He is Not Here...He is Risen!

On this blessed day, let’s put ourselves in Mary Magdalene’s shoes as she came upon the empty grave that spring morning so many years ago.  Can you imagine her surprise when she rounded the last corner and saw the stone already rolled away?!  Or how do you think Peter was feeling when he ran into the tomb and found the linen cloths empty?!  And can you picture Mary’s joy and amazement when she discovered that the man talking with her in the garden was the risen Christ?!

This day, Resurrection Sunday, is a day of rejoicing and celebration, for it marks the remembrance of history’s greatest event as Jesus broke the power of death and rose victorious from the grave, forever conquering the devil and giving us the opportunity to spend eternity with Him.  And now He is seated at the Father’s right hand making intersession for us and defending us before the accusations of the evil one.   Hallelujah!!!

However, there is a choice we must make.  For though Jesus bore the punishment for our sins upon the cross and conquered death so that we may join Him in eternity, we must choose to accept the sacrifice He made and believe that He has indeed risen from the dead.  For eternal life and personal relationship with God is a gift, one bought with a high price—the blood of Christ—and like all gifts that are given, we must accept it, open it, and then use it for it to become ours.  So I ask you, have you confessed your need for a Savior and accepted the gift of God’s Son, and have you started a relationship with the One who defeated death so many years ago and is preparing an eternal home for all who believe in Him?  If not, will you choose today to accept this gift the Father has given and is extending to you and open it and then begin to use it?

​And for those who have already made that life-changing decision, don’t let the joy and power of the resurrection overshadow the pain, anguish, and unfathomable love of the cross or vice versa, because we cannot have one without the other.  For the death of Christ paid our ransom, and His resurrection brought reconciliation between man and God and victory from death, and we need both to walk in fellowship with the Father.  So let us not forget either, for the cross symbolizes forgiveness and unconditional love while the empty grave reminds us of our eternal hope and the power of God to conquer death, but let us put both of them ever before us as we navigate this broken world and press on towards the finish line where we shall finally see Him face to face.