Some would say that we have just finished celebrating the greatest single event of all human history, the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Would you be among those who say this?
Certainly there is a lot of competition for the title “greatest single event.” Among the competitors would be events marking the discovery of important tools, things like the wheel, the lever, fire, the printing press, the computer, or the internet. They have certainly changed our lives. Some might say the establishment and practice of democracy in government. Other competitors may come from the field of medicine, including the discoveries that germs cause illness, the X-ray, or DNA molecules. The list could continue, and, in fact, if you asked 100 people to come up with their top ten most important events of all time, you would probably come up with 100 different lists.
And that’s the point. That’s why I asked if the resurrection of Jesus would top your list. Because what event is greatest or most important will vary from person to person depending on the effect that event has on their lives.
How has the life, work, death, and resurrection of Jesus affected you? Is it the railway upon which the train that is your life runs? Does it form the words you speak or the plans you make? Would it change your life to find out that Jesus was just another good teacher who didn’t have any special connection to God? Does Jesus, and the Way of hope and compassion that he opened to us, enter or shape your thinking more often, or more deeply, than anything else? Is Jesus the single most important event in your life?
I believe this is a good question for you and for the church. As we enter the seven-week season of Easter, I invite you to think about this question and answer it for yourself. Bring it with you to worship, talk about it with your family and friends, pray about it with God.
How does Jesus rate with us? Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
From Pastor Lamb
St. James Lutheran Church, Rudyard Michigan 