From Fear to Power: The Three Easter Blessings

And this is not even theological. This is almost natural. You know, think about it. If you discover the cure for cancer, would you keep it to yourself or just to your family? If you witness something extraordinary, something truly life changing, such as the alien from space, would you just say, oh, that was interesting, and move on? Resurrection of Jesus is not a private comfort. Resurrection of Jesus is not a private comfort. It is a public good news, and it must be shared. [00:21:16] (37 seconds)  #ShareTheGoodNews

Jesus does not comfort his disciples. He even commissions them. Easter does not end with a comfort. It begins a mission. Disciples who are hiding behind the locked doors, paralyzed by fear, but reasoned Jesus transferred them, and this fearful become the saint. This is the meaning of resurrection. Resurrection means a mission. Hallelujah. Resurrection means a mission. We cannot separate the resurrection from mission and mission from resurrection. [00:20:43] (34 seconds)  #ResurrectionIsMission

The wounds are still there, but they are no longer marks of a defeat. Actually, the wounds of Jesus, they saw is now signs of a victory. Not any victory, but victory of love and forgiveness and peace. The very cross that brought the despair now becomes a source of joy. So Christian joy is not denial of suffering, but it's a discovery that Christ overcame the suffering and sin and evil. [00:16:33] (31 seconds)  #JoyThroughTheCross

Disciples were behind the locked door, but the locked door cannot keep out the reasoned Christ. Jesus met them right in their fear, not after they not not after they got over of their fear, but in the very middle of their fear. So you don't have to fix your fear before Jesus comes. He comes to your fear and dispel your fear. Peace be with you is not just a greeting, let alone the typical Jewish, you know, greeting shalom. It is a gift. [00:13:25] (35 seconds)  #JesusMeetsYourFear

That insight reminds us how deeply human souls long for forgiveness, not only from others, also from God. You know, forgiveness is not just something we give. You have to know that forgiveness is something actually frees us. When we forgive, we are not only releasing others. We are also releasing ourselves from the prison of bitterness and the pain. Yet forgiveness is not something we can produce on our own. It flows from what we first received from God. [00:32:58] (34 seconds)  #ForgivenessFreesUs

My two year older sister and I, we were cat and dogs since childhood. As teenagers, she and I had a fist fight. We are only biologically related, and all changed when Christ came to each one of us. With this forgiveness, we became a real loving family. Real loving family. Blood of Christ made us a true family of love and care. And the good news is such a miracle of love and resurrection is still possible today. Hallelujah. [00:35:14] (41 seconds)  #ReconciledByChrist

So we do not speak on our own, but we speak as a representative of God. Our authority is a delegated authority, not our own authority. Now let us see the reason Christ establishing the ongoing pattern of his people. He gives us peace. He sends us a mission. He fills us with the holy spirit, and he entrusts us with the authority to proclaim forgiveness. That is the power of Easter. Not only we are forgiven, but we are empowered to become messenger of forgiveness in this broken world. [00:29:03] (41 seconds)  #SentToProclaim

It illustrates us, god gives us not what we deserve, but what we could ever earn, his mercy, restoration, and new life. In his resurrection, Jesus embodied this peace and this pardon for us. After their desertion of Jesus on the day of, you know, arrest and crucifixion, disciples probably, you know, expected some kind of rebuke from Jesus. Instead, first thing Jesus said to them, peace be to you. Peace be to you. [00:15:11] (40 seconds)  #PeaceNotRebuke