He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!“Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here; he has risen!”
Luke 24:5b-6a NIV
I know lots of people who say Christmas is their favorite holiday, but not me. I love Easter because it is full of wonderful eternal hope!
When I was a child I use to wonder every Easter why “Good Friday” was called good. From my childish perspective people being mean to Jesus was not a good thing! What an incredible blessing it is that God can take our childish faith and over the years of walking with him he can open our eyes to the understanding of spiritual things and teach us His wonderful truth.
One of the things I love most about having God in my life is that when I look back over the years I see over and over again how God has continually drawn me to himself. I see how he has put people in my path, how he has led me from place to place and church to church. Each and every time I believe that the things that happened to me during that time was neither luck nor coincidence, but it was a divine appointment for me to encounter more of God as I continued my walk of faith. It was during these times that God was faithful to take my childish lack of understanding that comes from a secular world’s mindset and lead me into spiritual understanding of his truth. “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.” I Corinthians 13:11 NIV
You see, “Good Friday” is indeed good because it is the event that gives believers GLORIOUS HOPE for the future. Jesus is risen! Because Jesus has conquered death and is no longer in the tomb we are the recipients of a glorious eternal hope! “For surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.” Proverbs 23:18 NIV
I am grateful for the biblically recorded accounts of those who walked with Jesus and witnessed seeing him after the resurrection. Upon seeing the Lord Thomas said, “My Lord and my God.” Mary Magdalene cried, “I have seen the Lord.” John testifies that, “We have seen his glory.” Peter reports, “We are eyewitnesses to his majesty.” The cry of many of Jesus’ followers on that first Easter was, “He is risen, He is risen indeed!” These reports give us glorious hope! I thank God for the numerous eyewitness reports.
And now I ask you, what is more beautiful than an Easter sunrise? Throughout our life we may witness many magnificent sunrises but none can compare to the spectacular beauty of an Easter sunrise that is full of eternal hope! Sunrises and sunsets are both fabulous feasts for our eyes. I also believe that sunrises and sunsets are God’s unique way of reminding us in every morning sunrise of his resurrection. In every beautiful sunset God ends our day with a visual of his faithfulness both now and forever.
It is wonderful to know that this life is not all there is. Someday we too will behold Jesus Christ. What a day that will be! In addition, we will also see all the believers who have preceded us to heaven. The opposite side of this is no hope at all. Life without Jesus is hopeless. “Hope deferred makes a heart sick…” Proverbs 13:12 NIV
Jesus died on “Good Friday” to give us glorious hope in this life and throughout eternity. I challenge you to accept this hope and to teach it to your children and your grandchildren. Share this message with your co-workers and your neighbors. Meditate on this glorious hope each and every time you see an awesome sunrise and praise God for his love and faithfulness every time you witness a beautiful sunset. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 NIV Our glorious hope for our eternal heavenly future is what makes life worth living. He is risen! He is risen indeed! This is our glorious hope!
Questions:
Do you personally know the joy of this glorious hope?
Is there anything in this life that is more hopeful, more dependable?
What does this glorious hope mean to you?
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you so much that I have a glorious hope because you conquered the grave. I am filled with joy at the prospect of living with you forever and with the hope of seeing again my loved ones who have died knowing you as their personal Savior. Help me Lord not to keep this good news to myself but help me to be bold and share this amazing hope with those you put in my path. Thank you for pursuing me and for continuing to open my childish eyes to new truth every day.
In your name I pray. Amen.
