The Son has risen

Resurrection Sunday morning was two weeks ago. One of two Christian holidays that Christians celebrate the most. The 4th of July is good as we celebrate our independence as a nation. Veterans Day is awesome as we celebrate those who sacrificed so much for this country of ours; Memorial Day is great as we remember those who gave their lives to secure our freedoms. President’s Day is an honorable day as we celebrate all 46 of our past and present United States presidents. Thanksgiving Day is a day for people of all nations but especially our nation founded on godly principles established by the pilgrims who came over on the Mayflower, who give thanks to God for their safe journey and we as a people give thanks for all the blessings that he has bestowed on us throughout the year. And the Christian believer participates in all of these. But for us, because of their meaning and spiritual significance, Christmas, and Resurrection Sunday carries special meanings because they celebrate the birth of our savior and the Resurrection of our savior bodily from the grave. And he did rise from the grave! If he had not come into the world through the Virgin Mary, the world would have remained in darkness; but if he had not risen from the grave then his coming into the world would have been in vain, and we would remain in our sins and death for all of us would be the end (1 Cor. 15:12-18). So today I want to talk about the sons. The S O N and the S U N. Now when it comes to the S U N nobody questions whether the sun will rise; nobody wakes up in the morning and question or wonder whether the sun will show up. We don’t lose no sleep thinking that when we wake up the next day, that there will be no sun. Think about it; when was the last time we had a sleepless night worrying about whether the sun would rise in the morning? it may be raining; there may be an overcast and the sun cannot pierce through; but we do not doubt the fact that the sun is not shining. Community, God placed the sun in the sky when he said, “Let there be light and there was light (Gen. 1:3).” The sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is nearly a perfect ball of hot plasma. Located 92.96 million miles away from earth. It is 4.603 billion years old. But as old as it is the sun never gets sick; never takes a day off; never go on vacation and he never shuts down; it is not like the light bulb that blow out and needs to be changed; what would the world be like if the S U N did not rise? The earth would freeze to death. Life and vegetation would cease to exist. But the God of the universe who shines into darkness causes the SUN to shine, that’s not evolution, that’s the omnipotence and the power of the almighty God; the same God that causes the thunder to roar, and the lightning to zig zag across the sky; Last Sunday was Resurrection Sunday morning. It was a celebration at the graveyard; But we did not celebrate the S U N; because it was not the S U N that saved us from a miserable life of sin; Those who have been in the Intensive Care Unit know that it was not the S U N that brought you back out of it, and you can talk about it; the S U N can do wonders for the earth community, but there are some things that the S U N cannot do. The S U N cannot turn clear water into red wine (John 2:7-9); it cannot cause a blind man to see don’t care how bright it shines; and it cannot tear down strongholds; the S U N can fry fish, but it cannot supply fish to feed over 5000 men. And it sure enough cannot raise the dead! We celebrated last Sunday the greatest bombshell that ever-hit human history. Good Friday had gone; the crowd has dispersed; everybody had gone to their separate homes; the religious leaders having had their thirst for death quenched had now left Golgotha’s Hill. John the disciple, having now secured Mary the mother of Jesus, had now taken her unto his own. The women who had wept there, had now walked away in grief. Those who had gambled at the foot of the cross, had now laid down their bets and headed back to Jerusalem. The centurion, that said “Truly this was the Son of God” had gone back to his post. It was a sad time for his disciples. The S U N had set; and the S O N had set. But Friday was gone; and Sunday was coming! For early Sunday morning, before the rooster got up and crowed cock a doodle doo! before that “crucify him” crowd got up; early Sunday morning, while the devil was still having his party; I believe the Father looked at the grave and said “SON” rise! And this man called Jesus got up…the S O N rose! and “Because he lives, we can face tomorrow” … friends, we have life instead of death; we have heaven instead of hell, because “the S O N has risen! And he’s alive! Tell the buddhas, tell the Hindu’s; tell the scientologists; tell the psychics, he’s alive and he lives! Hallelujah!