Because He Lives starts a new sermon series for the Easter season! Our sermon text takes us to the empty tomb and a weeping Mary Magdalene. All she knew was that Jesus was missing.
Illusions
There are some who think the digital afterlife industry would have been perfect for Mary. Jesus was dead, she’s missed him more than words could say. Imagine if we could upload Jesus, all of his texts, emails, tweets, even snapchats and have an artificial intelligence bot recreate Jesus. Of course, Jesus didn’t have a smart phone, but we could just upload all of his gospel accounts.
Hereafter AI – and a slew of other companies like it are able recreate a personality like your loved one.
“There was a lot I didn’t know about my child,” Roman’s mother told me. “But now that I can read about what he thought about different subjects, I’m getting to know him more. This gives the illusion that he’s here now.”
The illusion… it’s possible that these people share the hope that I have in the resurrection, as I stand next to a weeping member of my flock, why would I offer an illusion. Our God offers life!
Heart Beat
Between 6 P.M. Saturday and early Sunday morning back in that grave outside Jerusalem the body of Jesus, which had lain there still in death, suddenly breathed in a gasp of air. The heart restarted. He took off the burial clothes, and left absolutely alive again! Jesus strangled death and took back his life. Mary couldn’t find his dead body because it was alive.
The way to start down the road on your Easter journey is to stop looking for death, don’t settle for illusions, look for life.
Want to hear more? Watch this week’s message, the first in our new sermon series, Because He Lives.
Book(s): John
Series: Because He Lives
Tag(s): Easter
Speaker(s): Fred Guldberg