It reads so casually we might miss it, yet it brings to us the incredible mystery of our Faith The apostle Peter said of Jesus in Acts 10:39, “They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him for the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.”

Excuse me? They what? And God what on the third day? They killed him but God raised him. Okay. If you say so. It reads like, “Please pass the butter They killed Jesus you know (can I have the salt, too) but God raised him from the dead.”

Of course it wasn’t quite that nonchalant but I am struck how such a radical and almost unbelievable event could be spoken of without a band playing in the background and without lights blinking and without some kind of incredible Hollywoodish-like fanfare. I mean, isn’t this huge? This isn’t huge. This is mammoth.

At the heart of our story is the remarkable truth, "they killed him but God raised him." And why did God raise him? Peter said it was so that everyone who would believe in Jesus would receive "forgiveness of sins through his name" (Acts. 10:43). Whatever we do for Jesus must make known the offer of His forgiveness. It is why He was raised from the dead. It is what the Father wants. It is what people of every race, creed and color need.

The apostle Peter tells us that wherever Jesus went, "he went…doing good and healing" (Acts 10:38). As His followers this is what we do, too. We don't just preach the Gospel of Jesus; we do good in the name of the Gospel of Jesus. We teach, we empower, we feed, we clothe, we lift human beings up to their full potential, a potential defined by that one day in history when the Father "raised him from the dead."

Go. You are forgiven. Now, do good in Jesus' name. Live the forgiven life and bring grace into your world.