The Living Christ
By Pastor Jerry A. Burns
The great Renaissance artist Michelangelo once challenged fellow artists about how they portrayed Christ. Galleries were filled with paintings of Jesus suffering on the cross or lying lifeless in the tomb. Michelangelo asked a powerful question: Why focus only on that brief moment of apparent defeat? The crucifixion lasted only a few hours, but Christ’s resurrection and reign will last forever. The stone was rolled away, the grave was conquered, and the Savior lives eternally.
The cross is central to the gospel because it is where Jesus paid the price for our sins. But the story does not end there. If Christ had remained in the grave, there would be no hope for humanity. The resurrection transformed what looked like defeat into the greatest victory the world has ever known. Jesus did not remain a victim of the cross—He rose as the victorious Lord over sin, death, and the grave.
Too often we dwell on the sorrow of the crucifixion without celebrating the triumph of the resurrection. The risen Christ is not a figure of the past; He is the living Savior of the present. He rules and reigns today. The empty tomb reminds us that death does not have the final word. Christ is alive, and because He lives, all who trust in Him share in His victory.
Spend time reading the resurrection accounts in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20, noting how the empty tomb transformed fear into faith.
Remember that your faith is rooted not only in the cross but in the living Christ. Live each day with the confidence that your Savior is alive and reigning.
"For I know that my redeemer liveth, And that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth" — Job 19:25
Daily Scripture Reading
Join us as we read through the Bible in one year, growing together in God’s Word day by day. Click on any underlined verse to access Pastor Burns’ helpful study notes and deeper insights.
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This Week's Radio Program
Week Eighteen • May 3, 2026
Trusting God With Tomorrow (Pt. 3)
In this final part of the message, “Trusting God with Tomorrow,” we are brought face to face with a powerful truth from Scripture—while we often plan our days and assume the future, the Bible teaches us that life is fragile, uncertain, and completely in God’s hands. As James reminds us, our life is “even a vapour” that appears for a little time and then vanishes away . The issue is not planning, but planning without God—living as though we are in control of what only God knows.
This message walks through the heart of biblical trust: having a proper perspective of tomorrow, a humble posture before God today, and a surrendered plan that says, “If the Lord will.” Whether facing uncertainty, fear, or the illusion of control, we are called to draw near to God, rest in His care, and trust that His will is good, even when tomorrow is unknown. Because Christ has risen, our future is secure—not in our plans, but in His perfect hands.
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