He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:6

We’ve just had a grand time celebrating our Lord’s ressurection, his defeat of death and sin, and our pathway to salvation. I listened to a dear friend describe the horrors of crucifixion to a room of rapt young men and women. I think over the years I’d become desensitized to the physicality of this execution. Hearing about it hit hard. But the discomfort I felt didn’t last. Instead, it was replaced by hope.

The Reality of the Resurrection

Jesus didn’t stay in the tomb. Just like he said he would, on the third day Jesus rose from the dead. This mammoth act of sacrifice fulfills many prophecies – it’s tricky to decide how many. There are around three hundred covering Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection. The bigger picture though, is that the veil is torn and access to the Father now given directly. We no longer need an intermediary, we can petition Heaven ourselves. How beautiful is that? And perhaps most obviously, we can ask and be given forgiveness and then salvation, through Jesus. The prayer to receive Christ is simple enough – sorry, thank you, please. I’m sorry for the things I’ve done wrong, please forgive me. Thank you for dying so that I could be made clean, please help me follow you all my days.

The Hope of the Risen Lord

Taking that step, praying that prayer, is life changing. The next time you’re facing any trial, big or small, remember there is no ultimate defeat. Life means we won’t win everything on earth. The Bible is clear that we will have trouble. But it doesn’t end there. Serving a risen Lord means if it feels like Friday, Sunday is coming. We have hope. We have a Lord who defeated death and sin, so that we can put our hope and faith in Him. He didn’t hang on a cross to let us do the same. He paid the price so that all we need do is say yes to the gift. And then step into the heritage as a Child of God. Have you taken that step? If not, will you do that today?