Tonight’s family service had the theme ‘Resurrection!’ (what else could we talk about on Easter Sunday?!), and there is a sense in which it’s perfect to have Easter Sunday on April Fool’s Day as we contemplate the foolishness of God being wiser than human wisdom! (see 1 Cor 1:18-25) The resurrection is no hoax, though, and is the basis of the confidence and hope we have as Christians that Christ’s sacrificial death has been accepted by God and we are now reconciled to God, our sins forgiven and new life given to us.
The amazing thing about the resurrection is that Jesus proclaimed he was ‘the resurrection and the life’ (John 11:25) long before He was raised from the dead. The story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44) gives us a demonstration of His power during His lifetime, but also shows us how to live with doubt, uncertainty and unbelief, because Jesus was not daunted by the situation of Lazarus dying in the way that everyone else was. He knows all about suffering and sorrow (see Is 53:3, Heb 4:15-16) and His own experience on the cross shows us clearly that there is no escape from these in this world. However, Good Friday is not the end of the story. Jesus rose from the grave to demonstrate His complete mastery over death, sin and the devil, and we can therefore have hope in the darkest of situations, for we serve a risen Saviour. ‘I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.’ (Rev 1:18)
So what? What difference does it make that Jesus is alive?
- It reminds us that God is powerful – if He is strong enough to raise Jesus from the dead, He is strong enough to sort out all the chaos in our lives.
- It gives us hope that whilst we might be lost in the mystery of life at the moment, unable to see what God is doing or how things can possibly be worked out for good, He is able to make a way where there is no way, since to Him the future is already a memory because He’s already there. (‘Already There’)
- It provides us with an anchor for our souls, giving us stability and security in an ever-shifting world of uncertainty and doubt.
- It gives us purpose because Jesus has entrusted us with a job to do, going into all the world and making disciples of all nations. (Matt 28:18-20)
- It gives us access to life – life that overflows with joy and hope (John 10:10), life that is everlasting (John 3:16).