A Little Bit of Faith: He Lives!

By Colleen White, Ed.D.

One of the most important holidays for a Christian, is Easter. Unlike Christmas, we do not celebrate the birth of a small child with His future ahead of Him. No, with Easter, we celebrate the brutal death and resurrection of a man who was lied on, tortured, and crucified for the sins of the world.  So, when you stop to think about it, it seems strange that the death of someone   would be celebrated with such joy.

But that is what makes the Christian faith so unique. When Jesus was crucified upon a cross, the story did not end there. Yes, He died, but He rose again! Our faith is based upon His resurrection. He was born to die. He had to die. His death fulfilled prophecy, it completed what needed to be done.

The resurrection of Jesus is told so lovely and tenderly in the book of Matthew. It says, “But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said! Come, see the place where He lay.’” But it does not stop there. After the women saw that Jesus was not there, the angel told the women to go and share the good news that Jesus has risen.

The angel said, “Then go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’ See, I have told you” (Matthew 28: 5-7). I am thankful that the women were willing to follow instructions and share the good news of Jesus with His disciples. They could have gone back home in disbelief after seeing that His body was not there, but instead their faith, hope, and trust in Him (Jesus) allowed them to come into a better understanding of their Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.

I pray and hope that as you celebrated Easter with your loved ones and family, that you allowed the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection to penetrate your heart and to see Him more completely— as a living and risen Christ who can help you and love you only if you are willing to listen, obey, and follow Him (Jesus). Amen? Amen.