April 23, 2025

Viewing all things through the lens of the True and the beautiful!

Happy Easter, family! He is risen! It is more than a refrain—It is a life-changing reality that moves you from certain death to eternal life! He is risen indeed, and you are raised to life in Him!

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The True

Undefeated and Undisputed

As the sun rose over the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday, several thousand of us gathered to celebrate the central figure of all history—Jesus of Nazareth. It was our family’s first time to attend this particular sunrise service. But of course, we rose early and gathered to celebrate not because Jesus, like each of us, lived and then died. We gathered because Jesus, unlike each of us, rose to life again and forever defeated the undefeated grave!

When a boxer has never lost, he is deemed undefeated. When he holds every major championship at the same time, he is deemed undisputed. He is declared the unified champion. When God raised His Son Jesus from the dead, He declared that what had been previously undefeated was now fully conquered! He declared that you, because of His Son, are now eternally free.

As you reflect on this truth so central to your faith, be forewarned: There are many who will dispute what was accomplished that day. You will be told there is another way. You will be encouraged to consider the suggestion that Jesus was perhaps a great man, but not quite who He claimed to be—the Son of the living God.

Here is the simple-yet-astounding, undefeated, and undisputed Truth for this week: Jesus is alive, and He lives in you!

It is an undefeated truth because it conquers and quells what was previously unbeatable.

It is undisputed not because all mankind has surrendered to its authority (it has not), but because it fulfilled the law and prophecies in one act (Matt. 5:17)! Jesus is the unified answer to the grave!

My friend, the grave comes for each of us. It will come for you one day, and it will come for me. Without Resurrection Sunday, the grave would still be undefeated, and the reality that it is coming for you would be crippling. But death has lost its sting (1 Cor. 15:55-57)! The power of the grave is no more! What was once your certain and permanent final resting place is now nothing more than the symbol of your undefeated and undisputed champion, Jesus Christ!

The grave is undefeated, save One. Because of that One, you are an heir of eternity (Titus 3:7)!

U.S.

Deportation Dispute

A legal dispute over deportations of alleged gang members continues to brew, as the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to temporarily pause the deportations while a challenge to the President’s authority to remove the detainees without full due process continues. The President claims authority under the Alien Enemies Act to deport some individuals without a review process and says it is “not possible . . . to give everyone a trial,” while the litigants claim the speedy deportations deny individuals the opportunity to contest their removal. The Court’s temporary order was agreed to by a vote of 7-2, with Justices Alito and Thomas dissenting.

Analysis and eternal perspective: It might be the most divisive story in the nation at the moment. One side correctly and boldly asserts that national security requires violent criminals be prohibited from entering or staying in the United States. The other side correctly and boldly states that if unsympathetic defendants do not have due process rights, then nobody does.

It is a common refrain here at The Equipped, but consider a sincere question: Have you given due consideration to each of the arguments above?

Proverbs 18:17 says, “In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.” Here is the “problem” with that biblical command: It challenges and threatens our personal opinions and our desired outcomes.

If you desire the speedy removal of those with a higher likelihood of gang affiliation, that understandable preference is threatened by the suggestion of full due process rights. If you desire the stringent defense of due process rights, that understandable preference is threatened by the suggestion there are more violent detainees than time to hear their challenges.

Much of the coverage of this story—and certainly most of the social media interaction around it—amplifies one of these two arguments and minimizes the other. As we in The Equipped family work to model a better way, let’s be intensely honest with ourselves. Have we fully considered arguments from both sides to determine which are valid?

Further, let’s pray specifically for those charged with responsibilities in this dispute. The President has a duty to defend national security and comply with the law, and the Supreme Court has a duty to balance a president’s foreign affairs authority with an individual’s right to defend against charges. These are not small responsibilities, and we should pray for those shouldering them.

U.S.

Shooting on Campus

Two people are dead and six injured after a shooting on the campus of Florida State University. The gunman is believed to be a 20-year-old student. Law enforcement officers shot and detained the suspect just a few minutes into the shooting, likely saving lives. While the gunman is hospitalized, his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Analysis and eternal perspective: The brokenness is everywhere. It seems impossible to fathom each time a violent act like this occurs. And yet, given the brokenness, it also feels inevitable. What are you, a Jesus follower, to do with that complicated juxtaposition?

John 16:33 says, “In this world you will have trouble.” It is a certainty. But it is not a license to fear or simply concede to the trouble. It is, in fact, an invitation to “take heart” and “have peace,” because your God says, “I have overcome the world.”

You, a broken person, live in a very broken world. But there is way for your heart to be strengthened and fortified. There is a way to operate in a manner of peace even when it shouldn’t be possible. It is not by trying harder or learning new “coping” skills. It is achieved by yielded to the One who has overcome the present world and who has gone ahead to prepare you a place in the world that is to come (Jn. 14:3).

World

Death of a Pope

Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88. Francis’s death comes after more than 12 years at the helm of the church, and a few weeks after being diagnosed with double pneumonia. He made a public appearance on Easter Sunday and also met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and died Monday morning. There will be several days of mourning, after which a new pope will be selected.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Many are mourning this week, and we in The Equipped family should mourn with them.

Whether pope or pauper, each of us—should our Lord tarry—will die (Heb. 9:27). It is a truth worth remembering as we reflect on this story and on the Truth—capital T—of Resurrection Sunday.

Much of the human experience is survival instinct. We breathe, eat, drink, sleep, and more, all for the aim of surviving. Then we die. It is a universal truth that death remains undefeated—save one!

Last Friday, I hope you took some time to sit in and meditate on the sacrifice that was your Savior’s death. He paid the ultimate sacrifice when He could have dictated another way of saving you. Why? Because of His great love (Eph. 2:4-5)! Your Savior knew the taste of death that is in store for each of us.

On Sunday, however, I hope you reveled in the victory that is an eternal conquering of sin and death! While Easter—or Resurrection Sunday—is our collective celebration that Jesus is alive, it is also a Truth that should animate your every moment! It is as true today as it was on that day!

So, as we mourn with those who mourn, let us do so in a manner appropriately embracing the eternal life that is ours in Jesus!

The Beautiful

Fields of Jubilance

It is the season to be outdoors (well, except for the pollen)! Life is springing up in abundance everywhere you look, and the beauty of creation is in full bloom. The seasons are a gift from the Creator, so be sure to pause long enough this week to soak in the gift of beauty that is Spring!

“Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them” (Ps. 96:12).