Jesus lives!

My family had our 1995 Buick Park Avenue since Abel was born. It's probably in some junkyard now, but it seems like for the same amount of time that I saw it sitting in our driveway, that car had the only bumper sticker my dad ever bought and actually stuck on any one of our cars... one that said in pretty aqua blue script, "Jesus lives!"

The bumper sticker made my car unique. All throughout my childhood, I could easily spot my car in the middle of all the vehicles at the school carpool line. But it's funny how although I could easily recognize that quote and relate it to some possession of mine -- even though I practically read those two words everyday, I went through my whole childhood and many of the recent years of my life never internalizing what "Jesus lives!" actually means.

It became most clear after my mom had her accident and testified in church a few Sundays later, on Easter Sunday. She cried as she said that the fact that Jesus lives has taken on new meaning to her, because his resurrection is the only reason that she stood standing on that stage that day. Because Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to Heaven, He was able to stop that car from completely killing my mom. He was able to come between my mom's car and the other car and avoid a tragedy I could never survive with... because my Jesus is alive and because He isn't dead, in a grave, with a body that is deteriorating in the soil like just any mortal human being. That isn't the god that we dedicate our Eternity to...

You know how after someone passes away, a loved one will go to his or her grave and speak to them to find some comfort and be listened to? When we speak to Jesus, it isn't just about getting some emotional comfort. We have assurance that He is alive and waiting to hear from us, and rescue us, and hold our hand, and love us. You may not see your Savior with these human eyes God temporarily gave us, but take heart, because the tomb is empty and He is with you at this very moment. Isn't that something to be excited about? Isn't that worth every person driving behind your bumper to read and be reminded of? Let it be known: JESUS LIVES. And He lives for you.