Words of Grace – Jan. 22, 2014

The apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Colossians, challenged them to “continue in the faith grounded and settled, and he not moved away from the hope of the gospel” (1:23).

What is the hope of the gospel? The hope of the gospel is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Paul wrote in another epistle, if Christ was not raised from the dead, then we are without hope.

The complete gospel message includes the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. If the resurrection is left out, the gospel is not complete. Paul said, “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).

Hyman Appelman tells the story of a display of the crucifixion in a department store window. A passerby stopped and took a long look at the scene. He then turned away, thoughtful and saddened by the sight.

A little boy, moved by the display, tried to explain it to the stranger. “Them’s the people who cried to crucify him. Them’s the soldiers who nailed him to the cross. Them’s the two thieves on either side of him. See, Mister, he has already died.”

As the man turned to walk away without uttering a word, the little boy raced after him. When he caught up to him, he cried out: But I forgot to tell you, Mister, that he did not stay dead. On the third day he arose from the dead!”