Is Your Easter Offensive?

Olivia and I met and fell in love attending Beltway Park. Today, Pastor David brought a great message to us about Easter. You should be able to view it here: What's the Big Deal with Easter? It is a reminder of the necessary exclusivity of Christianity. Of course, anyone can become a Christian, but when one is a Christian I do not believe they can faithfully hold to any other faith giving us the access we need to God. Here are some of David's thoughts:

"Jesus does not claim to be A way to be rightly related to God or to be a teacher of the way to be right with God. Jesus says that He Himself is THE way to God. He is the embodiment of God's truth, and He is THE means through which we find the life we long to have."

"From the very beginning, Jesus and His followers held to a radical notion. The only way for a person to be right with God and have the life he desires is through Jesus. Everything is the Christian faith hinges on one thing: an empty tomb." (see 1 Cor. 15:14)

"The entire Easter holiday celebrates one thing: God doing for us what we could not do for ourselves." (see John 3:16)

"Easter is either the most incredible thing ever or the greatest lie ever perpetrated on mankind."

"The affect of what Jesus did at Easter isn't automatic. It requires a choice - literally the greatest choice ever. The affect of the resurrection is for 'whoever believes'" (see Rom. 10:9)

"To believe in the Bible is not just agreement with facts. To believe means I give absolute control of my life to God and seek to daily do His will with my life." (see Matt. 7:21-23)

I totally agree with each of these thoughts. Easter is THE event of all human history. Jesus wasn't worried about being politically correct. His claim to being the only access to God was as offensive then as it is now. In fact, if it weren't the Truth, it would be insane. But, it is true, everything He said.

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

His Resurrection = His Lordship = My Choice (take it or leave it)

"75% of people in America believe Jesus was literally raised from the dead."
"75% of people in America believe Jesus is not the only way to God."

This is a complete contradiction! It does not stand against itself, against what Jesus said about himself, nor against what the Bible says about Him. These percentages tell me one thing: most people in America haven't really considered what it is they say they believe and need to reconsider what they believe is true. We must "Test Ourselves" (2 Cor. 13:5) to see if we are in the faith.

Jesus is the only way to the Father. Jesus is the Lord of Life. Jesus is the very image of God in the flesh, and His Resurrection proves it. He wasn't just 'resuscitated', He conquered death once and for all. Since this is true, we must believe that He meant it when He said no one gets to heaven by any other means.

What will you do with Jesus?

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