Shift

I just recently finished an Easter series with my students entitled, "Shift." And after 13 years of ministry, I realized this is the first Easter based series I have ever done. Not sure why, but I suppose I figured preaching / teaching about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was the common thing to do at this time of year, and I didn't want to be typical. Even as I typed the previous sentence I thought how stupid my rational was. And now that I have concluded this series, I realize that I have missed so many opportunities over the years to unpack the greatest story ever told.

Over the last month I have watched a "shift" occur in not just my student's lives, but mine as well. From the time Jesus began His public ministry he was challenging humanity to look through a different lens, to "shift" their perspective. And never is this more evident than in the events that occurred in the week leading up to and following His death and resurrection. The Triumphal Entry reminds us to shift our expectations from who we want Him to be to who He actually is. The same crowd that cheered for Him would later cheer for His crucifixion because he didn't do things they way they thought He should. The Last Supper initiated a shift in what deliverance would come to mean not just for the Jewish community, but for ALL humanity. He shifted the cross from a symbol of defeat into one of victory. And finally The Empty Tomb would no longer mean the end, but the beginning. Wow! What an amazing picture of what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ! Like an automobile, in order to arrive at the desired destination, shifts are necessary. The final week of Jesus' earthly ministry created shifts that are still necessary today.

Consider the last 5 years, 5 months, 5 weeks, 5 days of your life. How many times has Jesus not met your expectations? How many times were you so focused on the past that you missed what God was doing in the present? How many times did you think something was coming to an end, only to find out it was really just beginning? Maybe it's time for a shift...


-- Post From My iPad