Hope Arising

The event that we gather to celebrate today is the pivotal event in human history. More than any other single moment, the resurrection of Christ has shaped the course of eternity. And whether you realize it or not, it is very important to you as well. The story is a famous one. It has been called ‘the greatest story ever told.’ And although it is almost universally known as the good news, it has its dark elements as well. It begins in eternity past, when God foresaw that the natural tendency of man, if given a free will, would be to seek after his own desires and fall into sin. When God considered the situation with all of His attributes in mind, He saw that sin must have a price or His justice and His righteousness would be brought into question. Yet, His deep love for that which He created demanded that He find a way to pay that price and redeem man to Himself. Everything that we see take place in the crucifixion story was a part of that plan. The depravity of man had caused the world to be a dark and hopeless place. The Law only pointed out more distinctly how feeble, no, how futile, man’s attempts at righteousness were. The promises of God had been misconstrued and misdirected by the Jewish religious leaders to such an extent that they did not recognize their fulfillment, even in the face of Christ’s miraculous works. The Pharisees had created an image of God that was stern and harsh and lacked any compassion on those who had stumbled and fallen. When things got tough, most found themselves discarded as useless, with little hope of forgiveness or restoration. But Jesus came with a different message. He told of a loving Father, Who longed to forgive and restore. He told of a personal relationship and a daily walk with a God who desired to answer our prayers. He told of a God of compassion Whose love had led Him to send His own precious Son to deliver them from the bondage of sin. And as the multitudes heard His message, the light of hope began to rise in their hearts and they began to catch just a glimpse of how deep the Father’s love for us really is.  This blessed event is a celebration of hope. It is in Christ's resurrection that hope is reborn.  Because He lives, we too shall live.  Hallelujah! He is risen!