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Dear
Saints:
The
wait is nearly over.
It's
almost Easter — the most important day of the year on the
liturgical calendar — the most important day in history —
the most important day in your life and mine.
And
to think that we are its beneficiaries — amazingly! — by
grace through faith in the One who died and rose
again — for us.
Thus
declares the psalmist:
"This
is the day that the Lord has made;
let
us rejoice and be glad in it."
(Psalm
118:24, NRSV)
Thus
declares the apostle Paul:
"Death
has been swallowed up in victory."
"Where,
O death, is your victory?
Where,
O death, is your sting?"
The
sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks
be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1
Corinthians 15:54d-57, NRSV)
Dr.
George Sweeting tells of an incident in the early 1920s when
Communist leader Nikolai Bukharin was sent from Moscow to Kiev to
address an anti-God rally. For an hour he abused and ridiculed the
Christian faith until it seemed as if the whole structure of belief
was in ruins. Then questions were invited.
An
Orthodox church priest rose and asked to speak. He turned, faced the
people, and gave the Easter greeting, "He is risen!"
Instantly the assembly rose to its feet and the reply came back loud
and clear, "He is risen indeed!" (Today
in the Word, September, 1989, p. 8)
Because
of Easter we have (as the old Gospel hymn goes) "victory in
Jesus" — victory over
death — victory over sin — victory over
the Devil. And it's nearly upon us! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Grace
and peace,
Pastor
Larry |
