Rick Warren is our modern day Billy Graham, only he is a pastor rather than an evangelist. Five days after Easter last year, his son Matthew took his own life after suffering from mental illness since childhood. Rick shared that it was the worst day of his life and that this past year has been the most difficult as he has struggled through the pain and grief.
His Easter sermon tells us how he made it through this past year by following the example Jesus left. Rick followed the last 3 days of the life of Jesus. He said that they were 3 days that all of us will experience again and again in our lives.
First, there was Friday, a day of enormous pain, suffering and agony for Jesus as He was beaten, tortured and then crucified. He also felt humiliation, shame, betrayal. And He had to bear the weight of the sins of the entire world, past, present and future. So if anyone knows what physical, emotional and spiritual pain is, it is Jesus.
Rick encouraged us to face our personal "Fridays" like Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane just before his death. First, reach out to friends (Matt. 26:36-39). Resist the tendency to want to be alone and be openly honest about your pain to your friends. Second, reach out to God (Mark 14:35-36). When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane He was heavily burdened with pain because He knew exactly what was about to happen. But the prayer of Jesus in the Garden, did 3 things. It affirmed God's power, expressed his personal desire and offered his trust when he prayed "I Want Your Will Father". Rick encouraged us to pray this prayer whenever we are in pain.
Next was Saturday, a day of doubt, confusion and grief for the followers of Jesus. Jesus was dead in the grave and his disciples were asking "Now What Do We Do?" and "What If?" They felt guilt and even fear for their own lives. They had seen all the miracles Jesus had performed while he walked the earth and knew that He could have saved Himself from the cross. So they could not understand why He didn't. They later realized that Jesus chose to stay on the cross out of love for us to fulfill God's plan.
Rick shared that when we face days of confusion we need to remember the promises of God. There are over 7000 promises from God to us in the Bible. Rick warned that, "Worry is the symptom when we don't know the promises of God". He said we should "never doubt in the dark what God has told us in the light". Learn God's promises such as "I will never leave you or forsake you"(Hebrews 13:5) and keep believing them in days of confusion.
Finally Sunday came, a day of joy, victory and celebration. Rick said that we cannot resurrect ourselves from the pain of Fridays and the confusion of Saturdays so we need the power of Jesus as our Saviour to get us to the Sunday of Joy and Victory.
Once the disciples saw Jesus resurrected they knew His Resurrection Power and became utterly fearless and confident. They were full of joy and began preaching the good news of Jesus to everyone.
That same power is available to us so that we can live victoriously (Ephesians 1:19-20).
But to get to the Joy of Sunday, we must rely on the power of Jesus. And to get through the Saturday of Confusion we must remember the countless promises of Jesus. And to survive the pain of Friday we must reach out for the presence of Jesus.
Months after the death of his son, Rick was asked if he ever doubted that there was a loving God. He replied that he could never doubt a loving God that he knew personally. But what he did doubt during his pain, was the wisdom of God. He questioned, like David did again and again in the Psalms, if God really knew what He was doing. God does not mind hearing our questions and He understands the pain that proceeds the questions. And He loves. He Always Loves!
Rick says that when we each go through our Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, we need to remember that The Answer is Easter. The Answer is Jesus. The Answer is Always Jesus!
Give Thanks!
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