Easter Bloom

Easter is more than a match to any kind of darkness!

The message of Jesus’ resurrection transforms a hopeless end into an endless hope.

Mark 16:1–8 ESV

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

You Seek Jesus, who was crucified.

Why was Jesus crucified?

Jesus was crucified to save our lives.

What do you mean to save my life?

Frankly, to save you from yourself.

The gospel according to Mark gives us a paradigm.

Life in God’s plan is integrated and good.

Integrated with God and his design= Productive self.

Integrated with God and humans= Productive relationships

Here’s the reality:

Just look around, is the kingdom of this world integrated with God or Humanity? No!

How did things get off track?

Human choice.

Since the beginning humanity has been given the authority of choice.GOD’S PLAN OR HUMAN PLAN?Life integrated (in union, mingled with God)Life my way?

IT IS A CHOICE: SAME CHOICE ALL HUMANITY IS FACED WITH.

Integration with God or Disintegration with humanity.

How does Jesus save our lives?

Jesus choices life wholly integrated with God.

Every time Jesus is faced with a choice between integration or disintegration, for self or others, He chooses God’s way.

Jesus carry’s the entire burden of our disintegration, he bears it all on his shoulders as he carries the cross.All the disintegration is integrated, mingled into the very life of Jesus on the cross.

The death sentence of disintegration for humanity 100% on and in Jesus.

When died the disintegration of sin died with him. Union with God and being mingled with God was a choices given to humanity again in a garden.

How do I integrate with God again?

How does one get such a productive relationship with God?

Jesus life, like our life, is productive when entrusted to God like a seed to prepared soil. Trust God’s plan. Surrender to God’s plan.Jesus prepares His followers with these words:Mark 4:8 (ESV): And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”Mark 4:20 (ESV): But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

Choice!

Jesus put it to his followers like this...

He has risen; He is not here.

He has risen tells us that Jesus’ integrated relationship, His obedience to God, makes:

Jesus is champion over death.

The choice of death is now productive.

Mark 8:34–35 ESV

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

The seed metaphor tells us life and productivity come from death.

I'm a pastor. I've seen people die, and I've talked to people who did not understand the gospel at the end of their lives. I've talked to people who felt like death was coming, and they weren't ready. Why? Because they said, "I haven't lived a good enough life." Well, they hadn't lived a good enough life.

But the point is Jesus Christ, for Christians, already met death, and has already destroyed its power. Therefore, all it can do is make you more glorious and more wonderful than you are now. The worst thing that can happen is the best thing that can happen.

“Death used to be an executioner, but the gospel has made him just a gardener.” George Herbert

Viola= Peace.

Death was not a death sentence, it was peace with God.

Jan 8, 2020 Jonathan Evans Delivers Viral Eulogy of His Mother Lois Evans

https://twitter.com/kirstinlcheers/status/1214400421420261376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1214400421420261376%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flifewayresearch.com%2F2020%2F01%2F08%2Fjonathan-evans-delivers-viral-eulogy-of-his-mother-lois-evans%2F

Tim Keller: “...if you believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and you put your hope in that, then death is now a gardener, meaning it plants us. It puts us into the ground like a tulip bulb, which becomes a lovely flower, or an acorn, which becomes a beautiful oak tree. All it can do now is make us better.”

Jesus bloomed where he was planted: A seed must die; Bloom where you are planted.

Bloom here: Things don’t die all at once. You need a safe place to die. Plant here. Bloom here.

But go, tell...

New life comes from a seed dying. New life also produces new seeds.

That’s kingdom reproduction. Bloom where you are planted.

Die to self. Trust Jesus. New life blooms.

New life produces kingdom pollen.

Kingdom pollen affects people... in a good way. You are a good allergen.

You Seek Jesus who was crucified.

He is not here; HE IS RISEN.

Go and tell.