Do you feel you can overcome all obstacles and doubts? Michael Jordan has said that obstacles don't have to stop you. Don't turn around and give up if you run into a wall. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. Do you have the attitude of marines who claim to do the difficult immediately, and then the impossible only takes a little longer? Do we overestimate our power and doubt the ability of God to accomplish His will in our weakness of sin and death?
Timothy Keller (in his book Encounters with Jesus) warns, "So many systems of thought appeal to strong, successful people because they play directly into their belief that if you are strong and hardworking enough, you will prevail. Christianity is for people who have the particular kind of strength to admit that their flaws are not superficial, their hearts are deeply disordered, and they are incapable of rectifying themselves. It is for those who can see that they need a saviour. They need Jesus Christ dying on the cross to put them right with God."
The Easter season focuses on obstacles, especially believing what would seem to be impossible, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Of course, God does the impossible regularly, but that doesn't mean people don't doubt His power and trip over what is possible for God specially raising Jesus from death.
It isn’t that God hasn’t always shown his power to accomplish the impossible. The prophet Ezekiel understood God could take a valley full of dry bones and make them live. When God asked Ezekiel can these bones live, the prophet said, "O Sovereign Lord, you alone know." Ezekiel knew God could do the impossible. God brought the dead bones to life by having Ezekiel prophesy to the bones. The Old Testament has countless examples of God accomplishing what would be impossible for people to do.
In the New Testament in the book of Acts, a man crippled from birth was carried to the temple gate called Beautiful and put there every day to beg from the people going into the temple courts. Begging each day was a way for the crippled man to survive. When the beggar asked Peter and John for money, he did not receive silver or gold but the ability to walk in the power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Everyone recognized the cripple was made strong and able to walk, run and jump. Peter and John were not afraid to explain, “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers has glorified his servant Jesus. You disowned him, the Holy and Righteous One. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. It is Jesus’ name and faith that comes through him that this beggar was given this complete healing, as you can all see.” (Acts 3:13-16)
Let’s not be complacent about the power of God to do the impossible in us. Easter confirms that Jesus is alive. Will we welcome Him to make his power and will live in us. His grace is sufficient for us, and his power is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Cor. 12:9)
