Resurrection: The Key to Understanding Life
Imagine the disciples witnessing Jesus’ trial—his brutal beating and excruciating death, and finally, his burial in a sealed tomb. After all the jubilation and endless miracles, silence. Painful silence. It was the sudden end of all their hopes and dreams. The Messiah and their whole future was dead, buried, and gone. By the evening of Good Friday, that glorious promise and hope had become just one more illusion and disappointment, another mirage in the desert.
But the astonishing, extreme event of a few days later proved to be the ultimate vindication and validation of Jesus’ entire message and mission. His resurrection opened his disciples’ eyes to an entirely new dimension that transformed not only their personal view of life and the world, but turned everything on its head forever.
We never have to experience the devastating abandonment that they felt. We are blessed by the sure knowledge of Jesus’ resurrection and can apply it to anything and everything we don’t understand about our lives. In the death and resurrection of Jesus we understand that God is in charge of all that happens, regardless of human involvement. Nothing at all surprises him, throws him off course, or thwarts his ultimate decree. We can perceive much more behind the scenes, what God is doing in the midst of it.
So what Jesus’ resurrection means for all of us is this: what life snatches away from us on this earth—our hopes, dreams, health, career, reputation—Jesus has the power to give it all back, not only at the End of all things, but in the present.
Even if we lose our loved ones or our own lives, his life, given back to him on Easter morning, is the hope for eternal life for us. As he died so shall we die; as he rose from death so shall we; what good things life takes away from us, God gives back. A grand reunion and celebration awaits us. When this life ends, it is only the birth of our best life ever.
Easter is the very foundation and core of the Gospel itself, showing us how to interpret what happens in history—the Bible’s, the world’s, and our own personal histories. Without it, everything else in the Christian message is merely an interesting story or anecdote.
This is a message we can’t find anywhere else. As believers we have much to be grateful for and much to praise God for, as we allow this sure and certain hope to sink in and work its transforming power into all of life. If Easter doesn’t make our hearts beat faster and lift our eyes to all that is higher and better, nothing will.
If you are in town, I invite you to join us and celebrate this most spectacular event in the history of the world.
A very blessed Easter from our home to yours.
