He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:6 NIV
Have you ever asked yourself the question, "What If?" What if I made that decision instead of this decision? How would my life be different?
On Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Gathering in our places of worship, we resound the chorus; “He is Risen!” But what if the resurrection never happened. What if, instead, Jesus died, was buried and that Sunday morning, the tomb remained sealed? Upon opening the door, there lay the body of Jesus, ready for the anointing spices. That would be it, the end, finito! Jesus would be just another well-intentioned prophet, and his message, if recorded at all, would have faded into history. Without the resurrection, we would have no hope of redemption. Fated to live in sin, die and go to hell.
But, that is not what happened. In descending into hell, the sinless Christ defeated the sin that leads to certain death and arose victoriously. Here’s the essential thing to remember, Jesus is alive! We don’t serve some dead god or something formed by man, but a living God who loves us despite our sin. Through our faith in our Lord's resurrection, we are offered freedom from the bondage of sin and promised eternal life.
Almighty God, we thank you for the risen Christ. In his suffering, death, and resurrection, we are offered deliverance from the chains of sin and certain death. Father, help us as we live in faith and continually seek your presence in all things. Give us courage and boldness to share the resurrection story of your Son, and fill us with your Holy Spirit. We pray this in the name of our risen Christ. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
Note: I will be away for a week beginning, Monday, April 18th. During this time I will not be publishing a daily devotion.
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