While I’ve held this opinion pretty much forever, as someone who is constantly looking at how, and what, the church is communicating I’m even more aware of it.

I’ve been further cemented in this opinion as I’ve celebrated Easter this year.

It started with a tweet from my friend @mattknisely

Our old history ends with the cross; our new history begins with the resurrection.

I am deeply grateful and amazed that Christ gave his life for me, in awe that he would suffer so that I could live, it is a gift I will never forget. The gift was Christ shedding his blood for me, the cross was just the method. The cross as a symbol indeed represents our history, our old position as unredeemed.

But we are redeemed. Christ is our hope and promise of joy.

As my pastor, Joel Stocker, pointed out in service yesterday:

Satan doesn’t care if you believe that Jesus died on the cross, he wants to keep you from understanding that Jesus is alive.

Think about that. The price was at the cross, the power and promise is in the resurrection. (side note: I could be a preacher…those were all p’s) Anyone could have died on the cross, in fact many did die on crosses. The hope comes in the fact that death couldn’t hold the king.

Rob Bell says it well in a new video that reminds us that death didn’t have the last word. That even in the dark world in which we live, there is light and that light shows us hope. God has not given up on us. We matter to the King.

That is what we should be celebrating and pointing to.

Now that we’ve spent the day celebrating the resurrection, let’s hold on to that spirit of joy and promise all year. May we never forget what Christ did for us, but oh may we never let that be all about a cross and death. That was just the beginning. Let’s spend our efforts pointing people to the hope and promise that Christ gave to us within the power of resurrection.

Editors note: Yep, changed the title and the picture used. I don’t in any way want to come across as degrading of Christ’s death, the price that was paid…but I do hope spend just as much time rejoicing in the joy and promise of the resurrection

Would You Save Jesus From Murder, A Baffling Dilemma.