Why would we want to be talking about a topic like marriage on Easter Sunday? Shouldn’t we just focus on the resurrection of Jesus? Well, I say that is a great question… So let me answer that with another question: Did you ever wonder why so many people just show up to church on Christmas and Easter, and zero other times during the year? Why is that?
Here is what I think. We are great at talking about the birth and the resurrection of Jesus in terms of our “eternal salvation.” Jesus was raised on the third day for your eternal soul. Thank God! I am so glad that is the case! Unfortunately, most people don’t think about their eternal soul much. It’s sort of like your life insurance. You want to get it taken care of, then just make your regular payments and hope it all works out in the end… Right? So why would the average person be in church and around other believers more than once or twice a year? That seems to be the acceptable minimum to keep up your life insurance! Set it and forget it.
The great news is that the resurrection is not only for your eternal salvation… But also for us to experience “abundant life” (John 10:10) while here! He died and was raised to redeem everything about us! In fact, marriage itself is a beautiful picture of what God is doing in us! (Ephesians 5:31-32) So, God is deeply interested in my marriage. He’s interested in your’s, too. His desire is to transform it and all the other broken pieces of our lives into something complete and beautiful. (Romans 12:2)
Maybe if we talk about the resurrection in terms of our EVERYDAY LIVES, in addition to our eternal lives, (like Jesus did) then just maybe we will win the right to have more influence on those around us for the sake of the Kingdom! How can we not talk about all of the results of the resurrection in our lives?
I really hope you will invest yourself into praying and inviting people around you to this series. I think it will be relationship-changing.