Relentless Redemption

The resurrection of  Jesus shows the relentless redemption of God's plan.  If you have been worshipping with us these past Sundays at Northside, you know that we have been looking at the power of Jesus' resurrection from 1 Corinthians 15.  Paul says there that without the resurrection of Jesus, which points to our bodily resurrection, there is no point to Christianity.  Everything stands or falls on the resurrection.

But because there is a resurrection of all believers in Christ, we have an understanding of the lengths the power of Jesus's resurrection will go to change us - the measure of this relentless redemptive plan of God.  Every place where sin has stained, scarred, wounded or warped - in every level or sphere of life where sin has brought death - the power of the resurrection of Jesus works to bring a resurrected life.  Someday we who belong to him will see it all worked out even to the very molecules of our physical body as we are raised with an eternal body that will live forever.

Not only do we see the relentless redemption, we see this overwhelming victory of the resurrection and how far it goes.  Historian Philip Schaff wrote: 

This Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mohammed and Napoleon; without science and learning, he shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of schools, he spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a sing line he set more pens in motion and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times.

The power of his resurrection and the victory it brings is not yet fully seen.  It is still working in you and in me.  Someday we will see it whole, complete and finished.  For now though, we can know it is at work even if we cannot see it.  This post will go out on Saturday, the nameless, sad, silent Saturday between Good Friday and Easter.  But on that Saturday, and on this one, God was and is still at work and his relentless redemption keeps pressing on.  Let us let it and let us rejoice in it.

for the journey...

Tim