Dear Cornerstone Family,
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
We are delighted to have you with us on this glorious Easter morn! Our prayer is that through today’s worship service, you will encounter by faith the risen Savior and come to know in a real and fresh way the power of his resurrection (Philippians 3:10). To that end, take a few minutes now to thumb through the worship bulletin, orienting yourself to the service. Then, come back here to meditate on the quotes below, reflecting on the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“The Christian story is precisely the story of one grand miracle, the Christian assertion being that what is beyond all space and time, what is uncreated, eternal, came into nature, in human nature, descended into His own universe and rose again, bringing nature up with Him. It is precisely one great miracle. If you take that away, there is nothing specifically Christian left.”—C.S. Lewis
“The resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the foundation stones of Christianity. It was the seal of the great work that he came on earth to do. It was the crowning proof that the ransom he paid for sinners was accepted, the atonement for sin accomplished, the head of him who had the power of death bruised, and the victory won.”—J.C. Ryle
“On the third day the friends of Christ coming at daybreak to the place found the grave empty and the stone rolled away. In varying ways they realized the new wonder; but even they hardly realized that the world had died in the night. What they were looking at was the first day of a new creation, with a new heaven and a new earth; and in a semblance of the gardener God walked again in the garden, in the cool not of the evening but of the dawn.”—G.K. Chesterton
“The resurrection means not merely that Christians have a hope for the future but that they have hope that comes from the future. The Bible’s startling message is that when Jesus rose, he brought the future kingdom of God into the present. It is not yet here fully, but it is here substantially, and Christians live an impoverished life if they do not realize what is available to them.”—Timothy Keller
“Jesus can still meet people today in all situations. Although he no longer meets us face-to-face, the reality of his presence remains through the Spirit and the Bible (see John 14-16). Jesus can meet us in every situation we face, just like he met his disciples. Throughout the rest of church history he has continued to meet with his people, sometimes by surprise, but always to keep his promises: ‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them’ and ‘Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”—Adrian Warnock
Now, having prepared our hearts, let’s approach the throne of grace and worship God together!
Your servant,
