It is a memorial, a remembrance, a snapshot from the past, yet so very much more. It is the living reality that Christ did not just die for mankind—He rose again from the dead and He did not just rise again—He sent His Holy Spirit into our hearts whereby we can cry ‘Abba Father’ and are changed by the Love of the living God.
His voice still echoed around Calvary Mountain as the blood flowed down. The veil was rent, the earth shook, the rocks split, the tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life—all this before Christ was buried or raised again from the dead. Then after the resurrection those that rose from their graves went into town and appeared to many people. Glory to God many surely believed the message from dead men walking—how come in this day man won’t believe the living witnesses? The women gave the first shout of victory, but the disciples didn’t believe it—they had to go and see for themselves as every man does.
The naked Cross, the empty tomb, the angelic host—none of these are present to the eye today but when those who call themselves disciples of Christ begin to live as dead men walking, the resurrection power will open the eyes of the blind and stir the hearts of men to believe!
In his book Crying in the Wilderness Desmund Tutu writes: “Nothing could have been deader than Jesus on the Cross on the first Good Friday. And the hopes of his disciples had appeared to die with his crucifixion…And then Easter happened. Jesus rose from the dead. The incredible, the unexpected happened. Life triumphed over death, light over darkness, love over hatred, good over evil. That is what Easter means—hope prevails over despair. Jesus reigns as Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Oppression and injustice and suffering can’t be the end of the human story.”
May His resurrection power fill your hearts to
overflowing this glorious Easter season.
