David Vance SubstackRead More
When they say “No Kings”, I utterly reject that. I have one King and today is a very special day if you hold the Christian faith as it is the day we celebrate Christ rising from the tomb, overcoming death, and offering the chance of salvation to us all.
Easter Sunday is the most important day in the Christian calendar because it celebrates Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead. For Christians, today confirms Jesus’ victory over sin and death, and it is the basis of their hope for salvation and eternal life.
I find it a joyful day, awe-inspiring and humbling all in equal measure.
It’s JOYFUL because is the triumph over death. Jesus had been crucified on Good Friday and his body put in a tomb, sealed with a stone.
According to the Gospel accounts, Mary Magdalene was amongst the first to see that Jesus’ body was gone. She ran to tell Peter and John, while the other women remained at the tomb. There, they encountered angels who told them not to be afraid and explained that Jesus had risen from the dead, just as he had said he would. The women were then instructed to tell the disciples the good news.
Peter and John hurried to the tomb and saw for themselves that it was empty. Later, Mary Magdalene stayed behind and met the risen Jesus, who told her to go and share the message with the disciples. How blessed was she? In another account, Jesus also appeared to the women and told them to tell his followers to go to Galilee, where they would see him.
Today is the turning point from the grief and confusion of Good Friday to joy, hope, and belief in the resurrection. It fills me with Joy.
The awe-inspiring element is that Christ conquered death. People speculate where did Jesus go when he died on the Cross on Good Friday. But he made it clear beforehand when he said to the repentant thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). This shows his spirit immediately entered God’s presence, not a place of torment. Death had no control over him at any point. If we believe in Christ, it has no dominion over us either and I find that so amazing.
And the humbling bit is that us sinful men and women can have instant forgiveness and the prospect of eternal life IF we confess our sins and believe in Christ. It’s a simple deal but the consequences are forever.
May I wish you all a very Happy Easter and I will return tomorrow.
