Holy Week serves as a special time of reflection for me. I love everything that leads up to what some here in the south call “The Super Bowl” of Sundays. That always makes me laugh. Maybe we should call the NFL’s Super Bowl the “Easter of Football games?” I digress. Anyway, this week is full of emotional moments and spiritually meaningful gatherings. At times, it can be challenging to deal with the emotions that accompany such heavy subject matter, but these remembrances help us foster an attitude of gratitude regarding our personal salvation and God’s desire to redeem all of His creation.
As we approach Resurrection Sunday, I want to challenge you to not only look
to
the cross, but to look
through
the cross. As Christians, we do not just venerate the historical event of the crucifixion and resurrection as a temporal memory. Rather, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus serves as a lens for viewing every event of life. Paul distinguishes the way that we view the cross from those who do not yet know Christ as Savior: “
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”
(1 Corinthians 1:18). For us, the way of the Cross is the self-sacrificing motive that marks our every step of discipleship and colors our every activity.
For that reason, I want to challenge you to not only be present as we look to the Cross this Resurrection Sunday, but to look
through
the cross to the weeks beyond. How will the power of God exhibited in the crucifixion and resurrection impact your life beyond Easter? As a congregation, I want to challenge you to prioritize your attendance in Sunday School and Worship for the next month after Easter Sunday. Sadly, the Sunday after Easter is traditionally one of the five lowest attended Sundays of the year in most churches. Let’s not fall into that trap! Look
to
the cross this Sunday, but let’s look
through
the cross to see the exciting things that God has in store for you, me, and Tabernacle Baptist Church in the year ahead. First, I look forward to celebrating the Resurrection with you and your guests this Sunday. See you then!
Expecting His Best,
Stephen V. Allen, Senior Pastor
