It was not easy to prepare the message today. Why? Because, first this is my 30th year preparing a sermon on the topic of Easter. If you were a preacher, you would understand the struggle of preparing a new message (not a recycled one 😊) that is both biblical and relevant. The second difficulty is how to share a great joy of the resurrection of Christ in the middle of a pandemic that has caused so much problems, pain, suffering and loss. According to John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center yesterday, the virus has infected more than 1,700,000 people and killed more than 100,000 people. Is there something good that we can find in this tough situation? Thank God, the answer is yes if we “See the Pandemic in the Light of Christ’s Resurrection”. That is the title for today’s message.
The pandemic is really serious and very bad. It has changed our lives dramatically and globally. But as we are celebrating Easter today, I would like us to see what is going on right now from the perspective of the resurrection of Christ Jesus. What I mean by that is that we know many negative and bad things that have been caused by the virus, but I want us to see that with our spiritual eyes, we can find many good things that God is doing. Let us read Romans 8:28-29. These verses remind us that God works in all things. That means that in this tough and bad situation, God is still working in us who love Him and are called according to His will. And God can use this situation to transform us so that we can be more like Christ. So, let us see how this pandemic can be used by God for our good:
1.The pandemic can be used to test our Faith. When I studied “Clinical Pastoral Education” for a year in … , I was asked to share a message on Easter Sunday at the Chapel of the hospital where I served and the message was broadcasted on the hospital’s TVs so that patients could watch it. Because it was Easter, I preached from 1 Corinthians 15 about the resurrection of Christ that I believe really happened. After the service, my Supervisor told me that he did not believe that Christ physically really rose from the dead. I was shocked hearing that because he was an ordained pastor. After having a discussion with him, I realized that he was a liberal counselor and theologian. I think among the evangelical Christians the issue is not that. We all believe that Jesus really rose from the dead, otherwise our faith is in vain. If Christ’s body were still in the tomb, there would be no Christianity today because the Apostles and Christ’s followers would have quickly forgotten Him. The issue is how the risen Christ really impacts or influences our lives.
The pandemic that is happening right now can be used to test us, whether our faith in the resurrection of Christ is being reflected by how we respond to the coronavirus. So, if coronavirus makes us panic, fear, become paranoid, depressed, and lose hope (like what we see in this PP) we probably need to ask ourselves whether we really believe that Jesus is risen from the dead and that He is alive. Because if we do, even though the situation is hard because we may have lost our job or income, our family members got sick, etc. we should know that we are not alone in facing this situation. We can bring our problems to Him, trust in His love, care, wisdom, and power. Even if we die because of the virus, we know that we’ll be with Him forever. Ill.: Two days ago, I read an Easter Devotion, written by a wife who just lost her husband because of the virus. I happen to know both of them because we went to the same seminary and lived at the same dormitory complex (they were two years after me). In her writing she shared that the sudden loss of her husband was very hard for her and her children, but she knows that Jesus, whom they serve is alive and that he understands her situation and she believes that her husband is with the Lord now. So, she does not let the virus that has taken her husband from this world destroy her life. Please pray for her because she also has the virus and has been in the hospital for two weeks.
2. The pandemic can be used to show our Hearts and real Character. This pandemic can show our hearts and character whether we are generous or greedy - stingy persons, caring or selfish persons, really loving or NATO persons. I know hard situations can affect someone’s emotions and behavior. But I believe how someone responds to a hard situation reflects what is in his/her heart. The hard situation triggers bad behaviors but is not the real cause. People who hoard things without considering others, who hate and attack Asians during this pandemic, who deliberately try to infect others in escalators or public places, people who don’t care about those who suffer… they all reflect their real character. Also, the rise of domestic violence during COVID-19 outbreak actually shows the real character of those who commit the violence (the virus doesn’t make them violent). May this tough situation show that we are real Christians. We have the heart and character of Christ who is loving, caring, putting the interests of others first, and willing to sacrifice for others.
3. The pandemic can be used to strengthen our Family. Before the pandemic, many spouses, parents, children were so busy with their jobs, schools, meetings, sports, hobbies, and various activities. It seemed nothing could stop them from doing those activities. But the pandemic has changed that situation. Coronavirus has forced many people to work at home and many students to study at home. Now they have more time together. In this situation Christ can use it to restore families, where husbands and wives, parents and children can spend more time together to talk, listen, learn to understand each other better, to laugh together and to build a stronger relationship. We can now have more time for family altar (family devotions), where spouses/parents and children can praise, worship and pray to the Lord together, and share and discuss the words of God together. My family has been enjoying so much our family altar. Sometimes I share the word of God, sometimes my wife and my sons. We know that a church and society consist of families. If families are strong, the church and society will be strong. That is why the enemy tries hard to attack and destroy families. But, let’s pray that this pandemic will strengthen our families instead.
4. The pandemic can be used to straighten our Priorities. Many Christians don’t realize that they have put their priorities in life in the wrong places. Like many unbelievers, some Christians put MONEY as their goal in life. They spend so much time and energy to think and work to get a lot of money. They think money is everything. It could buy anything, it could take them anywhere they want to go, it could overcome all problems. But the pandemic makes us to realize that money is not everything. This is what someone wrote, “In the past, when I was sick, I had a lot of money to go to Singapore for medical treatment, I often ate at fancy restaurants. If I wanted something, I just bought it. If I got bored, I traveled abroad. I loved to show off my wealth. But now, even though I have lots of money I don’t want to hold cash (because money can be a carrier of the virus). I fear going to the salon for having a face treatment or hair spa, I am afraid to hang out, I fear going to the mall, fear shopping, fear vacation, am afraid to get on a plane, afraid to leave the house, afraid to meet people. I can't go anywhere! The virus has isolated me. What is the meaning of having a lot of money? My money can't free me from the VIRUS!” The author is right! The pandemic makes us reconsider what should be our priorities in our lives and how we need God more. Now, all people are the same, the rich and the poor, the educated and non-educated, the good and the bad people, young and old, those who live at a castle, like prince Charles, and on the street, church leaders and congregation, ALL can get the coronavirus. And the virus can take our lives. But if we believe in Jesus and make Him the central of our lives, nothing will shake us. I like what C.S Lewis wrote in 1942 when the world was entering the second war: "Satan: "I will cause anxiety, fear and panic. I will shutdown business, schools, places of worship and sports events. I will cause economic turmoil". Jesus: "I will bring together neighbors, restore the family unit, I will bring dinner back to the kitchen table. I will help people slow down their lives and appreciate what really matters. I will teach my children to rely on me and not the world. I will teach my children to trust me and not their money and material resources."." Let’s focus our lives on Jesus and let Him have control of our lives. He lives. He is eternal, and He never changes. Let’s pray that through this pandemic many people would come to the Lord. We won’t be discouraged to see many churches are empty today because the tomb of Jesus was empty. But when this pandemic ends, may more people come to Jesus, fill His churches and glorify Him. And may we all have stronger faith, be more loving, have better character, stronger families and put God first in our lives. Hallelujah! Jesus is alive! He is risen!
