04/20/2025
Easter morning has arrived, and the tomb of Jesus Christ stands empty; the sorrow of Good Friday, and the solemn silence of yesterday is over because Jesus Has Risen! This moment is the pinnacle of our faith on earth. Can we carry it with us always; even into our various valleys… into the valley of the shadow of death?
“While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.”
John 12:36 ESV
So often we find ourselves on a spiritual mountaintop where all is good and we feel the close communion with the Lord, only to return to our past lives and their mundane hopes when we descend from the summit. But on this day Jesus rose, and we have been offered a place at the Lord’s table as the sons of light! Once accepted, how can we ever be less again?
This morning, I read the following words of Pastor Oswald Chambers and they thrilled me. He was speaking of our decision to follow Jesus and our faith that this hour of Christ’s resurrection is our "high hour" in Him.
"Don't cave in because you have been baffled once, get at it again. Burn your bridges behind you, and stand committed to God by your own act. Never revise your decisions, but see that you make your decisions in the light of the high hour." - Oswald Chambers
Paul also writes of this "high hour" in his letter to the Ephesians. As we read his words, we are led to ask ourselves... how can we possibly realize that Jesus has risen and ever be tempted to return to the mundane life we lived before we accepted this knowledge as truth?
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”
Ephesians 2:4-6 ESV
We read in the Holy Word about the miracles and deeds of Jesus, and if on no other account we believed in Him through our faith that these things are true... that would be enough, but on this morningthe stone is rolled away, and He has risen. On this morning His obedient actions and suffering have been transformed by grace and He has given Himself as the Perfect Lamb of God to redeem us.
“Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.”
John 14:11 ESV
So why is it that we can leave those things that we have been asked to do in our lives unfinished? How can we justify our living for anything other than Him? If His life is truth, and his redemption is fact, then our dedication to follow Him should be unshakeable... and yet we wander. Our human shortcomings need to be overcome and in the face of our weakness we need to turn once again toward the cross; we need to gaze into the empty tomb, and place our fingers into His wounds. In this, our faith will be reinvigorated and our lax dedication to Him shored up.
Jesus Christ has risen and we are saved, washed clean in His blood, the blood of the Lamb. By grace we are redeemed, born in love a sacrifice has been made.
Prayer:
Father, on this day of grace, and victory, I thank you. I praise you and lift up the name of Jesus; my savior; your Son. Without blemish He offered Himself for me, and on this day those many years ago, He arose from death to seal the victory over the sins of the world. I have wept for His suffering but today I shout His victorious name towards the east and feel the joy of your Holy Spirit welling up in me. His love for me is unmatched, and yet I try to love Him as He loves me. All I have to offer falls short, my greatest possession is love, and so, standing here before the empty tomb, I lay it at His feet. Holy is the name of Jesus, and praised always is your grace and mercy. This day will be remembered forever as the "high hour" of faith, and in it I will resolve to serve you always. The prophetic words of Christ have now been realized, and eternal life stands before us. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who was, and is, and is to come. Holy are you who now shares eternity with us in Jesus Christ. Standing in your presence we will praise you, honor you, give you all the glory, and love you with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. In your care and loving embrace, we will find comfort, peace, and joy always. Today we stand in the fullness of time with Jesus and worship you with Him, the heavenly host, and all of creation. Hear our voices as we lift you up in our prayers and sing blessings to your Son Jesus… today we remember Him and believe that He is your unblemished lamb, the bread of life, and dove of peace. Praised be your name Father, and great the grace you have poured over us through Jesus!
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, and Amen!
“"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 ESV
“And he [Jesus] took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.””
Luke 22:19-20 ESV
Rich Forbes