5/22/2022: Joy Marches Victorious Over Circumstance

VICTORIOUS

To the world he seemed like a defeated man: opposed and killed by his enemies, his followers scattered in fear. Yet three days after Jesus' death he rose victorious from the dead. Nothing would ever be the same. The rest of eternity is now a victory march for the risen Christ. During Easter, we should not think of ourselves as passive observers in Christ's victory. We are more than fans cheering for our favorite athlete! Rather, we are active participants in Christ's tirumph. Just as his death was our death, so also his life is our life. Buried with Christ in baptism, our life is now hidden with him on high. The victory is ours, now and forever. Easter is more than a day. It is an entire joyful season. The six solemn weeks of Lent are eclipsed by seven weeks of unbridled joy. These seven weeks correspond to the period of fifty days on the Jewish calendar between Passover and Pentecost. The Church reserves its highest praise for the Easter season. We do not merely watch from the sidelines as Christ marches in victory over sin, death, Satan, and hell. We join in the festal procession!

JOY MARCHES VICTORIOUS OVER CIRCUMSTANCE Conventional wisdom says that joy is a direct result of circumstance. Our disposition is nothing more than a product of the events, conditions, and relationships of which our life consists. Therefore, it would seem that for our disposition to change, our circumstances need to change. But Jesus offers us a joy that is superior. It is not a product of circumstance; it's a product of Easter. Easter proves that God can take what normally causes people to weep and turn it into what causes people to rejoice. Sin, death, and shame went into Jesus' tomb. Forgiveness, life, and glory came out. Our risen Savior gives us a joy that remains constant in the highest of life's highs and the lowest of life's lows. It is a joy that can never be taken from us.

God bless your worship.

Pastor Adam Mueller will preach on John 16:16-24, "Love One Another"

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