The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

This is so true! The beginning of wisdom and knowledge is to know the LORD God (Jehovah God of the Bible) and to honor and revere Him as our God and Maker. Indeed, apart from the fear of the LORD, all the knowledge of this world will be of little value and benefit.

Proverbs 9:10 says: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

How can one begin to understand life or the world in which we live without knowing and revering the God of the Bible who created and redeemed us? How can one know how and why he even has life, and how she should live life, without this knowledge of God?

And, “fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Few take the time to consider the wisdom and knowledge revealed by God Himself in the Bible. Most assume they know enough and neglect the true source of wisdom and understanding. Thus, they live their lives in foolish pursuits and end their lives in emptiness and hopelessness.

The wise will seek the knowledge and wisdom which God gives in His Word. “The LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).

And it is through His Word, the Bible, that He makes us “wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” 2 Timothy 3:15. He reveals to us our sinfulness but also the redemption accomplished for us by the holy life and innocent sufferings and death of God the Son in our stead.

God, grant us the wisdom to know You and honor You as our Creator and our Redeemer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

[Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible]

“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” John 20:21-23

On the evening of that first Easter Day, Jesus appeared to His disciples where they were gathered together behind closed doors for fear of the Jews and showed them His hands and His side to prove to them that He truly was Jesus and that He really had risen from the dead (John 20:19-20).

Two times Jesus said to them: “Peace be unto you.” Since Christ had died upon the cross for their sins and was risen again in victory, they had peace with God – the peace of having all sins pardoned and forgiven through faith in the shed blood of Jesus (cf. Eph. 2:11ff.; 1 John 2:1-2).

The Bible says: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:1-2).

Not only did Jesus bless them with the peace of sins forgiven, He breathed on them, gave them His Holy Spirit and commissioned them to forgive the sins of penitent sinners and to retain (not forgive) the sins of impenitent sinners as long as they do not repent (John 20:21-23). We often speak of this as the Office of the Keys because it opens the gates of heaven to those who are sorry for their sins and look to Christ and His redemptive work and closes the gates of heaven to those who are not sorry for their sins or do not trust in Christ for forgiveness. Indeed, it takes the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit to rightly use and apply these keys to others, but this is what Christ our Savior would have us do!

Some would object and say, “How can we, as believers in Christ, forgive and retain sins? Only God can do that!” This power is given us precisely because of Christ’s death upon the cross for the sins of all mankind and His glorious resurrection on the third day. Since Christ has paid for all sin and is risen in victory, we can announce and proclaim God’s pardon and peace to penitent sinners. And since Christ is the only way of salvation, we must also warn those who continue in sin and unbelief of the coming judgment of God upon all who do not repent.

As Jesus says, “He that believeth on Him [the Son] is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

Dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we thank and praise You for Your death on the cross for our sins and for Your glorious resurrection and ascension. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may always trust in You and find peace in the pardon You have won for us, and help us to rightly apply Your Word to others that they too might receive the comfort and peace of knowing their sins are forgiven and that they too might have life everlasting through faith in Your name. Amen.

[Scripture Quotations from the King James Version of the Bible]

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” 1 Corinthians 15:20 (Read v. 1-20)

The apostle Paul wrote (v. 14-19): “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

Did you get that? If Jesus did not rise bodily from the grave on the third day, the following is true:
1. Our preaching and faith is vain and useless.
2. We are false witnesses of God for preaching that Christ was raised from the dead if He was not.
3. Your faith is worthless and you are still dead in your sins.
4. Those who have died trusting in Christ are perished forever – they will not be raised up, nor will we.
5. If our hope and faith is only for this life, we are of all men most miserable.

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”

As we have heard, Christ Jesus died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, He was buried, He rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

And Jesus was seen alive by Cephas (Peter), the twelve, more than 500 brethren at once (many still alive when Paul wrote), James, the apostle Paul (v. 5-8). And we can add to that the two on the road to Emmaus, Mary Magdalene and the other women (Mark 16; John 20-21; Matthew 28; Luke 24; Acts 1; Acts 9).

As the angels said, Jesus is alive. He has risen as He said. But what does this mean for you and for me?

Because He lives:
1. Our preaching and faith is true and should be heeded (Mark 16:15-16).
2. We tell the truth when we claim that Jesus rose from the dead and will return to judge the world (Acts 10:39-43).
3. Atonement has been made for all our sins and we have full pardon and forgiveness through faith in Christ Jesus (v.3-4; Romans 3:23-26; 4:25; Colossians 1:19-23; Ephesians 1:6-7; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; 1 John 1:7 – 2:2).
4. Those who died trusting in Jesus are safe in His arms and He will bring them with Him when He returns on the last day (Luke 16:19-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Psalm 16:8-11; Revelation 7:9-17).
5. We have the certain hope of life everlasting (cf. John 3:16; 5:24; 11:25-26; 14:1-6; Philippians 1:21-23; 2 Corinthians 5:1-8 ; 1 Corinthians 15:20, 35-58; 1 Peter 1:3-9).

O dearest Jesus, we thank You for bearing upon the cross the full punishment for our sins and for rising again in victory that we, too, might have forgiveness of sins and life everlasting through faith in Your name. Amen.

[Scripture quotations from the King James Version of the Bible]

“Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! That they were engraved on a rock with an iron pen and lead, forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:23-27

Have you ever thought about what words you would like to have inscribed on your tombstone? It may sound kind of morbid to speak about epitaphs on Easter Sunday but, in light of Jesus’ resurrection on the third day, it’s not morbid but a message of hope.

Whether or not it will happen, I don’t know, but I’ve always thought it would be nice to have the words of Job 19:25-27 etched into my headstone: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.”

Why, because death is not the end! You and I have hope! Because of the events of that first resurrection Sunday, we can be assured that we too will be raised up.

It is as St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming” (1 Cor. 15:23). Or consider Peter’s words: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet. 1:3-5).

Because Jesus did not stay in the tomb, because He rose from the dead on the third day, after suffering and dying on the cross to pay the just punishment for the sins of the world, because the tomb was empty when the women arrived to anoint the body of Jesus, because He appeared to the women, to Peter, to two on the road to Emmaus, to the eleven in the upper room and even to more than 500 people at one time – most of whom were still alive at the time of Paul’s writing (cf. 1 Cor. 15; Mark 16) – we have hope and the certainty of our resurrection on the Last Day.

Jesus said, “Because I live, you will live also” (John 14:19). Those words would mean little if Jesus did not rise from the dead. If Jesus did not rise bodily from the grave on the third day, we would still be dead in our sins and without hope (cf. 1 Cor. 15:17ff.). “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20). Jesus was “delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification” (Rom. 4:25). He paid in full for our sins and was raised up, showing that we are indeed justified and forgiven through faith in Him and that we too will be raised up on the Last Day when Christ Jesus returns!

Therefore, we can say with Job: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.” Though we die and decay in the grave, our risen Savior will raise up our bodies and we will see Him who died for our sins and rose again to give us life everlasting! Cf. 1 Thess. 4:13ff.; Psalm 16:11.

“I know that my Redeemer lives; what comfort this sweet sentence gives….”

O my risen Savior, grant that I live and die in the confidence which Your resurrection gives, and raise me up on the Last Day to the eternal joys of Your kingdom. Amen.

[Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

“Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.” Luke 17:1-2

It is indeed a serious thing to offend – that is, to cause to sin and fall from faith in Christ Jesus – one who believes in Jesus, and especially so when it is a little child. Jesus says it would be better for him to have a millstone hanged about his neck and be cast into the sea than that a person should offend a little one who trusts in Him (cf. Matthew 18:6).

What shall we say to these words? Jesus holds up little children and their faith as a model for us all. He said, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3). Little children who, when they hear the Word of God, believe and trust that Jesus forgives them, loves them, accepts them, are a model for the rest of us who are so often troubled by doubts and fears.

When the people brought infants to Jesus to touch and bless them, Jesus’ disciples would have turned the people away, but Jesus said, “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein” (Luke 18:15ff.).

But woe to those who would keep little children and babes from the Lord Jesus! Woe to those who would deny to them the “washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5)! Woe to those who do not teach their children the Word of God! Woe to those who by their own poor example and sinfulness turn their children away from the Lord Jesus who loves little children and shed His blood on the cross to redeem them! Woe to those who by rejecting Biblical truth and teaching the lie of evolution turn their children or other children from their one and only Savior! Yes, “offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”

And, if we have caused a believer to stumble, if we have caused a child or new believer to doubt God’s Word or turn from a confident faith in Christ their Savior, if we have kept a child from Jesus by denying baptism or neglecting to teach God’s Word or take them to services at God’s house, what can we do? The answer is Jesus! Turn to Him for pardon and forgiveness. He died for the sins of all and rose again in victory. He offers to you and to me forgiveness and life everlasting. Trust in Him!

O Jesus, my dear Savior who died and rose again that we might live, forgive me for any offenses I may have caused to other believers and move me to do all in my power to encourage my fellow believers to continue to trust in You alone for full forgiveness and life everlasting. Amen.

[Scripture from the King James Version of the Bible]