I bought this sign a few weeks before Easter. Once St. Patrick’s Day was over, I hung it on my front door where it is currently still hanging. I was looking for a wreath or something tinsely to hang on the door. Hobby Lobby didn’t have anything I liked until I saw this. For Christmas I have a tacky green wreath I bought a couple of years ago. This year I found an equally tacky and tinsely heart wreath for Valentine’s Day. This sign took the heart’s place and even though it isn’t tacky or tinsely it is perfect.
The fact that my redeemer lives is the message of Easter. And Easter is what gives me hope. It gives life meaning and helps it make sense. Almost two thousand years ago a man named Jesus walked this earth. The people of that day longed for his coming. But he was not who or what they expected. So they sought to get rid of him. They bribed one of his disciples for information of his whereabouts so they could arrest him and put him on trial. They conducted a sham trial and Jesus was sentenced to death by crucifixion.
Most of the people condemned to die by crucifixion are lost to history. Crucifixion is one of the most cruel forms of capital punishment ever employed by mankind. It was considered such a shameful way to die that Rome didn’t use it on their own citizens. Rome used it for slaves, disgraced soldiers, foreigners and political activists. Despite his innocence, the Romans allowed Jesus to be crucified. His own people sought his death. To avoid an uprising or political issues, Jesus was ordered to be crucified just as his own people demanded. They got what they wanted as he was crucified and died. His body was taken down and buried. The best part though is that that is not the end of the story. Three days later he was raised back to life. Death was defeated. The tomb would be forever empty.
Between my junior and senior year in college I was privileged to be able to travel to Israel. It was a trip of a lifetime. We saw so many sites. From Tel Dan to Caeserea Philippi to Capernaum to Jerusalem with many others in between. Our tour guide assumed that we were a typical tour group and would want to visit all the typical tourist sites. The professor that led the trip insisted that we were not all that interested in visiting a bunch of churches built on the supposed “holy” sites. One site that all of us wanted to see though was the garden tomb. No one knows what tomb Jesus was buried in. But that isn’t really the point. The point is that Jesus is no longer in that tomb.
Jesus is alive. That is the unique claim of Christianity–that Jesus was raised from the dead and is alive. Buddha is dead. Muhammad is dead. Krishna is dead. Jesus rose again and ascended back to heaven. He is there now with those that have placed their faith in him and have died. I have been a little jealous of Ben the last two Easters. He has been able to spend Easter in the presence of Jesus. Life can have some pretty terrific times. But none of it can compare to what eternity with Jesus will be like. No more sadness. No more pain. No more separation. I long for the day when I will be with Jesus. And get to see all that have gone before me. Especially my Ben.
One of my many favorite hymns is I Serve a Risen Savior:
I serve a risen Savior
He’s in the world today.
I know that He is living,
Whatever men may say.
I see His hand of mercy;
I hear His voice of cheer;
And just the time I need Him
He’s always near.
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.
For the Love of Ben 