Seasons: Spring — Thursday
John 11:25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die…” (NIV)
Hopefully you were able to attend our Easter services this past Sunday. If not, we hope you were able to attend somewhere else or at the very least just celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. What a wonderful time of year when we, the church, gather to celebrate and remember the hope we have in Jesus. In addition to our services, I hope you were able to make your way out to one of our baptism events. Whether out at the pond at the Nicholasville Campus, or on the patio at the Richmond Campus, hopefully you were able to witness people being baptized into life with Jesus this Easter. I am thrilled to announce that we saw over 150 people give their life to Jesus this past Sunday!
My prayer is that we would never lose our wonder or our awe for watching people get baptized. It truly never gets old! Almost every Sunday, we have the opportunity to witness people choose baptism. People are literally choosing and crossing over into life from death. In reading our verse for today, I find it interesting that Jesus doesn’t say, “I will show you the resurrection and the life,” or “I am a way of resurrection, one way to life.” Jesus makes it very clear that He alone is resurrection, and He alone is life. Not only that, but when we believe in Him, we cross over from death to life. It’s also interesting that Jesus made the point to say by believing in Him, people will live “even though they die.” All of us must embrace a physical death, but those who put their faith in Jesus will continue to live forever even after their physical death.
One of the truths we recognize when someone gives their life to Jesus is that they are given a new heart and a new mind. Paul refers to us as “new creations” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Those who are new creations will never really die—they will continue to live forever because of what Jesus did for them. He died to atone for the penalty of our sins. However, the story doesn’t stop there. Three days later, He resurrected from the grave and proved that death did not have the final say. Because of this, when we put our faith in Him, we too will know that death cannot and will not have the final say on us.
Thursday’s Reflection
If you’ve been baptized, take a minute to remember that moment and what it symbolized for your spiritual life. If you haven’t been baptized, would you be willing to speak with someone about it? Our staff would love to help you take the next step in your walk with Jesus!
