Saturday, April 7, 2018

After Resurrection Sunday, Now What? by David O. Cofield

(I wrote this article for The Southern Torch last week)


So we have celebrated Resurrection Sunday with great passion and power, but now what?  Where do we go?  What do we do?

I think believers have much in common with Lazarus, the friend of Jesus who died and Jesus raised him back to life.  Like us, Lazarus was dead but is now alive.  He didn’t raise himself for he had no inherit power to give his dead body life.  And the same Jesus who raised Lazarus is the one who raised our spiritually dead souls to life when we repented and believed. 

So, what did Lazarus do after his resurrection?  Examine it in John 12: 1-11.

First, Lazarus is found with Jesus fellowshipping around a table.  The celebration of Easter is not a one-time event; instead it is the whole of our Christian faith.  It enables us to have the presence of Jesus with us every day and to enjoy His fellowship with us.  Revelation 3: 20 promises we can fellowship with Jesus around His table.

Second, he is fellowshipping with other believers.  He is there with Mary, Martha and at least some of the disciples.  A regular pattern of gathering with other believers is essential for the ongoing health of a Christian. 

If I was interested in quilting and I heard there was a group who met weekly to talk about quilting, share ideas about quilting and actually were quilting; I would seek them out to join them due to our mutual interest.

If you are a true follower of Jesus and His resurrection power has raised you from your spiritual deadness, then you will want to fellowship with other believers who likewise have experienced this new life.

Third, he was the witness to his family and friends of his experience.  I love verse one.  John identifies Lazarus at the one “who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.”  He was the only one present that day who had been raised from the dead.  Do you guess they talked about it?

We are to be witnesses to those of the same resurrection we have experienced.  Who will you share your story with today at the family meal or the lunch with friends?

Easter is not the end of the celebration; just the beginning. 

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