MIGHT YOU BE ENCOURAGED BY EASTER?

I like big calendaristic days!  Memorial Day!  Fourth of July!  Thanksgiving!  And Christmas (!) to name a few.  And--oh yeah--OPENING DAY for the St. Louis Cardinals!!!

There's one day, especially, that seems to resonate more than any other with the heart of all men and women for basic reality.  That one, I believe, is Easter.  On this day, it seems, the masses really do offer serious pause and intentional recognition to the one who gave his life and beat the grave...Jesus.

We.  Believe.  He.  Did.  It.

With such credit to the one Son of God/Son of man, a significant factor may present itself to the inner conscience of many.  Therefore, I wish to supply a boost to those who might fit this scenario.  I believe it to be on the hearts of so many who are very dear people; but not certain what to do.  I speak of surrendering your life by being baptized into Jesus...our Savior.

Being baptized by being lowered into a grave of water is the pre-requisite of being raised from the tomb; your grave.  It is the very fore-glimpse of your next big day...that final breakthrough into non-interrupted and eternal reality in the Heavenly housing development.

Consider Jesus' call of Mt. 28:18-20.  Reflect on Paul's charge in Romans 6:1-11.  These are helpful texts as to the significance of our being buried in baptism.  And then Peter's supportive words correlate with his earlier admonition of Act 2:38-41 when he later wrote, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  

Baptism isn't a big bath as unbelievers tend to mock.  Rather is the cleansing--the washing away--of our sins forevermore.

Buried.  Raised.  So that, when at the cemetery we are buried, such will not be that final say.  The dupilicational resurrection will soon follow.  We want to be found at our final earth-breath to have been pre-buried, pre-cemeteried, that the arising from the grave of water may be matched by the arising from the grave of dirt.  What.  A.  Hope.

Might you be encouraged by Easter to give appreciative thought to not only just what happened to Jesus; but also his anticipation that you will copy his move?  Might any resistance you may have offered in the past take a back seat?  Could it be that this Sunday would be the ideal day for you to be buried ahead of time so that the next grave will not be able to contain you for long?

It's.  Your.  Call.  God paved the way via His own Son.  He went first.  We have the opportunity to follow.  Many of us have already been baptized.  Many more are to follow.  Might you be one of them?