He Is Risen!

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“The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”- St. Matthew 28:5-6. Easter, or Pascha, is the oldest and most significant Christian celebration, commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion. When mankind sinned through Adam, God immediately put in place a plan for the redemption of our sins. Easter symbolizes an unconditional love that only the son of God could demonstrate in the manner in which he died. Jesus went willingly to a cross so that we can inherit eternal life. We live in an era where everyone speaks of love; however, in almost all instances that love is conditional. Easter is that time of year when we feel especially close to God. Many of us are not at the place where we hope to be regarding our relationships with God. Those who profess otherwise are either fooling themselves or are pathological liars. The Christian walk is a journey; a work in progress. It is only through God’s grace and mercy which keeps us. It is because of Jesus’ sacrificial love why we are here today to celebrate His resurrection and ascendency to Heaven. The words spoken by the angel in the 28th chapter of St. Matthew are particularly comforting. The Gospels are all in agreement that Jesus rose from the dead. The Easter narrative is also comforting. It is this place of comfort that Jesus wants us to be as we live our lives in a glorious state of expectancy regarding His Second Coming. In the Old Testament, in Zechariah 12:10, the prophet prophesied: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” He is risen message provides humanity with a sense of hope like no other. It is that hope and reassurance given to us by Jesus’ resurrection that we know we will see our loved ones who died in Christ again. It is this hope chronicled in the Easter story that we know the ongoing pandemic will be defeated. Jesus’ resurrection is a powerful symbol of his victory over the grave. The Easter story provides humankind with a serenity of spirit that in the end all our trials and tribulations will be just a past memory. Jesus did not hide from us the fact that he would have been crucified. Just as in the Old Testament, the authors of the New Testament also foretold of Jesus ‘death and resurrection. In St. Luke 24:46-47, He told them, “this is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Among my favourite Easter songs are Resurrecting-Elevation Worship By Your Spirit I will rise, From the ashes of defeat, The resurrected king, Is resurrecting me. In your name I come alive, To declare Your victory, The resurrected king, Is resurrecting me. Todd Galberth-The Anthem-Resurrecting Hallelujah You have won the victory, Hallelujah You have won it all for me. Death could not hold You down, You are the risen King, Seated in majesty, You are the risen King. Easter is a time of rebirth and renewal. The empty tomb embodies Jesus’ victory over the devil, death and deception. Interestingly, we had fake news spreading in Biblical times just as we do now. The 28th chapter of St. Matthew verses 12-13, "when the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.” There are many who have questioned and continue to question the veracity of the Resurrection story because of what transpired more than two centuries ago when the guards were offered and accepted a bribe. The morale of the story is many will come to us offering us bribes, however, we must stand firm and rebuke those who wish for us to sell our birthright and our souls for some temporary pleasure. Not everything that glistens is worth accepting. Two colleagues shared their meaning of Easter. Donna, “it means a time of sacrifice where my life can be spared from sin eternal; to have life abundantly. This was the ultimate sacrifice for me and the world to understand true love; that agape love.” Troy, “if there was no resurrection, Jesus would not have been much different from the other prophets, a shadow of what was to come. So, it’s the fulfilling of God’s redemption plan.” Thank God that he loved us so much to have sent His only son to die on Calvary’s cross for you and me. In the words of Leon Morris, the same power that brought Christ back from the dead is operative within those who are Christ’s. The Resurrection is an ongoing thing.” - Leon Morris. Have a happy and reflective Easter. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo #Easter #ResurrectionSunday ©

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