in it and we suddenly understand! I am disappointed to say how often my expectations of what the Lord can do are so limited. How often I am surprised when God answers my prayer. How often I think there is no way this situation could change. While we are perplexed, puzzled, wondering and disbelieving, God remains faithful to His promises, true to His Word and astounds us with His presence! Our faith is not in something that needs preserved in a sealed tomb. Our faith is in a living, vibrant, resurrected , Lord and Savior.
Is your life right now in a Gethsemane, feeling trapped with no way out, or lifeless in a tomb of hopelessness and despair? Take comfort that Jesus went that way before you, He is a Lord who walked in your shoes, but is calling us to life and hope and victory. He is calling us out of darkness into Easter morning. For He has risen; He has risen indeed.

Where there is doubt, roll away the stone and resurrect my faith.
Where there is depression, cast aside the grave clothes and release my joy.
Where there is despair, chase away the night and bring a sunrise to my hope.
Ken Gire

Many great people of the early centuries wrote many great things about this passage of scripture. Such as Abbot Rupert of Deutz, who wrote in the early 12th century: “The cross of Christ is the door to heaven, the key to paradise, the downfall of the devil, the uplifting of mankind, the consolation of our imprisonment, the prize for our freedom.” The Cross of Christ is the safeguard of our faith, the assurance of our hope, and the throne of love. It is also the sign of God’s mercy and the proof of forgiveness. By his cross Jesus has redeemed our sin and atoned for our punishment. The way to peace, joy, and righteousness in the kingdom of God and the way to victory over sin, despairs, and death are through the cross of Jesus Christ. Do you willingly follow Jesus in his way of the cross with joy, hope, and confidence?” but my question is “Would you take the place of Jesus on the cross?”
We are here in Kenya “doing our part” but is that enough? When we look at this spotless man who went to the cross without complaint and yet we complain everyday about the dumbest things I need more of this or that, I don’t have this or that and yet here is a man that did nothing wrong yet loved us so much that he was willing to lay down His life for us. Are we willing to do the same for others? Can we take up our cross and follow Jesus and follow His example? However, we don’t see defeat in this passage we see triumph. We see victory. Jesus had conquered sin, He had defeated Satan. Yes there is darkness all around us but we who have died with Christ and have been raised again are now the light in the darkness. Would YOU be willing to die in the place of Jesus?

What an amazing part of the bible to write about. I want to touch on the two thieves Jesus died between because they represent all of us and the choice we all have to make. Both of these criminals were equally guilty of falling short of God’s requirements. Both were spiritually dead. Both also saw and heard everything relating to Christ during the nearly six hours he hung on the cross. “Yet one died in his sins, as he had lived, hardened, and unbelieving.” But the other robber through grace and the conviction of the Holy Spirit confessed his sin, repented, asked for mercy and was saved.

The unrepentant thief facing death only became more desperate and defiant. He casts insults at Jesus. This criminal was looking for a way out of the situation. He wanted Jesus to “save” them from death on the cross but with no cost. Sounds like most of us today. We don’t want to surrender our lives or be held responsible for our sins.

Contrast the second criminal who, at some point during those six hours on the cross, starts to see Jesus as who he really is. He had heard Jesus praying for the soldiers and forgiving them, he wanted what Jesus had, and he wanted to be with Jesus. In Jesus, bruised, mocked, and hanging upon the cross, he sees the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. The second thief chastises the first asking about fearing God and that he should be begging for mercy not hurling accusations. This second criminal realizes that they, unlike Jesus, are guilty and are being justly punished. He then asks for favor even though he has possibly never prayed before.

Immediately the answer came from Jesus with a tone full of love, compassion and power. Verily I say unto thee today, thou shalt be with me in paradise. The last act of the Son of God was to save a sinner who was a convicted criminal. Think about all the “religious” people standing around the cross who are really in the same position of the unrepentant first thief.

One criminal chose to seek deliverance from immediate physical death and the other chose to seek deliverance from the second death. One was interested only in this worldly life and the other was interested in eternal life. I am amazed at Jesus’ willingness to save even when he was in agony, dying on the cross. It makes my excuses of I’m to tired or busy to serve seem pretty pitiful. As we go to Kenya this Easter I will remember these two criminals and remind those we meet that they also have a choice to make- both sinners could have been saved but only one was- which one will you be.

I am a risk-taker by nature. In 2006, I was glaring at a business investment gone bad. I was now personally responsible for a debt I had no way of paying. This debt was so large; it was going to ruin my future—my life. I had sought God’s guidance years before as I entered the venture, and I had felt God’s blessing to proceed. As I struggled to find a way to pay this overwhelming debt, I remember thinking “I wish someone would pay this for me”—in that very moment, the Holy Spirit whispered “Christ did that for your soul”. That truth was costly and painful to discover. However, It took those circumstances for me to personally embrace the sacrifice and reality of what Christ gave up for me on the cross – which is priceless.
This price Christ paid for me is personal; communion is never the same because I know the debt that was forgiven. The same price was paid for you. We have the gift of salvation; the hopeless debt of our sin has been paid for on the cross. During the last supper with his disciples, to celebrate Passover, Christ says to remember what he will do, and to celebrate what we receive as a result of His sacrifice – the new covenant. (Luke 22:19-20).
Passover, celebrated by Jews, was to be a reminder and proclamation of God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt, where the final plague the Lord sent the death angel to destroy the firstborn of all people and animals. Homes marked by the blood of the sacrificial lamb were “passed over”. Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law of Moses (Matthew 5:17) as the perfect Passover lamb, creating a new covenant between God and His people. The Last Supper was rooted in the Old Covenant as it heralded the New.
The Apostle Paul says, when you take communion, “you must solemnly realize that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt. Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master irreverently is like part of the crowd that jeered and spit on him at his death.” (1 Cor. 11:23–29 MSG)
As you reenact the Lord’s Supper on Sunday with communion, examine yourself (1 Cor. 11:28), ask forgiveness from your sin (Psalm 19:12-13), remember your personal debt that was paid for your soul (Luke 22:19), and “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26).
• Jesus is our Passover Lamb, who with His body and blood grants us forgiveness, life, and salvation.
• I betray my Lord when I sin, and my sin separates me from God.
• Jesus’ suffering and death pays for all my sins. Jesus, my Savior, claims me as His own before His Father in heaven. Because of Jesus’ suffering and death, I have life eternal.

Back in the mid-80’s there was an NBA player by the name of Otis Birdsong. He spent most of his career playing for the New Jersey Nets. One thing he definitely had was confidence in his shooting ability. He used to say there were only three things in life you could count on: death, taxes, and his jump shot. I think I would add one more thing to that list- Jesus’ word. When Jesus told you something, it was as if it had already happened. Luke 22 begins with Jesus preparing for His last Passover. He tells Peter and John to go prepare for Passover and then gives them specific instructions. I don’t know if Jesus had a conversation with these people beforehand or if He brought everything to fruition supernaturally. Regardless, the two disciples found the guy with the water jar. Which was strange in and of itself because men didn’t carry water jars. Only the women were to do that. And when they asked about the upper room, he didn’t question them. He just showed where it was. And Peter and John were able to get things ready for Passover. My favorite verse in this passage is 13- “They left and found things just as Jesus had told them.” Jesus told these guys to do something. They had a few questions. He gave them clear guidance. And then, everything happened just like He said it would. That seems to happen over and over throughout the New Testament. I need to be reminded of that from time to time. Trusting in Jesus is not a gamble. He’s a sure thing.

I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Here it is Monday(beginning of Holy Week) and in five days the CCC Kenya team (disciples) will be landing in Nairobi in the cover of night. 2000+ years ago on this same night in the cover of night Jesus was laid in a tomb hopefully never to be heard from again by some and by others left wondering what happened to their savior and their dreams. As we depart the Kenyatta Terminal this coming Good Friday many on the team will wonder what happened to their savoir and the dreams of these people as the noise and swell and scenes flood their senses. As we weave toward our accommodations for the evening these CCC disciples will be as confused as the disciples of old on this Holy Night.

The next morning I am sure the disciples were still scratching their heads. What happened! The CCC disciples will awaken to thoughts of where am I and what is going to happen. Scratching their heads. We will head to Christ Compassion Rehabilitation Center to visit 20 kids who live together in an orphanage that has much to be desired. Again the CCC disciples will be confused and wonder how children can live like this. Some asking where is Jesus in all this? However that question will fade as they meet the children and see Jesus in them.

Now comes Sunday, Easter Sunday. Jesus is resurrected. Hopes and dreams are renewed and the disciples rejoice. The CCC disciples will dress for church and for the first time enter into worship with their Kenyan brothers and sister. This will lead the CCC disciples to a place of hope and a heart full of JOY. Resurrection Sunday, Easter Sunday in Kenya WOW and the CCC disciples will start to get why they are there. We are here to get what Paul wanted to experience in Philippians 3 Resurrection Power. Paul said this comes through participating in suffering. We will not suffer much physically but suffer emotionally and spiritually and take on the suffering of all those that we meet. Through sharing in there suffering Holy Week will become a powerful week. Whose suffering will you enter into?

Here is the rest of the schedule for the team so you can pray that the CCC disciples will experience Resurrection Power in each place and that those we meet will see Jesus.

Monday and Tuesday Beat the Drum Village(home for HIV/AIDS kids)
Wednesday and Thursday Widows Communities suffering from HIV/AIDS
Friday Safari Day
Saturday and Sunday Mathare Slum (800,000 people in less than a square mile)

Thanks for your prayers.