The Principle of Vanishing Significance
I wrote this post a couple of years ago, but since this is the weekend that we celebrate the resurrection for 2014, I have spent a little time meditating on the importance of that fact. I hope it's a blessing to you and an aid in letting Resurrection Sunday be powerful for you this year.
It all seemed so small; a brown outline with little dots of blue and one larger empty brown area. What am I talking about? Why, theGrand Canyon , or course. For many of you who have flown over it at 30,000 feet as you crossed the US for some reason, you may remember the first time the pilot said “now out on the left side of the plane, you will notice the Grand Canyon …” Somehow, since you were so far removed from it; it didn’t seem so grand.
There are a lot of times in life when this is true. Even the events that are important to us seem to be reduced in magnitude as time moves us further and further away from them. That time I got knocked down and took a licking from a bully in 3rd grade…the first girl I liked, but wasn’t sure she liked me…those stitches that came from jumping on hay bales on the back of a pick-up truck…all of these circumstances seemed huge at the time. The further I am from them, the smaller they seem in significance. Besides; there are a lot of other things that are far more important to me in my life that have happened since.
Historical events also have a tendency to “level out” with other events as time sweeps us faster and faster toward the future. The first man on the moon was a “small step for man; a giant leap for mankind.” The first individual to stay on the space station for a time and return to earth was pretty impressive too. The death of major political figures holds the attention of the world…for a while; until the next important one comes along.
I would like to challenge you with a thought as it relates to this principle of vanishing significance. Have you possibly allowed the magnitude of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to be demoted to just another historical note? Sometimes, I must confess, I find myself thinking as though I were some kind of secular historian simply relating the facts of history. “1675 BC; horse and chariot introduced inEgypt Europe .” “312 BC; engineers begin building the Appian Way in Rome
While we who belong to God by faith in Christ would never deny the truth of the resurrection, are we not, in essence, wasting its power if we don’t allow its truth and its magnitude in history to permeate our being? Paul said “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain…your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15).
Hallelujah for the resurrection! Glory to God that He did not leave Jesus in the tomb but brought Him out in victory over death and the grave. Jesus of Nazareth was not just another statistic in the long list of world leaders who made their mark and then died. He is risen from the Dead!
I hope the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection this year will linger in your heart and change who you are and how you function. Let’s not let its significance vanish as we move past the celebration this year.
It all seemed so small; a brown outline with little dots of blue and one larger empty brown area. What am I talking about? Why, the
There are a lot of times in life when this is true. Even the events that are important to us seem to be reduced in magnitude as time moves us further and further away from them. That time I got knocked down and took a licking from a bully in 3rd grade…the first girl I liked, but wasn’t sure she liked me…those stitches that came from jumping on hay bales on the back of a pick-up truck…all of these circumstances seemed huge at the time. The further I am from them, the smaller they seem in significance. Besides; there are a lot of other things that are far more important to me in my life that have happened since.
Historical events also have a tendency to “level out” with other events as time sweeps us faster and faster toward the future. The first man on the moon was a “small step for man; a giant leap for mankind.” The first individual to stay on the space station for a time and return to earth was pretty impressive too. The death of major political figures holds the attention of the world…for a while; until the next important one comes along.
I would like to challenge you with a thought as it relates to this principle of vanishing significance. Have you possibly allowed the magnitude of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to be demoted to just another historical note? Sometimes, I must confess, I find myself thinking as though I were some kind of secular historian simply relating the facts of history. “1675 BC; horse and chariot introduced in
While we who belong to God by faith in Christ would never deny the truth of the resurrection, are we not, in essence, wasting its power if we don’t allow its truth and its magnitude in history to permeate our being? Paul said “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain…your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15).Hallelujah for the resurrection! Glory to God that He did not leave Jesus in the tomb but brought Him out in victory over death and the grave. Jesus of Nazareth was not just another statistic in the long list of world leaders who made their mark and then died. He is risen from the Dead!
I hope the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection this year will linger in your heart and change who you are and how you function. Let’s not let its significance vanish as we move past the celebration this year.
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