April 12, 2009: All Things New – Michael Hidalgo

Easter is a big deal in most places. But why? Why is it important that Jesus rose from the dead? There are a lot of spiritual leaders who are dead that people still follow. This sounds cynical – and it is – but for many we celebrate the empty tomb and are happy that death has been defeated. But what sucks about this is that funeral homes are still a booming business. People are still dying – so if Jesus defeated death why are good people still dying? We talk about the promise of living after death which is an odd thing – one must die to get a promise?

The viewpoint of the Gospel writers seems a lot more hopeful. Their focus is about what is new. They reveal – as does Paul – the new creation, the new world, the new reality, the new gospel that Jesus brings. That his resurrection is a joy because all that was is no longer for those in his Kingdom. We can face down sin and death and all their friends with the hope of an empty tomb – not because we will one day escape it all – but because we have been empowered to bring it here now.