Who doesn’t like a good comeback story? Life is full of setbacks no matter who you are. Comeback stories inspire us whether they be in the sports arena, the business industry or a recovery from a personal health crisis. We marvel at those athletes such as Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, and Peyton Manning who snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. We admire the business professional like Steve Jobs who after being forced to resign from Apple returned twelve years later to lead the company with some of the most remarkable innovations including the iPhone and iPad. We also celebrate the person who has beaten cancer, learned to walk again or persevered through life’s adversities.
One of my favorite fictional stories since I was a young child is the story of an up and coming Italian fighter from the streets of Philadelphia named Rocky Balboa played by the actor Sylvester Stallone, who also happened to be the screenwriter. Regardless if you like Rocky Balboa, you can’t help but admire that Stallone successfully navigated the development of the screenplay into a motion picture despite having it rejected over 1500 times. Yes, you heard me correctly, 1500. And if the story couldn’t get any better, Rocky received the Oscar for best motion picture in 1977.
Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. Spring is all about coming back from the dead of winter. The flowers are blooming, the trees are budding and the birds return to their singing. The cold gloomy days of winter lend way to the warm and breezy days of summer. Already, I have seem more people, walking, jogging and riding their bikes then I did all winter. This year the comeback is even more significant after having dealt with the lockdowns and restrictions of Covid-19.
But the greatest comeback the world has ever experienced is the true and historically real life account of Jesus Christ. We read in the beginning of the Bible in Genesis how sin and death entered the world through Adam. Romans 5:12 tells us, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.” Death is a physical reality that all of us must face because of sin. The sin in the garden broke the relationship that humankind enjoyed with God. The Bible in its entirety is a comeback story as God reveals how he will restore everything to its original splendor. John says in Revelation 21:1, “Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth.” One day even the Earth will have a comeback story from all its destruction.
But nothing we have and will experience with God for all of eternity could have happened without the comeback of Jesus. We celebrate His comeback on Resurrection Sunday—Easter. The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” Yes the glorious resurrection proved that Jesus who sacrificed his life to pay the penalty of our sin conquered death and rose victorious. Recall what the angel said as recorded by Matthew 28:5-6, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” Jesus is Alive. Death could not defeat Him, The grave could not hold him. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. Jesus has won and reigns victorious. The comeback is complete and our personal comeback is possible because of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen!
Last year, Easter services were cancelled because of Covid concerns. It was such a huge disappointment to me and so many. I especially remember feeling the emptiness of the Sanctuary on Easter morning. During this past year, we may have experienced many of our own personal setbacks but it is time to make a comeback. This year let us all join Jesus in His comeback story of Resurrection Sunday. I invite you to comeback and celebrate the greatest story every told. I invite you to gather not online but physically in-person (if you are able) in our Sanctuary. I invite you to services held at 9:15 and 11:00 Easter Sunday. Together let us marvel, admire and be inspired by the love of God in His son Jesus Christ who orchestrated the greatest comeback!
Looking forward to the Celebration,
Pastor Kevin
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