Tuesday, March 30, 2021
We were buried therefore
with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from
the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4
Christ has set us free to
live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of
slavery on you. Galatians 5:1
Where is Your Jesus?
This week leading up to
Easter we talk, and think, a lot about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. For Christians, the Easter story is meant to be more than just a story.
It is the whole foundation of our faith. Jesus died to save us and rose from
the dead so we could have everlasting life. That brings us freedom from the
bondage of sin. Freedom to live a whole new way, a new life.
A lot of us don’t live out the Easter story in our own lives. We
celebrate it. We fill baskets and hide eggs. We get dressed up and have a big
family meal. But when it comes to the everyday living of our lives, we keep
Jesus in the tomb. As His children, we have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead in our lives. We have the power of the resurrection.
If we are not living in the power of the resurrection, our Lord is
still buried in the tomb. We can easily let the burdens of this life weigh us
down with a weight like the stone rolled in front of Jesus’ tomb. We let sin
keep us bound to it and we let the shame and guilt of past sins hold us
prisoner. Living in the power of the resurrection means we live free! Jesus
paid the price for us so we could be free, not keep living under the weight of guilt,
shame, and the bondage of continued sin. If you were locked up and held prisoner,
and someone opened the gate to set you free, would you stay in the prison? Or
would you get out as fast as you could?
Jesus’ empty tomb opened the gates of our prisons. His resurrection
power cancels our past — our failures, mistakes, sins, and regrets. It is
eliminated as it if never happened. Gone. A new beginning. A clean slate. Getting
bound up in our past, that Jesus has canceled with His shed blood, keep us not
only from living free, but also from experiencing the blessings God has for us.
It limits us because we are tethered to it, living in constant regret. Living
this way limits what we believe God can do in our lives.
Where is your Jesus? Is He still in the tomb? No matter what lies in
your past, or what you are struggling with now, your future is redeemed and secured.
If you are trapped in your past, His power wipes it out if you let Him. If you
are struggling with something now, His power can overcome. Because of His sacrifice
and His resurrection, the gates are open, and we have been set free. This week as
you prepare for Easter, remember that we are celebrating a resurrected Christ
with a resurrection power. Remember what that resurrection power means in your
life. Claim it. Trust it.
Live it.
