A special Easter message from Dr. Michael Youssef.
Only the blood of Jesus Christ can give you what you need most: peace with God, the love of the Heavenly Father, and hope for true life both now and forever.
It was early Sunday morning, and they had just arrived at the tomb. These three women had faithfully supported the ministry of Jesus for years. They had placed all their hope in Him. Then, suddenly, they found themselves standing at the foot of the cross—watching their dreams bleed to death. They witnessed their hope being crucified. And as they did, they resigned themselves to their loss.
In their unspeakable anguish, they came to Jesus' tomb on Sunday morning. They came depressed, despondent, and defeated. But they came. They made plans. They decided to go to the tomb and anoint the body of their crucified King. They decided to do something in the face of their pain and loss.
As these three women arrived at the tomb that Sunday morning, they began to discuss the biggest obstacle in their path—the stone. "Who's going to move the stone?" they asked one another.
Have you ever been in a situation like this, where it's one thing after another, and every time you think you finally see a light at the end of the tunnel—it turns out to be a train? Have you ever been there? I know I have.
What keeps you up at night? What causes you anxiety? What deep disappointment haunts your waking hours? What are you trying to numb or forget?
These three women were nearly overcome by their hopelessness and helplessness. But they did not give up. And as they arrived at the tomb, they were shocked to see that the stone had already been rolled away—and the tomb was empty! Against all odds, against natural laws, by the power of God—Christ had risen from the dead. With this cataclysmic revelation, they suddenly understood that God's plan was far, far greater than anything they could have ever hoped for or imagined.
Jesus rose from the dead to prove that He is the only one who can deliver us from the hopelessness of hell. In fact, He is the only one who can guarantee our resurrection. He is the only one who can forgive all our sins—past, present, and future. He is the only one who can deliver us from the seeming futility of this life. And He is the only one who can conquer our greatest and most powerful enemy—death.
As we celebrate Resurrection Sunday this month, I want you to remember that there is no large stone in your life that Jesus cannot remove. There is no tomb that threatens to bury you that He cannot empty. There is no mountain of shame, guilt, or sin that He cannot obliterate. There is no pain or sorrow that He cannot replace with His comfort and peace. There is no death that He cannot conquer.
Whether you are living behind a stone of guilt and despair, overwhelmed by pain and hopelessness, experiencing crushing anxiety about your family's future—whatever your stone may be—your sense of hopelessness is premature. The resurrected Jesus can remove all the stones of impossibilities in your life, shatter the prison of worry and anxiety, and remove all depression, anxiety, and shame. The Bible said He removes them as far as the east is from the west. All you need to do is come to the end of yourself.
If you have been striving in your own strength, come to the end of trying to save yourself. Come to the end of trying to earn God's mercy. Come to the end of thinking that you can figure things out on your own. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can give you what you need most: peace with God, the love of the Heavenly Father, and hope for true life both now and forever.
Remember, it was your sin and mine that took Jesus to the cross. It was His love for us that kept Him there until He died. And it was the Father's love that raised Him to life on the third day and made Him our death-defying King. So how will you respond to His inexplicable love today? Will you turn to Him in repentance and faith? Will you trust that He is working for your good and His glory—even if the outcome is not quite what you'd imagined?
On that first resurrection morning, Jesus dispelled the hopelessness of those three women. He destroyed their despair. He comforted them in their calamity. And He can do the same for you. The price is paid. The work is done. Come and receive. Allow the hope and the glory of the resurrection to fill you—today and every day.
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