Articles for tag: Easter

March 15, 2020

Gary L. Johnson

Resurrection Sunday: A Way to Live

By Gary L. Johnson Several important American holidays are for the purpose of remembering. Memorial Day is set aside so we can remember our war dead, whereas Veterans Day is for remembering the men and women who served in our nation’s military. A grand remembrance happens every July 4 as we celebrate our nation’s independence. We have religious holidays—Christmas and Easter—to remember the birth of Jesus and his resurrection from the dead. Yet, Easter is more than a holiday marked with ham dinners and Easter egg hunts. It’s more than a day to fill baskets with candy and churches with

March 15, 2020

Ely Lozada

Mary Magdalene: Go and Tell

(An eyewitness’ account*) By Ely Lozada Mary Magdalene had been watching for hours. Now, the jeering crowd was gone and only the women mourning Jesus remained at the cross together. An unfamiliar man approached them; he too had sorrow etched on his face. “I have permission to take away Jesus’ body, so that it may be laid to rest away from this terrible place.” She noticed he paid no mind to the sweat and blood around them, this man whose fine clothing surely would be soiled by this gruesome task. He spoke tenderly to Jesus’ mother as he told them

March 15, 2020

Mark E. Moore

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus: Respect and Honor

(An eyewitness’ account*) By Mark E. Moore Hi, my name is Joseph, but you can call me Joe. Just to clarify, there are a lot of Joes where I come from. Surely, you’ve heard of Joseph the carpenter, the stepfather of Jesus. A lesser-known Joseph traveled with the apostle Paul on his great adventures. This Joseph is mentioned several times by my friend, the physician and historian named Luke. But Luke called him by his nickname, Barnabas. I am but one of many Joes where I come from because one of the patriarchs of my people (and my namesake) was

March 15, 2020

Ryan Rasmussen

Guards at the Tomb: A Tale of Two Soldiers

By Ryan Rasmussen “What am I supposed to do with this money?” the soldier asked as he jiggled a bag of coins on the table. “It feels . . . tainted.” “Just enjoy it, man,” offered the second soldier. “How often does an opportunity like this come along for us? All we have to do is tell a little lie. No big deal.” But it felt like a big deal. A weight hung in the air as a strong wind pushed through the partially covered window of the dimly lit room. Two Roman soldiers sat counting their hush money. It

March 15, 2020

Vince Antonucci

The Apostle John: Transformed by Love

By Vince Antonucci Researchers tell us our identity drives our behavior. We think we make decisions based on a rational analysis of pros and cons. But far more often we make choices based on what James March called the “identity model.” March, a Stanford University professor who died in 2018, said when making a decision we essentially (and mostly subconsciously) ask ourselves three questions: Who am I? What kind of situation is this? What would someone like me do in this situation? What you do is determined by what you think of yourself. Growing up, I was quickly and consistently

March 15, 2020

John Caldwell

The Angels: Messengers of Hope at the Empty Tomb

By John Caldwell I have a confession to make. In well over half a century of ministry, I’ve never preached about the angels as they relate to the resurrection of Christ. I have manuscripts of all my Easter sermons, but I’ve searched in vain through scores of them for any significant focus on the angels. I fear that many of us have seen angels only as “bit players” in the Easter story. In reality, however, the angels play a major role. Angels in the Bible Angels have many roles in Scripture, and they would make for an interesting study; after

March 15, 2020

Glen Elliott

Cleopas: The Journey That Forever Changed Us

(An eyewitness’ account*) By Glen Elliott To Luke, my brother in the Lord, from Cleopas. I understand you’ve been collecting eyewitness accounts about the life of Jesus. Here is mine.   I live in a small town called Emmaus. I have made the journey to and from Jerusalem many times in my life. But one such journey forever changed me. Here’s what happened that Sunday. Passover Week in Jerusalem A friend and I had been in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration with others who were following one who was clearly a prophet. God had not sent a prophet to his

March 15, 2020

Dale Reeves

Simon Peter: A Betrayer Is Restored

(An eyewitness’ account*) By Dale Reeves We were just minding our own business, washing and mending our nets on the lakeshore, when we first met Jesus face-to-face. He stepped into my boat to use it as a sort of floating speaker’s platform. After he talked to the people about what he called “the kingdom of Heaven,” he told us to move the boat into deeper water and then cast our nets off the right side. Andrew and I looked at each other and laughed; we had been out there all night without sleep and without fish.   I’m not sure

March 15, 2020

Bob Russell

Judas: The Traitor’s Biggest Mistake

By Bob Russell Judas was greedy. That’s a common temptation for most of us, but it’s especially enticing for those with easy access to money that doesn’t belong to them. When Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume, Judas protested the perfume should have been sold and the money given to the poor. A fellow disciple observed, “He [Judas] did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it” (John 12:6). Judas was the treasurer for Jesus’

March 15, 2020

John Whittaker

Thomas: Testimony . . . and Why Seeing Doesn’t Contradict Believing

By John Whittaker It was evening of the Sunday Jesus rose from the dead, and the frightened disciples were holed up behind locked doors. Emotions, excitement, and tensions soared. Suddenly, though the doors were locked, Jesus stood among them. “Shalom,” he greeted them. And then he showed them his hands and his side, scars and all, evidence that it was indeed him. After that encounter, the euphoric disciples couldn’t wait to tell Thomas, who wasn’t with them that night. But upon hearing the news, Thomas was hesitant, uncertain. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to believe. He just needed more

April 28, 2019

Christian Standard

‘Your Debt Is Forgiven’

Pathway Church in Wichita redirected some funds and worked with a nonprofit to pay off the medical debt of 1,600 Kansas families as an Easter gesture demonstrating how Jesus Christ forgave our debts. “We decided to take some of the money that we would normally give to people who are in financial need,” lead pastor Todd Carter told the church on Easter, “and we took some of the money we would normally use to be able to promote our Easter services” via advertisements and direct mail. “We wanted to send out a different kind of mail this year.” Letters to

April 18, 2019

Christian Standard

A Curious Start to Easter ‘Coverage’

“Coverage” of Easter in Christian Standard seems to have started rather slowly. The magazine began publishing in 1866, but the first original articles topically categorized as “Easter” didn’t appear until the 1890s. There were essays about Jesus’ resurrection, to be sure, but the lagging start to “Easter” references in the magazine’s centennial index seems curious. One might wonder, did the magazine opt not to write about “Easter” each spring because the Bible offers no description of annual observances of Jesus’ resurrection . . . and certainly not by that name? These two articles seem to offer some enlightenment. The first

April 16, 2019

Stuart Powell

Remembering Excellence

By Stuart Powell Have you noticed the prevalence of sorrow-filled information that surrounds us? The daily news is laden with violence, and much popular entertainment is dark. Many of our words, even in church, are glum . . . almost heartbreaking. Most of our prayers are petitions for the sick and pleas for God to comfort those who have endured loss. Bible studies and sermons highlight the risks we face from cultural evils. This shouldn’t surprise us, for the brokenness of sin warps the human mind. The effects of sin direct our focus to violence and death. Our culture seems

April 10, 2019

Christian Standard

Church Follows John’s Pathway to Easter

By Jim Nieman Greenwood (Ind.) Christian Church has been building up to Easter through a 21-day study of the book of John, including four sermons, daily Bible readings of one chapter of the Gospel each day with companion devotions—both written and video—shared via Facebook, and an emphasis on prayer. GCC’s approach with “Pray 21” has been both simple and surprisingly comprehensive. It’s a series capable of being carried out by much smaller churches, says Matt Giebler, senior minister of Greenwood, which averages about 1,200 for worship each week. “We’ve all been pleased with the overall level of engagement,” Giebler says.

October 6, 2018

Christian Standard

Niche Churches Are Popping Up All Over

Niche churches are starting up across the country to satisfy the needs of worshippers who aren’t happy in a traditional setting. Here are some of the more interesting variants we’ve recently heard about: Mighty Oak Christian Fellowship: This service-oriented church focuses on raking and removing leaves for elderly homeowners every fall and delivering garden compost in the spring. It’s a God-centered “circle-of-life” church. The “Big Three” evangelistic outreaches—Christmas, Easter, and Arbor Day. Second Amendment Church of Christ: Don’t miss the weekly potluck dinner (“bring a critter to share”) and midweek target practice. Supreme Bean Christian Church: There are 23.2 baristas

July 20, 2018

Christian Standard

Whatever It Takes

By L. Mackenzie I gawked at the preacher, raised my eyebrows, and asked, “You want a what onstage for the sermon?” He calmly looked at me, fingers interlaced, and replied, “A scapegoat. Oh, and a Passover lamb before Easter. See what you can find.” What was I to do at T-minus-four weeks? What rancher would be willing to lend us valuable and tame animals for a live broadcast in front of 10,000 people? So many things could go terribly wrong: the goat could dive into the crowd, the lamb might pee on power cords; things could explode. Do we have

July 15, 2018

Christian Standard

Easter Service Promoted as ‘Unlike Any Other’ Was Actually Just Like Any Other

By Caleb Kaltenbach KANSAS CITY, MO—Easter experiences are still being reported to various Christian magazines and outlets and a common theme is emerging: Some pastors pledged an Easter service like no other, but it turns out these were empty promises. Stan Hanson, pastor of the newly planted Crossways Christian Church, told his congregation: “Don’t miss Easter! Arrive early, bring a friend, and get ready for an experience unlike any other.” Crossways member Tom Harlow offered this critique of the service: “Let’s see. They had a creative opener, more lights, good singing, and a sermon on the resurrection. Pastor Stan also

May 1, 2018

Christian Standard

A Divine Springtime

By Rick Chromey Spring is a beautiful time of year. Flowers bloom. Trees bud. Babies are everywhere. Daylight saving time provides an extra hour of sun nightly. Barbecues, backyards, and baseball are back. Springtime is a testimony to God’s redemption. As temperatures warm, the snow and ice melt, the days lengthen, and a new world emerges from winter hibernation. What was dead now has life. What was brown now is green. What was dark now is light. It’s no wonder God used the spring of the year to release his final redemptive act to mankind. The Easter story is perfectly

April 5, 2018

Christian Standard

A Day with Jesus: What He Teaches Us About Discipleship

By Ryan Rasmussen As a pastor of a large church, I often question whether we’re discipling our people effectively. Though large churches have more resources and staff than small churches, they are often no better equipped to help people take steps forward with Jesus. The truth is, churches of every size seem to struggle with knowing whether their discipleship processes are effective. This might be the case because, well, it’s all a bit confusing. Multiple discipleship models are available: house churches, Sunday school, small groups, missional communities, and many others. Discipleship in its many forms has been the subject of

April 4, 2018

Gary L. Johnson

An Every-Day Resurrection Day Church

By Gary L. Johnson Another Easter weekend has come and gone. Packed worship services were exciting. Music and preaching stirred our celebration of Jesus raised from the dead. And we reveled as we witnessed people being baptized into Christ. It’s no wonder Resurrection Sunday is considered the pinnacle weekend of the year for Christians. What if we could experience Easter weekend every weekend? It seems the first-century church in Jerusalem had a Resurrection Sunday experience not only on the Lord’s Day, but every day, as “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Can

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