A strong Christian leader I knew passed a couple of years ago. She had a local and international ministry influencing tens of thousands through her love for Jesus. She once wrote a poem call ‘To be continued’. Her life will continue past the 70 plus years she enjoyed in this world because HE IS RISEN, Jesus has conquered the grave. This reality gives hope in the face of death. We can all have life fully restored without pain or hardship in the life ‘to be continued’.
The great enemy of humans is death. Despite attempts to cryogenically freeze humans we are no closer to producing eternal life by our own efforts. Our society struggles to speak about or understand death. We hope our loved ones will be in heaven, many feeling they are 'looking down on us'. We long to be reconnected to our loved ones. At times this can cause us to pursue spiritual paths which don't provide the hope and certainty we crave.
At that first Easter we see God meet us at our greatest need. We see Jesus defeat our common enemy, death, by rising to life after his crucifixion 2 days earlier.
1 Corinthians 15, the earliest written source attesting to these event, teaches us a number of key things to satisfy the deepest longings of our soul:
1. The Scriptures predicted Jesus would die and rise again and it happened.
2. There were multiple occasions and several hundred witnesses to this fact, even 500 people in one instance.
3. Paul, a hostile terrorists of Christians, encountered Jesus and converted from Judaism to follow Him
4. Jesus said that he will return one day in the future – to be advised.
5. Because Jesus rose from the dead those who trust in Him can also be resurrected from the dead to eternal life.
Christians speak of their experience of living the resurrection life. It is the reality of God living within through the Holy Spirit, guiding and empowering our everyday lives. It gives us hope in the difficulties of life and a hope for an eternity with God when all will be made new. Perhaps this Easter will be a time for you to connect with the God of the resurrection?
You may like to attend one of the local Easter services; there is information within this edition of The Way. I would also be happy to discuss your own journey with God and questions about the hope of Easter.
“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20)
Wishing you and your family a wonderful Easter,
Rev Jim Dayhew
College Chaplain
