He Has Risen!

Happy Easter? No, Glorious Easter! This morning in church, we listened to Abusa Jaffett (Pastor Jaffet) preach on our risen Savior. Pastor Jaffett is the associate pastor of a small church in the Chilenje compound. In his sermon, the pastor said, “He has Risen. That is Fact!” I then went back and read Mark 16:9-13. Listen to the account of Christ’s resurrection: “When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene…She went and told those who had been with him and who were morning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.” These same men who had walked with Jesus, seen his miracles and experienced His love, did not believe that he had risen. And what was their reaction? Hopelessness. It says that they were morning and weeping.

I then started thinking about the disciples after they finally did believe that He had Risen, and after they had received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter who had denied Christ 3 times at the crucifixion, preached with boldness and eventually suffered a martyr’s death. In fact, 11 of the 12 disciples suffered death for refusing to deny their faith in the risen Christ.

What changed? Why did these scared 12 who were initially in hiding because of their associations with Jesus turn into the bold 12? Because He had Risen. There is no other explanation. What I was reminded of is that without the resurrection, there is hopelessness, but with it there is Faith. Without the resurrection there is mourning, but with it there is Joy. Without the resurrection there is fear, but with it there is boldness.

That then got me thinking about my own walk with the Lord. What if the fact that He has Risen was at the forefront of my thoughts? What if it guided my every action? I must confess, a lot of my days are not lived in the reality that He has Risen. But what if they were? Wouldn’t I look different? Would I not approach life differently, with a joy that surpasses comprehension and a boldness that is willing to lay everything down for the sake of the gospel? These are just some of the things that God has had me thinking about as we celebrate our first Easter in Zambia.

May you be encouraged this day that the grave is empty and He has Risen.