Dear Fellowship Family,

“He is not here; he has risen!” (Luke 24:6-7) That small proclamation brings great joy to my soul! I can only imagine the elation Jesus’s disciples felt when they learned that their beloved leader and teacher, who had two days before been so brutally beaten and tormented to the point of death, had fulfilled his promise and was risen!

As a Christ-follower, Easter is undoubtedly my favorite day of the year. It is a day filled with many emotions. There is sadness at the realization of the suffering Jesus endured on our behalf; humility that He would die for us while we were still sinners; hope in the promise that those who believe will one day be reunited with Him; and an overwhelming gratitude for the free gift of salvation. However, the gift that is free to us came at a great cost to God – He gave His one and only son. As a parent, thinking of His sacrifice is heartbreaking. Trying to wrap my mind around the kind of “agape” love that He has for us is unfathomable. God intentionally sacrificed his Son because He desired what was best for us. He saw what we needed, and no cost was too high.

While God’s gift of salvation is free, discipleship and following Christ comes at a cost to us. Jesus very clearly explains this in Luke 14:25-30:

²⁵ A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, ²⁶ “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

²⁸ “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? ²⁹ Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. ³⁰ They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’

“Don’t begin until you count the cost.” Throughout the Bible, we repeatedly see that those commissioned by God and invited to follow Jesus did so at a personal cost. Abraham gave up his land, left his family, and endured many obstacles as he trusted in the promises of God. Moses, who fled after killing an Egyptian, was forced to reenter Egypt to rescue God’s people. Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den because of his faith and commitment to God! As Peter states in Matthew 19:27, the disciples gave up everything to follow Jesus. But if we read just a bit further in verses 28 and 29, Jesus clearly explains that to lose is to gain:

²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

If it hasn’t already, at some point following Jesus may cost you something: a friendship, a career, a relationship with a family member, a community you love, personal ambitions or plans. But this weekend as we gather to celebrate our Risen Savior, may we remember the price He paid for us and find peace in knowing that what we gain eternally by choosing Jesus is far more precious than what we may lose on earth.

Celebrating Our Risen Savior,

Dr. Kathryn M. Teston

Head of School