Good News: Thank God for the empty tomb!
Have you ever thought about Easter as a means to end the disgrace of slavery? When the Israelites came to Gilgal, God told Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of the slavery my people suffered in Egypt.” With Resurrection Sunday just hours away, we discover that the same is true for us today, Jesus has rolled away the disgrace of our slavery to sin through the cross and the resurrection. King David would have known this truth of slavery being rolled away when he wrote Psalm 32. With an eye to the future, he prophesied the benefits to come of the finished work of Jesus at Calvary when he wrote, “How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered and to whom the LORD does not charge with iniquity.” That’s the reality of being a believer in Jesus Christ, all charges have been dropped, but only through Jesus.
When we don’t deal with our sin, it can actually affect our health. David’s warning was, “When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning, day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat.” That’s a pretty grim picture of what happens when we try to sweep our transgressions under the carpet. But David’s character virtue was that he was quick to repent, he never let his sin fester for long periods. This is why he said, “Let everyone who is faithful pray to you immediately.” As Barney Fife used to say, “Nip it, nip it in the bud!
When you have a relationship with a loving heavenly Father, why wait? When the Lord speaks in Psalm 32, he counsels us, “Don’t be like an ignorant horse or a dopey mule that has to be controlled with a painful bit and bridle or else it won’t come near you.” Going back even further, what’s the first thing Adam and Eve did after they sinned? They hid! We sure don’t want to be like those two.
As we rejoice that the stone has been rolled away on Resurrection Sunday, let’s be more aware than ever that the disgrace of our slavery to a sinful life has been dealt with. God rolled away the disgrace for the Israelites coming out of Egypt, and He has rolled away the disgrace of our sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is how God rolls, with undeserved mercy and grace. All we are required to do is put our trust in Him as the way, the truth, and the life. Thank God for the empty tomb! May the joy of Resurrection Sunday be yours.
Ken Staley is the pastor of Faith Church of Pleasant Grove 9:30 a.m. and Harrisville Methodist Church 11 a.m. Both are Global Methodist congregations. pastorkenstaley@gmail.com
