He Is Risen…

…He is risen indeed.

It’s a bit surreal for me this morning. Even though I have not associated myself with institutional Christianity for a number of years, I realized this morning that this is the first Easter (Resurrection Sunday, for the purists) in decades that I have not actually been involved in a structured church gathering. When I lived in Tulsa, we celebrated in house church. Even since coming here, I managed to find myself in congregation on Easter Sunday for the past few years because I was helping out with worship. Last Easter was my last day to lead worship at my friends’ church plant, as I sort of broke in their new worship leader they’d hired. So this is literally the first time I’ve had an Easter Sunday with no responsibilities since I was probably in my early teens. Kind of nice, kind of relaxing, but kind of surreal, also.

For one thing…for this Resurrection Day, at least, I can spend a little time reflecting on its meaning, rather than being consumed with whatever I have to do to make the experience special for others. And as I sit here with my coffee reflecting on this, the one thing that stands out about Christ and His resurrection from the dead is this: there is always hope.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ was probably the single most powerful act that the universe has experienced since its beginnings. Remarkably, Jesus wasn’t the first person to be raised from the dead; we know this because at the very least, Jesus raised a few people Himself while He walked the earth, and the Biblical record indicates that the prophet Elisha raised at least one person. But Christ’s resurrection was more than someone being dead and coming back to life. The plan of God was to send His Son to die, be buried, and to be raised for the purpose of redeeming mankind from our sins. This was the one thing that the powers of hell would have resisted more than anything else. That, to me, is what makes this resurrection so powerful–not the act of rising from the dead in itself, but considering that all the powers of darkness were standing in resistance, and Jesus rose anyhow.

If that can happen, against all odds and against all resistance–anything is possible. That is why the resurrection of Christ is such a sign of hope.

As I’ve lived my life, I realize that many times things don’t work out the way we expect them to. But I have also seen many times when things looked hopeless that something unexpected happened to turn it around. I’m going through something right now that isn’t what I’d call a crisis, but could turn out to have a pretty sad ending. But I look at the resurrection, and I know that whatever happens, it is not hopeless.

Christ is risen. There is always hope.