Resurrection Day

Good morning, Church, and happy Easter! We are part of a Christian tradition that remembers the resurrection of Jesus every Sunday, but that doesn't mean we cannot give extra attention to that great event on the day the rest of the world takes notice.

I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe the testimony of the Gospels that describe the empty tomb when ladies who knew him well showed up early that Sunday morning to anoint his broken body. I believe that instead of finding Jesus' corpse, they found an angel who said that Jesus was risen just as he said he would be and that he would soon appear to his disciples. I believe that Jesus did physically appear on many occasions over the next forty days to his disciples and many others before he ascended to the right hand of God in heaven. And I believe that he will come again in the clouds of the sky at an hour that no one knows but the Father. That's why I try to give my life to him, even though I do it imperfectly. But thanks to God's grace, I am confident that even if I die before Christ's return, I will be raised again on that great resurrection day.

In the meantime, all of us who follow Jesus need to understand that our task is critical and that people do not always respond to our "good news" with openness and thanksgiving. But if we obey that Lord and do our best with the opportunities he places in our path, we can be certain that God is working through us for the good of his mission, and death is never the final word for those of us who believe. With God, there is always resurrection and life.

—Patrick Barber