Houston's First Baptist Church

The story of Lazarus in John 11:1-6 reveals a shocking truth about God's love. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, He deliberately stayed away for two days, allowing His beloved friend to die. This wasn't cruelty but love—a love that prioritizes what we need most over what we want most. True love gives us what will ultimately satisfy: seeing and treasuring God's glory above health, safety, or even life itself. Jesus's love transforms our priorities so we can trust Him whether He gives or takes away, knowing His purposes are always good.

The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah and King to a Jewish audience after 400 years of silence between the testaments. Beginning with a revolutionary genealogy that includes five women with scandalous backgrounds, Matthew shows that Jesus came to create a new family for the broken. The book is structured around five major teaching sections that echo the Pentateuch, including the Sermon on the Mount, kingdom parables, and the Great Commission. Matthew contains more Old Testament references than any other New Testament book, deliberately connecting Jesus to Jewish prophecies and expectations. The Gospel concludes with the cross, resurrection, and Great Commission, challenging readers to submit to Jesus as King and live according to His upside-down kingdom principles.

The Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20 reveals God's specific mission for every believer's life, yet only 17% of Christians know what it is. Jesus gave His disciples four key elements: His complete authority over all things, the call to reach all nations and people groups, the responsibility to teach all truth including baptism and Scripture, and the promise that He is always with us through the Holy Spirit. God has placed each of us in a specific sphere of influence - our workplace, neighborhood, or community - where we can impact others through prayer, care, and sharing our faith. The Great Commission isn't just for pastors or missionaries; it's God's game plan for every believer to make disciples using their unique gifts and circumstances.

Easter reveals a profound truth about God's mathematics: Empty Cross + Empty Tomb = Full Life. While we often try to fill our hearts with temporary things like money, approval, or success, these are like broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Jesus emptied Himself on the cross, taking our punishment for sin, and rose from the dead to offer us abundant life. The women who discovered the empty tomb learned that God knows exactly what we're looking for, even when we don't. Through Christ's sacrifice and resurrection, we can exchange our emptiness for His fullness, finding true satisfaction in the living water only He provides. He is risen indeed!

George Wright, Senior Pastor of Shades Mountain Baptist Church, shares that Habakkuk models authentic faith in times of crisis, bringing honest doubts to God, trusting His sovereignty, and embracing the truth that the just shall live by faith.