JR. Forasteros - April 20, 2014
Easter
Many of us feel disappointed with God at some point or another in our lives. We experience pain, life doesn't go our way and it feels like God broke his promise to us. But Easter Sunday is the proof that God always keeps his promises. Though Jesus' death on Friday looked like God didn't come through, his resurrection on Easter proves that God's plan was bigger than we'd dare to dream. Easter is a promise to us too that God isn't finished with us, and that we can trust God to keep his promise of life!
From Series: "Hello My Name Is..."
Who is God? The answers to this most basic human question can be found in the Scriptures. Over and over, God comes to humanity, interacts with us in ways we can understand, and we learn more of who God is. Often in these interactions, the people who met God would give God a name - a way to describe how God had worked in their lives. As we explore these stories, we'll learn that God is the same God for us today. God is our provider, our shepherd, our banner, our peace, our mother and more!
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There are only three places in the Holy Land we’re pretty confident are the real, historical locations they claim to be. One is Jesus’ empty tomb. Another is the Apostle Peter’s house in Capernaum. And the third is the Church of the Nativity, built over the spot marking the first Christmas.
It’s a huge hassle to get there: Bethlehem is in Palestine, so you can’t take a cab from Jerusalem to the Church of the Nativity. You have to go to the Wall Israel built, then go through intense security, then get another cab on the other side that will take you to Nativity square. Then you wait in a huge line, filing one-by-one for sometimes hours through the enormous, ancient church building until you reach a staircase that descends into a cellar.
The staircase and the cellar are packed with pilgrims all waiting for a chance to venerate the very place where Jesus was born. A golden star in the middle of a white tile floor marks that place, and the star has a hole in the middle, where you can get down on your knees, reach through, and touch the floor of the cave where Mary gave birth.
In theory, it sounds pretty amazing.
In practice, it’s pure insanity. The pilgrims are a mass of bodies from all over the world, with any number of hygiene standards. Everyone is cranky from waiting in line, dealing with customs and cabbies and in a hurry to get to other holy sites. The basement itself is a small chamber, and pretty claustrophobic even for those who don’t mind tight spaces.
And when you’re on your knees, reaching into that hole, you get about 15 seconds before people start yelling at you to move on.
Not so special. Pretty stressful, actually.
Maybe it’s no coincidence that the site of the first Christmas so closely mirrors our Christmas celebrations. In theory, Christmas is a beautiful thing. Peace on Earth, Good Will towards all people.
But in practice, now that Thanksgiving is in the dust and kids are counting down days till Christmas break, we’re feeling the chaos of the season. Whether it’s the increasingly ridiculous holiday wars or the shopping trips to the overcrowded malls or endless holiday activities and parties to planning and preparing those family gift exchanges, it’s hard to remember Jesus in all the hustle.
It’s entirely possible to be very busy preparing for Christmas, but fail completely to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ.
And if we’re being honest, we can’t expect the chaos of Christmas culture is going away anytime soon. So what do we do? How can we be sure that in preparing for Christmas, we don’t miss the heart of the season, which is Christ coming to us?
How do we prepare for Christ’s coming today, on Christmas and every day?
