Dear Cornerstone family,
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 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.
“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
“Neutrality is not an option. Either Jesus rose and rightly demands your attention, repentance, trust, and obedience, or he stayed dead. If he only became a rotting corpse why should you follow him?”––John MacArthur
“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
“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
“It is a simple fact that throughout the history of the church, the single most important witness to the resurrection of Jesus has been the witness of the risen Christ within the heart of the believer!”––Robert Stein
Having prepared our hearts, let’s approach the throne of grace and worship God together.
Your servant,
