Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
Our watchword for the week following Easter Sunday is taken from the Book of Revelation, Chapter verse 18, “I am the living One; I was dead and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades,” (NRSVB). Mary came to the tomb of Jesus, she was sobbing, because the stone was rolled away, the tomb looked empty, and she didn’t know who took his body away. She bowed down and looked into the tomb and there she saw two angels who asked why she was sobbing. While she was answering them, Jesus appeared and was standing behind her, asking her the same question. Through her tears and in her sorrow, for a short little while, she did not recognize his voice, for she did not expect that he was alive. Then Jesus said to her: Mary! And she turned around and saw him and cried with great joy: Rabboni! (John 20 verses 11 to 16). Jesus, who died on the Cross and was hurriedly laid in the tomb to comply with the laws of the Sabbath, rose as he promised, and appeared as the Lord, also, of the Sabbath. His death unlocked heaven’s gates for us and locked the gates of Hell and the Place of Death. Jesus said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in Me, although he or she will die, yet they shall live,” John 11 verse 25, (Amplified Bible). Jesus promised life after death, everlasting life. He showed that he had power to conquer death in humans when he raised Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus rose to live for a while longer on earth. After this miracle of life, Jesus died on the Cross. However, He resurrected after three days to ever-lasting life, and he will not die again, but will live in resurrection glory. This is the life that he promises us, the life that we attain through our death, when we ultimately will be raised to life everlasting with God. With the Christians through the ages we rejoice and say: Yes, Christ has truly risen!
The watchword for this Easter Sunday is taken from the Book of Exodus, Chapter 33 verse 14, “My presence will go with you and I will give you rest,” (NRSVB). Moses was given instruction by the Lord to go forward and continue to lead the people of Israel following their worshipping of the golden calf. God encouraged Moses and told him that he will keep on guiding him and give him the strength to lead this nation to the Promised Land. Moses asked God to show him some of His glory and God allowed him a glimpse of his back. Moses was greatly encouraged and went up the mountain and received the Laws of the Lord again. When Jesus was strengthened for his work on the Cross, He was transfigured on the Mountain, his face became radiant, as he dwelled with Moses and Elijah for a short while in glory, assured of God’s presence. This was witnessed by his three closest disciples. When Christ dwelled on earth as a human, his presence was localized. He could only be at one place at a time. Once Christ resurrected to the glorified presence, he was not contained. No tomb was able hold him, no door was able to lock him out, and no place or space could deny his presence. Christ’s presence is God’s presence for, with, in and under us. The knowledge of God’s being with us gives us peace, even in times of turmoil. We know that we are with him and will always be with him. Ultimately, we will also not be contained in the tomb, and confined to a specific space or place, but we will live in resurrection glory.
As Jesus prepared his disciples for his death and resurrection, He told them, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come back to you. Just a little while now, and the world will not see Me any more, but you will see Me: because I live, you will live also,” John 14 verses 18 and 19, (Amplified Bible). When we see Jesus with eyes of faith, we live.
Jesus, you won death and destroyed its sting and power. We praise you, Alleluia!