Pastor Quinn • March 23, 2025
No Detours Allowed
The door to God and the glory he has prepared for us stands wide open. However, he has mapped out a very specific pathway to that door. It is not an easy one. As it did with Jesus, this route takes us through opposition, suffering, and even death. While our human nature may cause us to want to take a detour around these things, Jesus own life shows us that no detour is allowed. His cross came before his crown. The same path lies ahead of us. However, at the end of it, through the open door, we are offered a reward far superior to anything the world can offer.
Without the resurrection of Jesus, I would have to wonder if he wasn’t just a human being. If my last view of him is a criminal crucified on a cross, he would look like someone to be rejected. He couldn’t even help himself, much less anyone else! But he lives, and it makes a difference. He is the only way to heaven. This gospel message is the most inclusive message in the world. The benefits of the resurrection of Jesus are meant for every man, woman, and child who has ever lived.
Without the resurrection of Jesus, I would have little hope for the future. That’s how the disciples felt after this death. “We hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:19). Their hope for a better life had died along with Jesus. But he lives, and it makes a difference. My hope for the future is restored. I have victory over the feeling of hopelessness, because the one who heals me and gives me a better life is himself alive. He lives to restore my hope.
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