Salt Changes Everything

An Easter Message from Pastor Jady at Antioch Austin

Transitions Always Come with a Cost

Let’s be real: transitions aren’t easy.

Whether it’s becoming a parent, stepping into a new job, or facing heartbreak and loss—change carries both pain and opportunity. And Easter is a celebration of the greatest transition in human history: the moment Jesus went from death to life, and in doing so, made a way for us to move from knowing about God to knowing Him personally.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
—Romans 6:23

Jesus paid a price so that we could be free. And when we open our hearts to that gift, it changes everything.

A Story of Salt, Water, and New Life

2 Kings 2:19–22 - It’s a story about transition, legacy, and transformation.

The prophet Elijah has just been taken up into heaven, and Elisha is left holding his mentor’s cloak—and his calling. His very first act as the new prophet was a response to a desperate city with a poisoned water source:

“This town is well situated... but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”
—2 Kings 2:19

Elisha asks for a new bowl with salt in it, throws it into the spring, and declares:

“This is what the Lord says: I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.”

This wasn’t just a miracle. It was a prophetic picture of what God was going to do through Jesus.

Jesus Is the Salt That Heals

In Scripture, salt represents healing and purification. And just like Elisha’s salt transformed the spring, Jesus—the Salt of Heaven—came to purify the poisoned places in us. The areas marked by shame, addiction, fear, and despair. The sin that pollutes our purpose and potential.

Jesus doesn’t wait for us to fix ourselves. He walks into our mess, touches our brokenness, and makes us new.

“You Are the Salt of the Earth”

But Jesus didn’t just purify us. He gave us a new purpose.

“You are the salt of the earth… a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.”
—Matthew 5:13–14

If Jesus is our source, then we are now the salt He throws into the broken places of the world. The Church—you and me—are called to bring healing, hope, and restoration to the places where the water is bad and the land is unproductive.

And if that’s the case, then Austin isn’t just a city full of potential—it’s a city in need of healing.

We don’t exist to judge our city.
We exist to bless it, rebuild it, and see it restored.

In the City, For the City

Starting next week, we’re launching a new teaching series called In the city, For the City, where we’ll unpack who we are as a church and why we believe God has placed us here, now, and together. We’ll be answering these key questions:

Why Us?
Why Now?
Why Here?

We believe the answer lies in our purpose: to be salt and light right where we are. To step into the dark places with love, truth, and power—not because we’re perfect, but because Jesus is.

Take the Salt With You

As you leave today, we have a small salt shaker for you. Let it be a daily reminder:
You’ve been healed to become a healer.
You’ve been restored to be a restorer.
You are the salt of the earth—right here in Austin.

Let’s partner with Jesus to see our city transformed. We’re just getting started.

Easter Sunday: Salt Changes Everything