Easter is upon us!. Rejoice in the triumph of Christ! On this edition of Divine Intimacy Radio, Dan and Melissa discuss the Glory of the Resurrection and the dramatic changes that it brought about in the lives of His disciples.
Show Notes: Rejoice! It's holy to be joyous. There is no spiritual depth without joy. When the Apostles were be persecuted for the sake of Christ they rejoiced. Easter is a foreshadowing of heaven. Life is one long purgation. The greater the suffering here on earth, the more glorious heaven will be. Lent is a season of purgation. The harder we dig in and work at lent, the more meaningful Easter will be. In times of suffering where do we find joy? The only true joy we'll ever find in this life is through Christ. Redemption has been accomplished - all we need to do is cling to Him. The world says happiness is in the pursuit of the desires of the flesh. The opposite is true. Christ teaches that true joy comes when we give ourselves up for others and for God. There are two things we need to access God. One is humility, which comes either by choice or external circumstances. Humility is required, but not sufficient. We also need the grace of God to roll back the stone to help us see that he is risen. He is risen for our salvation and risen within us that we may have a relationship with Him. Simon Greenleaf, a well know lawyer and expert on testimony and evidence, wrote a book The Testimony of the Four Witnesses. In it he used the standards of legal evidence to show the Gospels were true beyond a reasonable doubt. The reality of the Resurrection is that lives were changed. The New Testament reveals the weaknesses of the Apostles. Pre-Resurrection there were many instances of cowardice, denial, and desertion - Peter was even called Satan. Post-Resurrection Peter becomes a hero, asking to be crucified upside-down because he was not worthy. The Apostles, after the Resurrection and the Pentecost, had a chance to run and escape death. Instead they subjected themselves to prison, beatings, and stonings. In the face of death they fearlessly proclaimed Christ. They gave everything, including their lives, in affirmation of their faith. Would anybody die for a lie? Imagine we all have a spiritual dashboard, similar to a car, with gages - joy, evangelism, holiness, etc. If the gages are not registering high numbers, something is wrong. Barring spiritual issues, like purgation or dark night, you should have joy, peace, a sense that God is with you. Work on it! Celebrate Easter. Have a feast. Partake in the sacraments. Indulge in the good things you gave up for lent, and leave the bad ones behind. Above all, Rejoice! Resources: The Testimony of the Evangelists - Simon Greenleaf