When my wife and I were in Juarez, Mexico last year, we travelled with our friend Antonio into this dangerous city to attend Bible studies that he had started. As we drove through military checkpoints he pointed out houses to us. "Do you see that empty house? The drug people demanded that the residents move. Do you see that burned out house? Burned down by one of the drug cartels."

Antonio told me the story of a friend who had a small convenience shop operating out of his home on a street corner to help make ends meet. A gang member came to his store, put a gun to his head, and said, "Either you give us part of your earnings, you shut down your store, or you die." He chose to shut down his store.

On another street Antonio said, "Jonathan, many times as I drive to church I have had to tell my children to close their eyes so they would not see the dead bodies lying on the ground."

This is part of the man-made tragedy of our time. We cannot imagine living in such conditions.

But as bad and unjust as it is in Juarez, the death of Jesus was the culmination of all injustice in the world. Christ was betrayed by one of His closest associates. All others fled from Him in his hour of greatest need. He was paraded from trial to trial at night in violation of the Law of Moses. He was ridiculed, mocked, beaten, spit upon, scourged, and even though He was obviously innocent of the trumped up charges against Him, the cry still came out “crucify Him! Away with Him! We will not have this man to rule over us! We have no king but Caesar. Crucify Him!” And so they marched him to a hill called Golgotha and drove spikes into his hands and feet, threw a spear into his side, and laughed as they gambled away his last remaining possession.

But, on the third day God raised Him from the dead!

By this resurrection God showed that He is concerned about and has a remedy for the man-made problems in His creation because the resurrection of Jesus is the first act in God's great project to reverse all injustices, sins, and evil in the world.

Paul put it this way in his letter to the Corinthians, "For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death," (1 Corinthians 15:25-26).

Every enemy, every injustice, every evil will come to an end - including the tragedy of death itself!

I hope you will obtain a copy of Resurrection Vision for your life and for your church, and learn the ten meanings of the resurrection of Jesus.

Books cost $7.00 and shipping and handling is included. Go to www.WGSpeak.org/Resources to order or contact us at WGS for bulk orders.

Word of God, Speak!