“The story of God’s self-sacrifice...is the story with a cross at its center but not at its end: its plot moves toward the upsetting of all things, the Great Reversal in which the dead Jesus was raised from the tomb, and along with him our hope that death be swallowed up by life eternal.”
Those words by Donald McCullough in The Wisdom of Pelicans remind us once again as we approach Easter, that it was the great reversal. One might dare to even characterize it as “The World’s Greatest Upset.” Certainly, Satan and his host of demons experienced it as such. The grave could not contain the crucified Christ for long.
Easter is a yearly reminder that God’s plans cannot be thwarted. What God wills he will accomplish; despite all of the contraindications we may perceive. We should be reminded of God’s resurrection power, not just annually on Easter Sunday, but weekly, “on the first day of the week.” Each Sunday when we gather for worship, we gather because of the accomplishment of the Great Reversal, that those who were formerly sinners, alienated from God, now can come as a beloved child of God. This is all because of the saving work of Jesus Christ. His resurrection from the grave secures our salvation.
The resurrection of our Lord Jesus is our hope of a great reversal against the sickness, decay and death in this present world. The Apostle Peter writes: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, (1 Peter 1:3-4 NIV).
The Apostle Paul instructs us about the importance and impact of Jesus’ resurrection in chapter in 1 Corinthians 15. It will be well worth your effort to read through this great chapter. In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul comforts us with the reality of a resurrected intercessor – Jesus (Romans 8:34).
As we embrace the Christ of the Great Reversal, we undergo our own upsets too. The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:15: And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (NIV)
This Easter season, amidst the abundance of secular ‘rabbit trails’ in the marketplace, let us rejoice in the power of God demonstrated through the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. The fact that we serve a risen Savior is a claim that sets Christianity apart from other religions. As you read through Dr. Luke’s Acts in the New Testament, one of the great themes of the apostles’ preaching was that Jesus died and rose from the grave (see Acts 2:24; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40-41; 13:30, 34, 37; 17:3, 31; 26:23).
Therefore, let us take the opportunities that God brings before us to testify that our lives have been changed through the risen Jesus. May we gain a deeper appreciation for Jesus’ resurrection and its results in the lives of His followers this year.
