Love That Will Not Die
Pastor Tom Millner
March 23, 2008
John 3:16-17, Luke 24:1-8, Romans 8:37-39
 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Why??

Why would the Creator of this universe go to such lengths as to sacrifice His offspring for a bunch of folks that can’t seem to get along with one another, often don’t even like themselves, and attempt to do anything they can to measure up to a standard that is completely arbitrary in the mind of the one to measure? Why would a force as powerful as the creator of the universe give two hoots about a bunch of creatures who insist upon being the center of their world, without any real recognition that they don’t have the ultimate say?

Genesis tells us that God created mankind in His own image. Maybe we’re on to something there! Scripture also tells us that God is LOVE. Now, if God is love and we are created in the image of love, how can love hate itself? It wouldn’t be love, would it? You see, Love is not something God does… it’s something He IS! Love is something we do (albeit poorly) not something we are.

Love came into the world in the form of its created. It did so because that’s who love is. Love reconciles its own unto itself. We (Love’s created) humans throughout History have tried to BE Love – we failed – it comes out as pride, power, influence – and all the iterations that translate to what the Bible calls SIN. In spite of ourselves, Love wins the day… not because of what we do or don’t do, but because Love is the greatest force in the universe.

It’s no wonder, then, that the tomb was empty when the women arrived that first Easter Sunday. The power of Love overcame the power of death and decay because Love never dies … He always was and always will be.

It’s no wonder that God chose some women to be the witnesses to the empty tomb. You see, women were not considered as valid witnesses to anything – much less to an empty tomb of the King of Kings. That was the culture then – not now. If the disciples (who by the way were in hiding and dispersed throughout the city) had wanted to create a plausible story that didn’t really happen, they wouldn’t have chosen witnesses that had no credibility amongst the crowd. Funny how Love chooses the unlikely from a worldly standard. Who, for instance, would have pegged this congregation of unlikely souls to be the messengers of REVIVAL in Fort Lauderdale? Yes, this unlikely crew, caught in the midst of the joy of our salvation, sharing the Love that is God to all of Love’s creation!

The call today is to the One who is Love. When confronted by the rulers of the day as to the greatest command, Jesus responded that to love God with our whole being and to love each other as we would ourselves sums up all of the Law and the Prophets. That translates to die to self that Love’s reflection may be clear through us. Easter is about the victory of LOVE over pride. Easter is about the victory of LOVE over death. Easter is about LOVE giving birth to LOVE and sacrificing itself to bring us into the arms of LOVE everlasting. What will you do with LOVE today? Love gave everything – for our sake – what can we possibly do to measure up... Nothing! What can we do out of gratitude because He already paid the price for our measuring up? Surrender our lives to His will; learn at His feet, love as He calls us to love.

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