Resurrection Day 2010: a King's story

This is the text version of a "card" of sorts, my creation for Resurrection Day this year. Check it out in full color PDF form with graphics from creativemyk.com through the title link below (and if you want a printed copy, just ask):

"A King's Story"

“In the beginning...”

Seems like a fine place to begin a story.

So what happened?

Well, for a start, “God created.”

He created everything you see around you.

The heavens, Earth, plants, animals. And people.

And He called it “good.”

And it was. The people had everything.

Satisfying work, tame animals, abundant food, perfect relationships, direct access to God.

    “It was very good.”

But they wanted more.

One day, “very good” suddenly wasn’t good enough. The people did the one thing God said not to. And when they understood they did something wrong, something against Him, they ran. They hid from God.

And God sought them out.

Their actions had direct and dire consequences. They hurt each other, and they hurt God. They were cursed. Death was new. Yet He sought them to cover them, to give them some protection from what was to come.

    And, to make a Promise.

        Someone was going to restore all this.

Generations passed. Languages developed. Nations formed. And people still wanted their way instead of God’s.

Eventually God chose one nation in particular to show Himself to the rest of the world. He gave them specific things to do so all the nations could see Him through them. And time and time again, wanting their way like everyone else, these people failed.

But God kept restating it.

The Promise was made.

“For to us a child is born...

and the government shall be upon his shoulder...”            

-Isaiah 9:6

And through these people

a King was born.

“For unto you is born this day

... a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” -Luke 2:11

His Name Is Jesus.

He was there in the beginning, the Creator through whom all things exist (John 1:1-5). He came to His creation as an infant and grew to be a Man. He was tempted in all ways as we are, but always lived God’s way (Hebrews 4:15). He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, the only way to God (John 14:6). He was the Promised One who was in all things innocent, in all of life perfect, and in all ways God.

And they tortured Him & nailed Him to a cross.

“And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour... And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God!’” -Mark 15:33, 37-39

Those were the darkest hours the Earth has ever seen.

Jesus died.

But this King’s story doesn’t end...

For three days, His tomb stood silent.
   And then, the impossible happened.

As some women were going to visit the tomb, an angel surprised them, saying, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” -Matthew 28:5-6

“As (His disciples) were talking ... Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you!’ But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet (the nail scars).” -Luke 24:36-40

Jesus is alive!

The Creator took the punishment for His creatures’ rebellion against Him. He had conquered death and the grave. To the people God called His own, He made a way for their relationship to be right again. He did everything they could not. He truly was the Way. He is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25). 

The Promise is fulfilled.

And as God reveals Himself through His people today

    the Creator prepares to create again

        a new Kingdom in a renewed Earth.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’” -Revelation 21:1-5

The King tells His story...

    As a couple of men went walking, “Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” He asked what they were discussing and they said, “‘Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.’
    “And he said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” -Luke 24:15-27

   

    And to His disciples, Jesus said, “‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.’” -Luke 24:44-47

What’s Your Part in the Story?

Everyone who’s ever lived has had a part in the King’s story. All of the Bible and all of history are God’s story, and all creation is waiting for the restoration to come.

Jesus came to restore His people and bring them back to Him. God calls each of us to turn from our own way and to Him, trusting Jesus as the Restorer who died to take the punishment of all who believe in Him, bringing them eternal life in a renewed Earth and Heavens with Him forever.

If you know Jesus as Lord, praise Him for what He has done, is doing, and will do for eternity in making our relationships, our work and our world right again.

If you don’t know Him, ask Jesus to show Himself to you for who He really is. Trust Him. Believe in Him as Lord, Savior and God. And then look forward to His future.

The Story of
Jesus Christ
Creator,
Redeemer,
Restorer,
Promised
King of Kings.

Resurrection
Day Blessings

(All Scripture quoted from the English Standard Version.)