“Easter Sunday is over – Now what?”
Easter Sunday is over for another year…or is it? The actual 24-hour period may have elapsed, but you will decide whether the news of that historic day is meaningful or not.
Resurrection Sunday is my preferred reference to Easter Sunday. We all can pass the story on to our children, grandchildren, and friends. The women went to the tomb where the body of Jesus had been laid after dying on the cross. As Mary Magdalene and the other Mary looked into the tomb, they heard the voice of an angel, “Do not be afraid, for I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, JUST AS HE SAID” (Mark 28:1-6).
The Bible says, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). Many of us are well versed when it comes to speaking about the death and resurrection of Jesus, yet often forget that because He lives, we live. Romans 8:11 states that the Spirit of God who raised Jesus lives in believers and will also give life to their mortal bodies.
Ephesians 1:19 – 20 highlights that the same power that raised our Lord from the dead is same power that forgives sin and comes into one’s heart and life the moment they repent. It’s this same Spirit that following forgiveness begins renewing our mind, provides another path for us to follow with clear directions. It’s this powerful Spirit God places within us that helps us love the unlovable, to cancel the “I can’t” syndrome and replaces it with, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”
The Resurrection story isn’t one to tell once a year. It’s a story of redemption, forgiveness, and transformation. It’s a story every believer repeats day after day by the way they live their life. “He is Risen! – He is Risen indeed!” Just as new life came to Jesus after he died, new life comes to us as we die to sin and become a new creature in Christ Jesus. Do you believe it? Let your life prove it by the way you live.
Pastor Carnes
