He Is Not Here¡ªHe Has Risen!
Matthew 28:6 (NASB?) ¡°He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.¡±
One year, I was asked to be on a television program in the days leading up to Easter. It wasn¡¯t a Christian station or program, but I was glad to participate and talk about Easter. When the production team called, they said, ¡°We want to do a short segment on Easter, just three or four minutes.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I said. Then they said, ¡°This isn¡¯t a religious program.¡± I replied, ¡°Yes, I know, but Easter is about Jesus of Nazareth. He died on a Roman cross, and God raised Him to life again. That¡¯s the story of Easter. That¡¯s why we celebrate.¡± They said, ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to talk to the program manager and call you back.¡± Unsurprisingly, I never heard from them again. I¡¯m not opposed to the secular things that are a part of Easter. Bunnies, egg hunts, and candy just give me an opening to talk about Jesus. But the real story is, ¡°He is not here. He has risen!¡± That is the wonderful truth about Easter that our friends and neighbors desperately need to hear.
THINK ABOUT IT Without the resurrection of Jesus from death, His birth and sacrifice on the cross would not be sufficient to offer us eternal redemption. Let¡¯s celebrate Jesus¡¯ resurrection!
PRAYER Heavenly Father, thank You for Your great love in sending Your Son, Jesus, who offered Himself so I might be redeemed and enjoy eternal life with You. Jesus is alive! I rejoice that the same Spirit that brought Jesus out of the tomb is alive within me today. In His name, amen. |