Saturday Morning

Concept: Power Over Death

Today’s question is: What scares you? What is that one thing that strikes fear in your heart, that seizes you up and leaves you shaking afterwards? What is your worst nightmare?

New question: What is the most powerful thing you can think of? 220V house current? Three phase electrical lines? A nuclear bomb? The sun? A quasar? Puny. Miniscule. Easily overcome.

People have always feared death. It is completely unknown. People can’t come back and report on it. It’s a one way ticket and always has been. Billions upon billions of dollars are spent each year pushing death just a few days further away. The entire medical industry counts on that reaction to pedal their newest drugs, newest treatments, and nice hotel-like hospitals. We have tablets and capsules and liquids and injections. Women spend hundreds and thousands and some even millions on makeup and creams and ointments and botox and lifts and tucks and implants just to give the illusion that death is further off than it really is. Men spend time in the gym and exercise like madmen to keep the same illusion. Yet death will come. It always does. We are powerless to change it.

About 2000 years ago, someone came on the scene that was able to supersede natural laws. Just as the law of gravity can be overcome by the laws of aerodynamics, he demonstrated that his new law overcame the old. Boundaries of nature and physics were crossed as easily as magnetism overcomes gravity to lift iron. He never violated laws, but showed that He knew higher laws. He controlled weather. He healed the sick. He multiplied food. He made water into wine. Then, near the end of his life, he did the unthinkable. He showed that he was superior to death. He brought a friend back from the dead (Lazarus – John 11:1-44) and he came back from death himself.

In spite of all the arguments against, the evidence that Jesus was executed by professionals in front of hundreds of witnesses, was buried in a tomb sealed by the Roman government, and rose from the dead and walked among people for forty days afterwards is irrefutable. Although they deny Jesus was the messiah, Jewish historians recorded it. Although they refused he was God, the Roman government recorded it. Though they don’t trust in him, modern theologians can’t explain it.

Jesus came. He showed who he was and that he had power over death. Then he returned to sender. He ascended back into heaven (Acts 1:9-11). Remember this concept: Jesus has power over death.

Let’s review our concepts. Sin requires blood. God offers salvation. Repentance is to turn back to God. We need to proclaim this message. Jesus has power over death. These concepts have the key to Return to Sender. As you travel back, some of you will relax and for you camp will be over. I hope it is not. I hope that each morning you seek the Sender and return to Him.