Jesus the Firstborn of Creation

If our summer adventure through the story of the scriptures was an 80’s or 90’s sports movie (think Rocky, Hoosiers, or the cinematic masterpiece that is The Mighty Ducks 2)—we have finally reached the tipping point in the plot wherein the musical score changes from discouragement to hope. It’s that part where the protagonists courageously get to their feet with a look of resolve shining in their eyes and, finally, start to visibly win the contest. Gosh I love those scenes! In the last two weeks of our “summer blockbuster,” You Are Here, we have witnessed Messiah Jesus do battle with the seemingly insurmountable opponent that is death and corruption. He courageously and compassionately enters into the human predicament, lives a remarkable life of caring for the afflicted, proclaiming and exemplifying God’s goodness, and dies as a substitutionary sacrifice for all of our benefit. This episode takes us to the empty tomb of Messiah Jesus and invites us to consider the radical hope that bursts forth from that vacant space—not just hope that things might get a little bit better, but the audacious hope that somehow, in Jesus, God is making all things new. Let’s stand up and cheer our way through this glorious scene!