Resurrection Sunday
Resurrection Sunday
Shalom and Peace to you my Dear Friends, this Resurrection Sunday, we celebrate an empty tomb, but let us not forget the nail that came first. Its often the smallest things that carry the greatest power, A seed grows into a mighty tree, A whisper can silence fear, And a single nail, forged by man but used by God, carried the weight of eternity. Today, let's look at one nail, a symbol of pain, sacrifice, and the key to salvation. Let's begin with the verse that says it all. John 3 16, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life, Holy and precious is the Word of God. A Nail Made for Building, In the hands of a carpenter a nail is a tool of creation, it builds homes, mends fences, and holds things together, Jesus was a carpenter, He knew nails intimately, But the greatest thing He ever built was a bridge, a bridge from sin to salvation. Upon this rock I will build my church, Matthew 16 18, That church wasn't built with hammers and timber, It was built with a cross, a crown of thorns, and a nail, To the Roman soldier, it was just execution, To the world, it was just another death, But what held Jesus to the cross wasn't iron, It was love. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, Isaiah 53 5, Hands and feet pierced, Psalm 22 16, Given vinegar to drink, Psalm 69 21, No bones broken, Psalm 34 20. Many Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled with that nail, That nail held more than His body, it held the sins of the world. It bore the wrath of judgment, but also carried the weight of mercy, just as a key unlocks a door, this nail opened the gates of heaven, Without the cross, there is no crown, Without the nail, there is no new life. And so when we read John 3 16, we remember, Salvation was not earned, it was given, Grace wasn't bought, it was bled for, And it all happened through one act, on one hill, with one nail.
And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all., Hebrews 10 10. That one nail changed the world, But the question today is, will you let it change you, Will you keep carrying your guilt, or will you nail it to the cross, Will you accept that you are included in thee, who-so-ever? The cross wasn't just for them, it was for you. That one nail, It's not rusted, It's not forgotten, It's not a relic, it's an invitation. Because on this Easter Sunday, the tomb is empty, but the cross still calls, And the nail still saves. Now, go Boldly and reach out to others in love, instantly being transformed into the hands and feet of Christ, Happy Easter and God bless you!
By Russ Clodfelter