Ascension- Good Bye! by Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

May 12 2024

7^th Sunday of Easter, Year B

(Acts 1:15-17, 20A, 20C-26; 1 John 4:11-16; John 17:11B-19)

Introduction: The Ascension is largely overshadowed by the Incarnation and Resurrection. Christmas and Easter are great celebrations, but Ascension Day goes by without a trace, barely recognized—yet it is no minor event in the life of Jesus and His church. The Ascension means there can be no neutrality about Jesus. We cannot simply pick and choose from His teachings. We can’t treat him like any other religious leader or a political figure. The Ascension is the final proof that we are dealing with more than a man. All the Bible says about who Jesus is makes little sense without the Ascension. Through His ascent we know we are dealing with God.

It’s been said, Our Lord’s ascension is a climactic, glorious event—it is His exaltation to the right hand of the Father. Paul writes, “He who descended is the very One who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe” (Eph 4:10). Jesus humbly came to this earth; He descended to a sin-ruined planet, and went even to the gates of hell for us. Now He is seen returning to glory. It’s important that this event is described in the Bible. Luke tells us it took place “before their very eyes.” He wants us to know that something tangible, something real took place. Just as with the Resurrection, there were eyewitnesses to this historical event. It was a unique and spectacular moment! They saw the cloud take their Master to His heavenly home; this cloud was an OT image of the presence and glory of God, first seen in the wilderness wanderings of the Jews enroute to the Promised Land.

Easter Joy: On the day Jesus ascended to Heaven, 40 days after His Resurrection, His followers stood on the Mount of Olives grief-stricken. Their Easter-joy seemed short-lived. It took two angels to reassure them that this was part of the eternal Plan. Luke’s Gospel says that they “returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (24:52). The Ascension proved to be a blessing as it prepared for the coming of Jesus’ spiritual presence, no longer confined to the limitations of time and of a physical body. St Augustine reflects this benefit to us in a prayer: “You ascended from before our eyes, and we turned back grieving, only to find You in our hearts.” Jesus is present in us, wherever we go. He is our constant Companion. Author Philip Yancy suggests that, “ever since the Ascension, Jesus has sought other bodies in which to begin again the life He lived on earth…the Ascension represents my greatest struggle of faith—not whether it happened but why…by ascending, Jesus took the risk of being forgotten.” Like the disciples, we really don’t want Jesus to go. We feel detached from Him. We’re looking up into the blank sky, wishing Jesus were closer to us. Even though we may not feel His presence, we are assured that He will never leave or forsake us!

Why did Jesus say Good Bye to his apostles?

•So that He could keep His promise of sending the Holy Spirit. Jn. 16:7—It is necessary for you that I go away, for if I don’t the Comforter won’t come!

•So that He might serve as our High Priest. Rev. 1:13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.    These are the garments of the high priest, in Exodus 28.

What has Jesus been doing since He left this earth? Resting?

•Intercession-(Heb. 7:25) We pray to the ascended Lord, “Thy will be done; Thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in Heaven.” Jesus hears our prayers and intercedes for us; He responds to our prayers because we are His people. He is our Mediator, Advocate and great High Priest. No angel could adequately represent us. Calvin writes, “Jesus has entered heaven in our flesh, as if in our name.” So, in a sense, as Paul writes, we are seated with God “in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6).

•Intervention-Our Lord’s ascension assures us that we too will be taken up to Heaven. He’s preparing a place for us. Many people fear or obsess over death, yet for believers, death is no longer an issue. Our eternal home is a settled promise. And Jesus is busy working to bring about His Kingdom rule on earth, in preparation for His return: “Jesus, who has been taken up from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into Heaven” (Acts 1:11). One day He’ll call us to cross over to Glory and join Him in His victory.  In the meantime, we’re waiting, and often experiencing pain and hardship. When we focus on our losses, like the disciples on the day of Ascension, we need to take a step back and look beyond our personal experiences, and seek what God wants us to have—HOPE. Hope invites us to confess and to repent of our sins. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess…” That is not talking about salvation but rather the daily confession, repentance, and forgiveness needed in the life of a believer.

“Easter is incomplete, Pentecost is impeded, and the Second Coming is impossible without the Ascension” (Robert Ramsey).

 

 

ABIDE IN MY LOVE-Live for me. Don’t die for me by Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 WONDERING GURU

6th Sunday of Easter 2024

                                     (Acts 10: 25-26, 34-35, 44-48; 1 John 4: 7-10; John 15: 9-17)

Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

In this life we come across people that betray us, back stab us, hate us, or simply just ignore us. We have seen friends with benefits. We have seen fake friends, opportunists’ friends, indifferent friends.  All claim to love you and to be with you infront of your face but behind your back they show their real colours. Sometimes we trust our friends and so we confide personal things in them, but sometimes these so-called ‘trusted’ friends leak our personal information to others or use the same information against us.

There are many such friends in the church, but there are also unique friends that will stick closer than a brother. A friend that will never turn His back on you or back stab you. There will always be a friend that will not throw your mistakes in your face. He will never leave you when all you want to do is cry and cry with someone on your side or literally lean on his shoulder. He will be there 24x7, willing just “to be there”. Such a friend says, “Well, my bro, whenever you need anything, or anyone to talk to, or just someone to be on the phone and not even say a word, or just someone “to be there”, call me.” That is the type of friendship we should all give and have.

Many times, we are so caught up in our own world, in our so occupied lives, that if we receive a phone call, an unexpected visit, or a message, we tend to just blow it off, not knowing that that person is indeed crying for help from his or her heart, or perhaps experiencing suicidal thoughts.  You are not forced to be a friend, but we are to be examples of Christ. Proverbs 17:17 says: “A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity.” Love at all times and you will be loved. What you sow is what you reap.

What does this mean to us? What does it mean to “lay down your life” as it is written here in today’s gospel? Often times, we look at this verse of “laying down your life” as “ending your life” The Greek does paint a different picture. It most probably refers to: “Commit your life”, “Give your life”, “Ordain your life”, “Purpose your life”.  The only translation that could be interpreted as ending your life, would be “give your life,” and I submit to you that it means precisely what it says: “give your life,” not “give your death”.

In verse 13, where it talks about laying down your life, the keyword is LIFE. Jesus lived for us, and yes, He died for us as well- but the key here is that He lived for us. He lived for His Father, and He lived the life that His Father wanted Him to. He was obedient to His Father’s will. He truly gave His life. The apostles clearly gave their lives, not in death, but in life. They were obedient to the Father, they were obedient to the Son. They gave their lives to Jesus.

If we have given our life to Him, if we have “laid down our life” to Him, then we owe him our life, not just a few hours a week.  Conversion to Christianity is a change in lifestyle. It’s a lifestyle, not just a religion. Paul paints a picture to the converts from paganism, the Gentiles in Galatia the lifestyle change that should be brought about by Christianity: He does not in any of these verses talk about this being a once-a-week thing. He talks about completely “putting off” the old man.  This is a lifestyle change, not a once a week change. We understand that it may be difficult, if being Christian was incredibly easy, everyone would be one. It’s not, though. It’s a lifestyle that requires us to “lay down our life,” or “Commit our life,” or “Purpose our life.” We give our life, as Jesus gave his life. Not in death, but in life.

As we conclude, “laying down your life” is not ending it, it is giving your life, or committing your life, or ordaining your life but rooted in Christ for He is the vine and we are the branches. We give our life to another, we give it to our friend and savior, Jesus, who gave us His. We give our life to the Father, to be obedient to His Will, to follow the example Jesus left us. Following that example requires us to do it completely. Just as Jesus did. He took His commitment with Him to the cross, as did many of His disciples. But this is possible only when we abide in His love. Amen

 

“Your life may be the only Bible some people will ever see”.

ABIDE IN ME-I AM YOUR PERMANENT ADDRESS by Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

28^th April 2024

5^th Sunday of Easter-Year B

(Acts 9: 26-31; 1 John 3: 18-24; John 15: 1-8)

Introduction- Jesus delivers this teaching just after the last supper. As Jesus says these words, He was facing death and the collapse of His core leaders. One disciple was preparing to betray Him. Another was going to deny Him three times to save his own neck. The rest of the disciples were going to flee. Jesus Christ wants his disciples and his future followers to know that He is the True vine. And that without abiding in Him we will fall away. The vitality of our spiritual lives depends entirely on our connection with the vine. The question we must answer is this: Are we connected with Christ enough to produce good spiritual fruit? Jesus used two very important illustrations to discuss this aspect of fruitfulness the seed and the Sower (Mt 13:1-9; 18-23) the vine and the branches Jn 15:1-8.If you see the salvation story fruitfulness was expected from the beginning of creation. Fruitfulness was God’s command to Adam - Gen 1:28- "Be fruitful and increase in number." Fruitfulness was God’s promise to Noah - Gen 8:22- "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." Fruitfulness is God’s desire for each disciple - Jn 15:8- This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. There are three stages of fruitfulness.

I. The Positioning Stage-The Greek word for remain or abide literally means to dwell or to stay. This conveys the implication of being in a fixed state or continuing in the same position. It gives us the idea of permanent address. The house belongs to Jesus and we take all our identity, sustenance, nourishment and rest in His house.  As long as you stay in His house and get all the nourishment you are bound to bear good fruit.  But the moment you cut off from this nourishment you bound to be fruitless. This brings us to the second stage.

II. The Pruning Stage- Sometimes the trees grow big and leafy. They look really great. They produce lots of fruits but small in size and tasteless. When this happens, the gardener knows that it needs heavy pruning. God does the same with our life too. He prunes areas of our life to make us yield quality tasty fruit. Sometimes the branches will have bad spots, misdirected shoots and discoloured leaves. All of these things need to be removed for the branch to become fruitful. In our life too we need little pruning. We all have bad spots in our lives that limit our walk with Christ. We all have aspects of our walk that are misdirected. We all have areas of our walk that are discoloured.  What could be the possible areas for pruning in our lives?  May be our attitudes, our passions, our relationships, our services, our motives etc.  What is the purpose of pruning? Why God wants to prune us?  There is only one purpose in pruning.  God prunes us not to punish, not to harm, not to damage but to make us more fruitful.

III. The Production Stage-Christians are expected to bear fruit. Christ fully expects us to live in such a way as to bear much fruit for the kingdom. So, the progression or the fruitfulness cycle is a.) No fruit b.) Some fruit c.) More fruit d.) Much fruit.  No two branches bear the same amount of fruit. The same is true of Christians. Not all Christians are 100 percent fruit bearers. Fruitfulness is directly related to Christian maturity. You have to give 100 percent to Christ in order to bear 100 percent fruit

Conclusion-God desires for each of his children the very same things that we desire for our own offspring. He seeks maturity both in terms of our relationship with him and our relationships with each other. Part of that maturity is that we learn to find our place in the body of Christ just like we expect our children to find their place in society and earn a living contributing to the needs and make up of society.

 

The Good Shepherd by Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

21^st April 2024; 4th Sunday of Easter-Year-B

Acts 4: 8-12; 1 John 3: 1-2; John 10: 11-18

Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

NATURE OF THE SHEEP

Dumb/Stupid and stubborn; Dirty and Wayward; Frightened and Confused; Defenseless and Dependant. Need guidance and protection.

NATURE OF GOOD SHEPHERDS

1.    The Good Shepherd Knows His Sheep-Intimate knowledge-While all sheep are alike in their fundamental nature, each has its own distinctive characteristics. The loving shepherd recognizes these and deals with all differently, yet with the same love. The 12 Disciples were different, but Jesus dealt with each of them differently.

2.    The Good Shepherd Leads His Sheep-Sheep know the voice of the shepherd and they follow only HIS voice. When the stranger comes, they run! Family Game –blindfolded mothers. Kids calling their names. Even blindfolded they found their children eventually, even with all other children calling for their mommies. Mommies know the cries of their children. We need to remember that the Good Shepherd wants us to know his voice that well. To be able to recognize it clearly amidst the calls of others who would lead us into the wrong places in our life. If we will only learn to stay within the sounds of his voice and listen for his call, he will lead us. He will give us an abundant life – far beyond anything we could arrange on our own. And He will protect us from the attacks of the evil one.

3.    The good shepherd protects the sheep-He is the sacrificial shepherd, one who places Himself between His sheep and any attacks.

4.    Good Shepherds are people of good character.

5.    Good Shepherds love those they lead.

6.    Good Shepherds are never in it for the money like the hired hand.

7.    Good Shepherds don’t run from problems or dangers.

NATURE OF HIRED SHEPHERDS: William Barclay writes: A real shepherd was born to his task. He was sent out with the flock as soon as he was old enough to go; the sheep became his friends and his companions; and it became second nature to think of them before he thought of himself. But the false shepherd came into the job, not as a calling but as a means of making money. He was in it simply and solely for the pay he could get. He might even be a man who had taken to the hills because the town was too hot to hold him. He had no sense of the height and the responsibility to the task. He was only a hireling.  d. Jesus is motivated by love, not selfish gain

Jesus as the Good Shepherd:

What characteristics of the Shepherd can we see in Jesus?

1.    The Good Shepherd knows his sheep and care for them individually. We see that well illustrated in the parable of the Lost Sheep. Story: A shepherd had 100 sheep and found that one of them was missing. What did he do?  He left the other 99 safely grazing and went off to find the one that was lost. And we read that when he found it he came home rejoicing!

2.    Shepherds protect their sheep. David was a Shepherd before he became King. It was as a shepherd that he killed Goliath. He said this to King Saul as he went out to battle with Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:34. 34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."  The Good Shepherd protects his sheep.

3.    The shepherd wants the best for their sheep-Jesus said this in John 10:10: “I am come that you may have life and have it in abundance. (Jn 10:10). The Good Shepherd wants the best for his sheep. God wants our very best He wants us to have a rich and full life. That we can spend eternity with Him.  Easter reminds us that Christ the Good Shephard laid down His life for the sheep.  Jesus loves us so much that he wants us to have a rich and full life. He is not going to give us up to the enemy. But to be safe, we like sheep need to stay close to the shepherd. In Psalm 23 we see he provides for his sheep He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

 

Application: A sheep pen was a place which had high walls to protect the sheep, but no roof or door.  The shepherd often lay across the entrance to act as the door. When Jesus said:” I am the door of the Sheepfold”, this is exactly what he was alluding to.  It was the Shepherd who regulated who came in and who went out. There is safety in the sheep pen, when the Shepherd acted as the door.  The Church should be like the sheep pen – a place of safety – with the Lord as its keeper When Jesus said: I am the Good Shepherd. He was telling us that it is only when we are in the presence of Christ – allowing him to be the door that regulates our lives – that we can be safe. It is said that sheep will only drink by still water and not by running water. It is when we come to a quiet place that God will restore our souls. Jesus often pulled away from the crowd to be with the Father. So, shouldn’t we?

 

 

 

Rejuvenating the ‘Defeated’ Church by the Power of the Resurrection by Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

3^rd Sunday of Easter 14^th April 2024- Year B

(Acts 3: 13-15, 17-19; 1 John 2: 1-5a; Luke 24: 35-48)

 

The disciples had very intense roller-coaster experience of the events since the Palm Sunday leading up to the stories of the Resurrection of Christ.  Their faith had been tried and tested. When all was said and done, most of them ran for their lives in fear.  Planning to save themselves.  One had even denied ever knowing him. Talk about defeated. In today’s gospel we find that they have gone back to the life they lived before they had ever even heard of this man Jesus Christ.

Post resurrection the disciples think he is a ghost. They can’t believe he is real. Why is this surprising? The resurrection of Jesus is already well established amongst his followers yet we find this morning that they are still in disbelief.  In fact, they have already gone back to who and what they were before Jesus had called them. Friends, that’s what the defeated church looks like. Going back to who you were before Jesus called you. If Jesus hadn’t intervened, we would never have had the Gospels. We never would have heard the name of Jesus Christ. If not for Jesus showing up post resurrection there would be no church today no Christianity.  Verse 45 says “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”

Even after the resurrection, it’s pretty clear that they still don’t get it. It is not until this morning that we hear “Jesus opened their minds.” I believe that this awareness came to them only as a gift from Jesus. Their minds never were able to grasp what God was saying to them until he imparted it to them through his Spirit. Why? Because our minds will never be able to grasp what God is saying to us until he imparts it to us through his Spirit. I think the first thing we need to do is to acknowledge that our awareness of God is extraordinarily limited until such time we receive the gift of his Spirit. Understanding God cannot be learned it must be experienced.  As beneficial as Scripture is, it is incomplete without the Holy Spirit. That is why the disciples were at such a loss. They simply could not grasp the message without the gift of the Spirit.

Resurrection of Jesus makes all the difference.  Resurrection of Jesus rejuvenates the defeated disciples.  The resurrection of Jesus rejuvenates the almost dead churches.  Malcolm Muggeridge was a Marxist before he found Christ. During the Cold War he travelled to Russia to write a story about the Communist party and the decline of religion in that atheistic regime. After conducting a series of interviews with officials in the Kremlin, he attended a Russian Orthodox Easter service. The church was packed. At the close of the service the priest said, “Christ is risen”, and the people shouted back, “He is risen indeed!” Muggeridge looked into their faces and instantly realized that they were right and that Stalin was wrong. He said it was the reality of their joy that tipped the scales of his soul toward Christ.

Professor Charlie Moule, the famous NT theologian once said: "the birth and rapid rise of the Christian Church ... remains an unsolved enigma for any historian who refuses to take seriously the only explanation offered by the church itself - the resurrection." The Resurrection is a major pillar of our faith. St Paul puts it like this: “…if Christ has not been raised from the dead, your faith is futile” (I Cor. 15: 17)

 

Reflect: What does a defeated church look like? What does it take for new life to take place in the church?

 

Divine Mercy Sunday-The Doubting Thomas by Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

7th April 2024-2nd Sunday of Easter- year B

Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

Introduction: So here we are... One week ... after Easter. How has this week been for you? How are you this day, exactly one week after Easter? Is the excitement of Easter still in the air or has it begun to fade? Or has it vanished all together? I ask these questions because we find the disciples gathered once again exactly one week after Easter. Let’s see how these disciples of the Christ are doing one week after Easter especially Thomas.  There are four main characters in this episode: john, the "thinker", Thomas, the "checker”, Peter, the "talker", Mary Magdalene, the "seeker". Today we focus on Thomas.

Understanding Thomas:

Jesus prayed all night before He selected His 12 disciples and Thomas made the cut. He’s a man who shows promise. He’s a man who has the ability to believe and act on his belief.  In fact, all the other times Thomas shows up in the Gospels he looks pretty good. When Jesus is determined to go to Jerusalem in the midst of a dangerous situation, “Thomas said to the rest of the disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’” John 11:16. And later, when Jesus told His disciples that “In my Father’s house there are many rooms” and I’m going to prepare a place for you….” John 14:4-6 Thomas piped right up and said: "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"  And Jesus responded: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

So, in Thomas we have the picture of a committed follower of Christ. He loves Jesus. He walks with Jesus. He’s willing to suffer and even die for Jesus. But then he shows up late to the party after Jesus rose from the grave. The other disciples try sharing their excitement with him but he’s having nothing to do with it. You can almost sense the anger in his voice: “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will NOT believe it.” John 20: 25

Understanding the word DOUBT: In Greek the word doubt has three meanings.  There’s the word “diakrino”. It means to “hesitate.” That’s the word Jesus used when He said: “if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not DOUBT (hesitate) in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” Then there’s the Greek word “distazo” which means “doubt.” That’s the word used when Peter walked on the water. And then the word used here in John 20 about Thomas’ doubt is “Apistos”. The Greek word “pistos” mean “faith”, and the “a” at the beginning of the word means “no”.  Thus, apistos literally means “no faith”.

If Thomas was such a loyal follower of Jesus what happened to him? How did he go from follower to famous skeptic?

David Dewitt explains the downward spiral of Thomas.

·       Thomas had deserted Jesus.

·       The desertion led to a delay

·       The delay led to a denial

·       The denial led to a demand

Thomas was given a specific demonstration-Jesus finally appears. 

Thomas gave a dynamic declaration-My Lord and my God

Understanding Jesus’ response to the reaction of Thomas?

Jesus appears in the room with all the disciples and he directly turns to Thomas, Thomas the one in need. Jesus knew that he had been excluded from the special revelation on the night he appeared to the others. Jesus knew what that last week must have been like for Thomas. Just ponder that for a moment the only one of the remaining 11 left out. The only one with nothing but the words of others to ponder that week. Thomas the one left out, spent that entire week wrestling with his doubts. Now, Jesus does not lecture him, Jesus does not chastise him, or discipline him for doubting. Instead, what happened? Jesus gives him peace and in his mercy. And now a marvellous event is about to happen. Throughout the book of John, Jesus is Lord to his disciples, to Mary Magdalene, to all his followers and now and only now, Thomas proclaims clearly, "My Lord and my God." (John 20:28)

Conclusion: Picture yourself for a moment in the room with the other disciples. Where do you sit?  Do you sit with Thomas, as one still seeking? Do you sit with the others still excited from the week before? Or perhaps you sit on your own, neither excited nor doubting. Now picture Jesus as he appears in the room and as he stands before you inviting you to see the nail prints in his hands. To place your hands in his side.  Have you ever felt like you missed something big that everyone else seemed to know? Have you ever felt like you were not spiritual enough because of your past failures? Have you ever felt like you could really believe even more in Jesus if you could just catch a glimpse of Him? If you have ever felt this or anything like this you would be in good company with Thomas.

"Were there no room for doubt, there would be no room for faith, either." Frederick Buechner

 

Can Easter make a difference in our lives? by Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

 

WONDERING GURU

Morning Mass

Acts 10: 34a, 37-43; Ps 118; Col 3: 1-4 (or 1 Cor 5: 6-8); Jn 20: 1-9 (or Mk 16: 1-7)

Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap

Luke 24 tells us the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus after the resurrection of Jesus.  From that event, we can see that Easter announces four qualities that could make a difference in our lives:

1. Peace- Luke 24:36 Jesus knew they were confused and frightened. Naturally any unprecedented even like death and resurrection can leave people confused and frightened. He always understands our feelings, so he said in verse 36, "Peace be unto you." This is the first and immediate application of Easter: Peace. Without sticking on to Jesus there is no peace. Jesus is our peace.

2. Joy- Luke 24:41 The preceding verses tell us that the disciples were confused and thought they were seeing a ghost. They wanted to believe their joy; but their weak faith said, "This can't be happening!" Jesus let them feel him to see that he was flesh and bones, and he ate in their presence.  When Jesus settles our frustrations, peace brings it's companion, joy. Joy is a natural byproduct of peace when we understand the reason for our peace. And, joy is always better than happiness. The world wants happiness and fun. Happiness depends on outside stimuli being right, but joy comes from inner peace. Fun disappears when we're sad, but we can have inner comfort and joy even in tragedy. When we lose our loved ones, we're sad; but we have joy knowing they are with the Lord. Jesus is our true joy.

3. Hope-- Luke 24:44 A third quality Easter brings is hope. If Jesus fulfilled all prophecies concerning his first coming, he'll surely fulfill the promise of verse 49. That promise is the Holy Spirit. Sure enough, Jesus has returned in spirit now. When Jesus was here in person he was limited by his physical body to one place at a time. Now he can be with all his children all the time and everywhere. That gives us hope.  Jesus is our hope.

4. Mission--Luke 24: 47-48 Easter also brings a duty. Mission is a Bible word that the secular world has adopted lately. The church always needs a mission statement to remind us of who we are, why we're here, and where we're going. We are God's ambassadors here on earth continuing his work of evangelizing, and ministering to our world. Preaching the good news is our duty.

“The Christ event began with life from an empty womb and ended with life from an empty tomb”. William Hull