The Resurrection and You

Teachable Woman Podcast

The Resurrection and You

Reverends Michele Owes and Diana P. Cherry

[00:00:00]

Rev. Michele Owes: Welcome, welcome back to the Teachable Woman Podcast. We are happy to be with you. I am Reverend Michele Owes. I am with Reverend Mrs. Diana P. Cherry, and together we are Teachers of Good Things. Mrs. Cherry, say hello.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Hello Podcast family. I know you missed us, that's why we're back again. I hope you prayed for us. I keep telling you, you have to pray. You have to pray. We love you. We appreciate you so much, and I pray that everyone has had a wonderful, wonderful Easter service and Holy Week celebration.

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen. Amen. Well, as Mrs. Cherry shared with us that this past Sunday was Resurrection Sunday, also known as Easter Sunday, and sometimes we can get a little, [00:01:00] want to say confused, when we can begin to mix tradition. that, which is Christian, and, and that's a common thing to do with Easter egg hunts.

I know it was one of my favorite things to do as a child. Uh, and lots of candy inside of the eggs and, you know, the new clothes and the new hairstyle and the new shoes. Those old patent leather shoes that used to put a blister on, on the back of my foot every year. They were so unforgiving, bonnets, you know, all of the to-do that.

We do the nice little suits for our sons and uh, we just have a lot of tradition as it comes to Easter.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: I want to take a moment. Just to remind us of what it's really about. Not that there is anything wrong with us, uh, dressing our best to acknowledge that our Savior rose. Not that there's anything wrong with us having a time of togetherness with our [00:02:00] family, with our friends, but just to remember

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes.

Rev. Michele Owes: why we do what we do as Christians on Resurrection Sunday. we understand that Resurrection Sunday. After what is typically known as Holy Week where we trace the activities that Jesus suffered, if you will. Before going to the cross. And then we know that there was the death on the cross. And then resurrection Sunday is the morning that he rose. And this is also the reason that Christians go to church now on Sunday because we gather on the day of the resurrection rather than on the old history of going to church on Saturday. So

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yeah.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: why we gather on Sunday, it's, it's nothing to argue about, it's just what we chose to do [00:03:00] as Christians. We chose to arrive at the house of the Lord on the day that he rose,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: and we know that he rose with all power in his hands. So,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yeah.

Rev. Michele Owes: so, um, Mrs. Cherry, talk to us a little bit about what Resurrection Sunday means to.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Well, resurrection, it means Sunday means a whole lot more than the pretty outfits. And, uh, it's, it's so good. When you get older, you don't care what you wear. I mean, you know, you care, but you don't have to have the bonnet. You don't have to have the new patent leather, the shoes to hurt your feet. And it's about more, but.

I think sometimes we lose, sometimes I'm not sure that we really appreciate what Jesus suffered, um, so that we could have life so that we could be free so that he suffered and died so that we don't have to live in death. We don't have to abide and sin, we don't have to live a sinful life. And you know, I know when I [00:04:00] was younger.

I just couldn't, I couldn't appreciate the fact that Jesus really went through everything that he did. But you know, there's a man had a very short lifespan as we think of, of lifespans, and he had a core group of followers and then one, uh, it didn't have a 12 and one out of the 12 betrayed him. And so we have.

The betrayal. Uh, Thursday or Monday Thursday, the night that he was betrayed is the night that he gave us a new commandment, and then we know that he suffered, they beat him. All kinds of, um, things, the cattle, the cattails, and with. Instruments on the end of it until he bled and his skin was probably tearing off of his body.

And then they placed that awful heavy cross on him and he had to carry his own cross up Gfas Hill and it was so [00:05:00] heavy and he was struggling so much that uh, they call the Roman soldiers call for one. Uh, Simon, the Niger Niger.

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yeah, yeah. To help him. And then he goes up the hill, Gogo's Hill, and they nailed him hands and feet to that cross.

And then he. He did everything that the scripture said that he would do, and finally he said one final thing. It is finished. But thank God we know that that finish wasn't the whole finish because he did die. They put him in a tomb, but thank God on that as the old spiritual good saying that great getting up morning.

He arose again and because he lives, we can live. And you know, I just would like for us to develop a keen approach, [00:06:00] appreciation for what Jesus Christ went through so that we could have life and we could have life more abundantly and, and I just pray that as Christians that. We would do everything in our power to honor him for what he did for us.

The, the crucifixion was real and, and his death burial, his resurrection was real. And because he arose from the dead. He made us free. We can have the abundant life. We can live in peace, all because Jesus Christ paid the price, so he died for us. Now we can choose to live for him. And I don't think anything, I think that if we really appreciate the.

Anything that we might want or desire that's contrary to his will, I believe, would take a backseat if we really lived with [00:07:00] a, an a daily awareness and appreciation of what he suffered so that we could have life. So Resurrection Sunday represents a lot of things to a lot of people. To me, it represents just being free.

I'm free to be who God wants me to be. I'm free to do the things that he is requiring of us to do. And you know, there is nothing that the Lord requires of us that's so difficult to do. The biggest thing he asks us not to do, we can do everything except one thing. Sin. I mean, that's pretty good. We can do everything.

But sin. That's the only thing that he really wants us and, and I think Easter this season is a time for us to really remember and to focus on the fact that all we have to do is obey. It's not easy, but it sure is possible. If [00:08:00] he could do and suffer what he did, then surely we can choose. For him to live holy, righteous lives and without, um, just living an awareness of what Jesus Christ did for us.

Rev. Michele Owes: When I think about his death, it reminds me that there are some things that I can die to.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: some things that I really don't need. There are some things that do not have to have a hold over me because he died so that I could be free. He already accepted that challenge on the cross, and so it should not be a challenge for me.

It's a choice for me now, a choice. And, um, the resurrection reminds me that. There are some things that I can just rise to, which is a better standard of life in Christ Jesus I can, I can rise to whatever his request is of me, whatever his word is. Um, whatever [00:09:00] the instructions are that I really, I can rise to those things Now, I may not know how, I may not know the how tos of everything, but I can prepare myself for the instructions, and when I get 'em, I can move. Jesus. And, um, I believe that one of the interesting things comes out of Matthew, the 28th chapter, and the story is really about, Jesus having risen from the dead and Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, they were going back to the, to, anoint Jesus because they didn't get to complete what they had started. And when they got there, there was an angel who had already rolled away the stone and was sitting on. Stone and, you know, they were wondering who was gonna move that stone, but it was already rolled away when they got there. And the stone was not rolled away so that Jesus could get out. It was rolled away so that they could [00:10:00] get in to see that he was not there.

Right.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Right, right.

Rev. Michele Owes: the, um, the, the angel said, fear not in, in verse number five, for I know that you seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here or he is risen as he said. come see the place where the Lord laid. So he is gone, right? You can come see that he is really not there. And then, uh, and go. So go quickly and tell his disciples he is risen from the dead.

So they go quickly to tell the disciples that he has risen from the dead, but the disciples don't believe. And then there's the walk to a mass that Jesus had. And so he had to reveal himself to them so that they could believe that he was risen, but the disciples still did not believe, and Jesus had to appear to them in order for them to believe, and for some of us we're in that same position that the disciples were.

We can hear the word of [00:11:00] God. We can sit in church and get Sunday sermon and Wednesday can confirm it. And everybody we know in tell us exactly what God said. But we are waiting on Jesus to appear in our living room and say, now I told you girl, I told you son, that this is how we need to do this thing.

And no, we are not gonna do this. It is not gonna be fruitful for you to keep doing this thing. so, you know, we are not different. Uh, the times have changed, but our thoughts and our attitudes can be the same toward the Lord's instructions. and when he gets the message to us, uh, through the preacher, that how can they send, how can they hear without a preacher and how can he preach unless he's been sent? And we can know that we have one that's been sent, one that studies the word of God, labors before him to, to give us fresh manna. And we know the man is good. But our hearts and minds can be set on doing something else. And the [00:12:00] something else is what Jesus died to keep us free from.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: And so

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: So true. So true.

Rev. Michele Owes: choice.

It's a, the, the, the death, the burial and the resurrection reminds us that it's a daily choice. It's, it's

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: is,

Rev. Michele Owes: because.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: it's, it's throughout the day many choices. Right? It's so true. And I love the fact that one of the things that many Christians do. During the Lenten season, which is the season, uh, it's really the season of preparation, preparing ourselves, um, to rejoice on Resurrection Sunday. And one of the things that a lot of us do is we fast different kinds of fast.

Now we know that Jesus Christ fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, and his fast was total fast. Um, I'm sure he had water. I, I, you know, that's a good question. Did he, I think he did have water. But [00:13:00] anyway, we're not divine, so don't try 40 days with nothing. But we can do different kinds of things. For some people they'll fast, maybe television or they might fast, um, things that they really like, uh, music or they might fast a food that they're more, they might be somewhat addicted to, like sugar.

Or they might fast meets. So different people do different things and it's. Kind of like an identifying with Jesus Christ, with the sacrifice that he made. We do these little things kind of, you know, just to, in remembrance of him, in remembrance of the fact that that was not easy to bear the cross and to know that he did that out of love for you and for me, and for the sins of the whole world He was born.

To die. You know, he was born no manifested, [00:14:00] created. Manifest, God manifested in the flesh so that he could die, so that I could have life, and you could have life. And it's an awesome thing when we think about that. So I do hope that everybody did have an opportunity to celebrate the Lenten season and to prepare, uh, for the Resurrection Sunday service, which should have been a wonderful day for all of us, regardless of the weather.

It should have been a wonderful day of wonderful time of remembrance, and a wonderful time of giving thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ for what he has done. For us, and because of him, we can now do all things through him. Why? Because he strengthens us to do these things. Um, God doesn't ask us to die a physical death on the cross, but he does want us to die to things in the flesh so that the things that [00:15:00] we are encumbered about, uh, will not have.

Power over us, but we can have power over things. So Easter, the, the Holy Week is one of my favorite, favorite times, one of my favorite Christian seasons of the year. I just, I love the Linton season and I love Holy Week, and I had an opportunity to come home. And to be in Holy Week services all week. So I really, really enjoyed that and appreciated being in the fellowship with the Saints.

We had wonderful messages. I hope your, I hope your Linton, uh, services or your Holy Week services were as good as ours. 'cause we had a wonderful time, learned a lot,

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: we learned a lot, and really took a serious look at the um, at communion. What communion represents and how we should come to the communion table.

It's not just a little chip of bread or a little round wafer [00:16:00] that we take and you know, you know, we really are being taught a lot about thinking about the seriousness of communion and how we ought to come to the communion table. And we were really blessed this year because. We had Resurrection Sunday or Easter, but it was also first Sunday.

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: As for us, and I guess for many, many, many denominations, first Sunday is always communion Sunday. So I, I just thought it was a big blessing that not only did we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, but we also had an opportunity to, to, uh, partake in the Lord's Supper. And that's always a special time.

Rev. Michele Owes: And to do this in remembrance of him.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Ibrance, you know, I used to teach, um, you know, he didn't ask us to pray in remembrance of him. He didn't ask us to fast. He only asked us to take communion. And do [00:17:00] it in remembrance of him, in remembrance of his suffering, in remembrance of his bleeding, and in remembrance of all that he went through, so that we could have life and have life more abundantly.

So let's take communion seriously when we do receive it and think about all that Jesus Christ sacrifice so that we could freely, um. Symbolically receive of his broken body and his shed blood.

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen. Well, you know, we often uh, Christmas time, uh, which is the time that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. But when we get to resurrection Sunday or the Easter time, that is, it is commonly known as we really know why he was born. because

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Um.

Rev. Michele Owes: took place then. Is really about why he was born, and all of

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: so that you and I could [00:18:00] have life and have it more abundantly. not only that, that we would be a witness unto him and unto his life, that difference between, uh, the time of his birth, where we celebrate in certain ways, and the time that he died on the cross and then rose again. So that we might have life and sits now at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us, always on our side to do the things that the father would have us to do.

Always working to make a way for us. Always present and therefore the asking to call upon. He said, call upon me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things that thou know is not so all we have to do is call upon the name of Jesus and he will answer [00:19:00] you. He's not shy and he's not too busy.

He doesn't sleep, he doesn't slumber, and he knows who you are.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Amen. Isn't that a wonderful thought?

Rev. Michele Owes: is a

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: The Lord,

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes. Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: God's right son. He knows you

Rev. Michele Owes: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: and all of mess and

Rev. Michele Owes: And still loves us and

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: right.

Rev. Michele Owes: and still chooses us.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes, yes. Yeah, that's because, you know, we as bride,

Rev. Michele Owes: All right, now.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: so, you know, I'm working on the, the next book, what to Do before You Say I Do.

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen. That's gonna be wonderful.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: So one of the things that, um, I just finished writing the other day was, um, you know, we are the bride of Christ. So what kind of a bride are you to him? And I think the EAs Easter season is a good time to think about that too. Are we a loyal bride? Are we a, do we commit [00:20:00] adultery against him? We are the bride of Christ.

We are members of the body of Christ. So I'm hoping that, uh, I'm not gonna give away too many little things that's gonna be in the book, but when I got to that part, I was like, oh my God, we're, we're, because it's what to do before you say I do. So it's focused primarily to the unmarried. But then I started thinking about we are all married, we're married to Jesus.

You know, and I, I often think about something that the Lord asked me years ago. If you were, you know what it is, if you were married to Jesus and you had to send him out on a daily basis to do his work of ministry, what kind of day would he have? That thing, that thing changed me.

Rev. Michele Owes: What kind of, what kind of bride would you be to Christ?

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yeah. Right,

Rev. Michele Owes: to ask yourself, what kind of bride would you be to Christ? Would you be one that

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: right,

Rev. Michele Owes: to come home to or just one that he's gonna stay out on the mission field

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: right. That's [00:21:00] right.

Right. So Easter to me is a time to really reflect, um, on what he did, but also on what we are doing and who we are and who we are in him, and are we as faithful to him as he has been to the, to all of humanity, you know?

Rev. Michele Owes: And wherever you find yourself. Don't be so hard on where you find yourself. always room for change. There's always room for growth, and we will

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yeah.

Rev. Michele Owes: find ourselves wanting because there's no perfect one among us. There's always going to be something to grow, uh, to, something to change, something to be better at we are evolving.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes.

Rev. Michele Owes: we change states in life, right? When from children to adults, to adult adults, to mature adults, to [00:22:00] senior adults, to all of the, all of these changes in life bring about a change in our viewpoint. And, um, so wherever you find yourself, don't, don't be down on yourself and don't think. Yourself. Just make the

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Rev. Michele Owes: just

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yeah, that's true.

Rev. Michele Owes: we can do is just make the

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: That's right.

Rev. Michele Owes: right?

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: That's right. That's right. And always remember that God loves you.

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: of who you are, where you've been, your ups, your downs, your shortcomings, whatever they are, God loves us, he forgives us, and we can always begin again. Isn't that wonderful? We can always

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: begin anew.

We can begin afresh, but he would love for us to be the kind of people that once we change. We would commit to be [00:23:00] changed, to be unchangeable, and we can do that. Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: so true. I think that's a wonderful way to end this podcast, to remember that the Lord loves us.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: Always make the change and

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: that his arms are out still to receive us. Amen. Well, thank

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Amen.

Rev. Michele Owes: for being with us on this podcast. We pray that you will always carry true meaning of the resurrection in your heart and that we'll remember that there are some things that we can die to because Jesus died to them for us.

And there's some things that we can just resurrect from

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: greater ahead, according to the will of the Lord. Alright,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes.

Rev. Michele Owes: being with us today.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: God bless you. We love you, and go tell somebody else to tune in to the podcast.

Rev. Michele Owes: [00:24:00] Amen.