"Up from the grave he arose, with a mighty triumph o'er his foes; he arose a victor from the dark domain, and he lives forever, with his saints to reign. He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!" - United Methodist Hymnal, no. 322
Early in the morning the women came to the tomb. Their purpose was to anoint the body of Jesus. Expecting to find his body, instead they found the stone covering the entrance of the tomb rolled back. And inside, no body! The gospel of John details Mary of Magdala asking the gardener where the body has been taken. Her response couldn't grasp the possibility that the reason Jesus' body was not present was because he had risen from the dead!
Hallelujah! The Lord is risen! He has risen indeed! What appeared to be final instead proved only temporary. When Jesus' broken and battered body was placed in the tomb, despair only increased. The words about him rising from the dead were forgotten. Forlorn and sad, the joy of being near him was gone. But, God had the final answer: God raised him from the dead! Up from the grave he arose indeed! Hallelujah!
This Easter morning, we sing the joyous songs of resurrection. "Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia! Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!" (UMH, no. 302). Oh, the glories of Easter! When all seems hopeless, when only bleakness persists, God turns the world upside down! Light from dark, wholeness out of brokenness.
Jesus' forlorn cry from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?", was answered in the empty tomb. And God hears - and acts upon - our plaintive cries of lostness. When all seems hopeless, God has the final word. Easter is that promise. Today, as we sing and celebrate, as we celebrate Holy Communion, we are reminded that God's work in Christ brings healing. God's work in Christ lifts us from despair to the fullness of life.
You and I have been called to spread the Easter message: To the hopeless and the lost, to those caught in the mire of broken relationships, to all those who see life as not worth living. We are to carry the message of Christ's resurrection saying that in him is new life. In him can be found hope. In him we know God's love, grace, and mercy as we can in no other way. Easter! A time of celebration! A time of joy! And a time to remember. Indeed, Christ the Lord has risen today. Alleluia! See you on this Easter journey.
Grace and peace,
Mike
April 5, 2015