Spring 2024

St. Paul writes, “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Big word: Indeed! Paul is stressing that we must not think of Jesus’ resurrection like a happy ending to another epic fable. The resurrection is not legend. It really happened. Easter is not just a holiday. Easter is history. On time’s infinite line, Jesus’ resurrection is the punctiliar moment that defines reality for us all. If Christ remained dead, he is a fraud and failure. But Christ has indeed been raised. So, the reality: Jesus is exactly what he claimed to be—the Son of God, our Lord and Savior. If Christ remained dead, then the grave is the final, ugly, rotten end of us all. But Christ has indeed been raised. So, the reality is Jesus’ resurrection proves that “all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). The reality of the resurrection does not just change our future, but the way we look at life now.

The greatest theologian of the early church, Augustine, called the season of Easter “a joyful week of weeks”—seven wonderful weeks, each seven glorious days long. In this glorious season, let us meditate upon the breath-taking implications of the resurrection reality. We will focus on these different implications of our resurrection reality with a series of messages from 1 John.

      April 7:     Real Proof                   (1 John 1:1-4)

      April 14:    Real Forgiveness         (1 John 1:5-2:2)

      April 21:   Real Protection           (1 John 4:1-6)

      April 28:   Real Faith                   (1 John 3:18-24)

      May 5:      Real Love                    (1 John 4:7-11, 19-21)

      May 12:    Real Victory                (1 John 5:1-5)

      May 19:    Real Spirit                  (1 John 5:6-12)