Another wonderful Easter sunrise on top of Mt. Wachusett!
My Sunrise service message:
Who do you say I am?
John 11:25–26, “Jesus said … ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die'”.
I’ve prepared this card with the three crosses of Calvary on it for you. I’d like for each of you to have one this morning.
Please forgive me if this Easter Sun-rise Service message sounds more like a Good Friday message than a Resurrection morning message. Believe me, I have struggled with this morning’s message for several weeks but every attempt to compose any other message than the one I will be sharing this morning just turned into a train wreck.
This simple little ideogram, so common to the Christian faith represents the fundamental question of Christ to all of mankind.
Lets look at this icon from the perspective of the scriptures.
We find the account in Luke 23:39-44
One of the criminals hanging beside Jesus scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
This morning I want to impress upon you the thought that, the three crosses on the hill of Calvary are the most important icon known to modern man:
• The question presented by this image divided all mankind into one of two camps from that moment forward, into eternity.
I love this image because of the way its simplicity asks the one true question Christ asks of every man.
— It cannot be polluted with our own interpretations. —– It denies religious dogma. ——– It rejects any hint of salvation through self-righteousness.
And more importantly! Everyone that has ever lived or ever will live will have to answer the question it asks. It won’t be denied an answer!
The scripture that supports this is found in Philippians 2: at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
(For some this proclamation will be a shout of rejoicing in a confession of faith, but for others, it will be a hopeless utterance of ultimate condemnation.)
I want to take a moment and look at what the scripture regarding the two men that died that day with Christ is telling us.
Two men hanging on crosses along side of Jesus. Both men exactly in the same situation: Rightfully convicted of their sins, & condemned to die. (In reality,,,, that is exactly where each of us have either have been, or currently are right now. Rightfully convicted of our sins, & condemned to die.)
(We have to ask ourselves,,, If God wanted us to only focus on the Sacrifice of His son on the cross for the sins of the world,,, Why then did He orchestrate this distraction of having these two sinners on the scene at that day?) Surely they’re not there to comfort Jesus! They’re there for us! Two actors on God’s Stage fulfilling one last act in their lives to teach us something of vital importance.
The Scripture tells us that, one man openly rejects Jesus; boldly scoffing and mocking the Son of God.
The other man rightly admits and publicly confesses his condition of guilt and sin. He understands the verse, “For the wages of sin is death.” And he makes no justification for his life. His heart and his spirit recognize that Jesus is the sinless Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.
He says no sinner’s prayer,
He makes no reparations for his sins,
He meets no condition of sanctification,
He satisfies no criteria of salvation save this:
A conviction of his condition of sin.
An acceptance of his being deserving of punishment.
A repentant heart.
A confession of faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
And a humble request of Jesus to save his soul.
The Question that this symbol asks every man, is asked by Jesus of the disciples in Luke 9:
” One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”
Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
Peter replied, “You are the Messiah, sent from God!” ”
“At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away,_It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!”
I want you to encourage you to slow down for just a moment and really think about this next paragraph:
Can you imagine the pain and suffering, the hopelessness and despair of being nailed to a cross? To be hanging on the cross, convicted and condemned for your sins; with the memory of your life before you as you see all the opportunities you had to make different choices than you had, to do something different than you did, to have been someone else than you were…
With death only moments away ……
And for nothing more than the final utterance of a dying man asking for mercy,,,,, Can you imagine the relief, the peace, the overwhelming Joy of total forgiveness and unconditional grace.
To hear the words of this savior, of this God, of Christ Jesus himself, saying, to YOU….
“I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
If you have never experienced this truth of total forgiveness and unconditional grace for yourself; Or if through the riggers of life and time you have forgotten how wonderful it was the moment the burdens of your heart were rolled away; I want to offer you the opportunity to begin your life anew, here and now. I want to offer you a chance to begin living a different life than you’re living now, to make different choices than you are making now, to be someone other than who you are now. To start a new life living in Paradise with Jesus walking with and talking with you, every moment of every day; (As God always intended it to be.)
Who do you say Jesus is?
Forget your sins.
Set aside your pride.
There is nothing we can do to earn even one ounce of God’s grace in the gift of salvation. The work of our salvation was begun and completed that day 2000 years ago on the cross upon which our savior died.
Father:
With a repentant heart we accept that Jesus is your Son, sent to earth to live and die for us. We ask you now to wash us of all our sins and set us free to live our life with you in paradise, starting from this day forward, for all eternity.
I want to offer a challenge to each of us. At some point, by the Holy Spirit’s leading, pass on to someone the card I gave you with this simple image of the three crosses of Calvary.
*** May God Bless ***
John & Simone Chicoine