“You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter,He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.‟ ” Mark 16:5-7
Dearly beloved in Christ,
Greetings to you in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lent, Holy week and Easter are very much integral and most celebrated period in the life of a believer. More than realizing the real meaning of the season we are into a mode of celebration. Recently came across this story, A young man was about to graduate from High School. It was the custom in that neighborhood for the parents to give the graduate an automobile. Rony and his father had spent months looking at cars, and the week before graduation, they found the perfect car. On the eve of his graduation, his father handed him a gift wrapped Bible. Rony was so angry that he threw the Bible down and stormed out of the house. He and his father never saw each other again. It was the news of his father‟s death that brought Rony home again. As he sat one night going through his father’s possessions that he was to inherit, he come across the Bible his father had given him. He brushed away the dust and opened it to find a cashier‟s check, dated the day of his graduation in the exact amount of the car they had chosen together. As I thought about this story, I couldn’t help but wonder how many people in this world have done the same thing to God. Literally tossed aside a wonderful promise, because they didn’t understand it, or they didn’t believe that it was possible. The world around us is filled with empty promises that is not true. But the only living God has filled our lives with promises which are true and can be fulfilled by God alone. But at times we fail to recognize those real promises. That is what we even witness at the empty cross/tomb. Because the cross was empty, we have the promise of forgiven sins. It was on that cross that Jesus Christ offered his perfect, sinless life on behalf of each one of us. No one else, not Moses or Abraham, not David or Isaiah, no one else has ever lived perfectly and then offered his/her perfect life for our salvation. That is why the Bible tells us that there is no other name given under heaven by which we can be saved.
When Jesus Christ breathed his last, he cried out; “It is finished.” The penalty was paid. On that cross – that empty cross It was there, that his blood was spilt for our salvation. Before that fateful Friday, God could open the books and look up each name, and written in black were the words – “guilt of sin.” But when Jesus went to the cross, God literally transferred our accounts to His name. On that day, across every name he wrote in Jesus blood‟ “Forgiven-Forgiven -Forgiven.” The first “empty promise” of Easter is the empty cross – filled with the promise of forgiven sins. For, in the fact of the empty tomb is the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise to every one of us that we too will be raised to eternal life.
A father and son were traveling one afternoon, when suddenly a bee flew in the window. Being deathly allergic to bee bites, the boy began to panic as the bee buzzed all around inside the car. Seeing the horror on his child‟s face, the father reached out and caught the bee in his hand. Soon, he opened his hand and the bee began to buzz around once again. Again, the boy began to panic. The father reached over to his son, and opened his hand showing him the stinger still in his palm. “Relax, son,”the father said, “I took the bite, and the bee can‟t hurt you anymore.”The empty tomb is God‟s way of saying to us; “Relax, my child, I took the bite, death can‟t hurt you anymore.” This season is the time to remember the promise of forgiven sins; the promise of eternal life; and the promise of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This world will take back all the empty promises but what stays along with us is the promises from the empty cross and the empty tomb. Let us not take this season for granted. Look around the creation where we can see the rays of hope, prompting us to listen to the final promise. Romans 10:13 – “for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Accept God‟s promises in your life, than it‟s late. Reminded of the lines by the famous Clergyman & author Philips Brooks on Easter: Tomb, You shall not hold Him longer, Death is strong, but life is stronger; Stronger than the dark, the light; Stronger than the wrong, the right; Faith and hope triumphant say; Christ will rise on Easter Day.
While the patient earth lies waiting, Till the morning shall be breaking, Shuddering beneath the burden dread, Of her Master, cold and dead; Hark! She hears the angels say; Christ will rise on Easter Day.
And when sunrise smites the mountains, Pouring light from heavenly fountains; Then the earth blooms out to greet; Once again the blessed feet; And her countless voices say; Christ has risen on Easter Day.
Wishing you all a blessed Easter.
God Bless You !
Levin Achen
