Saturday, March 22, 2008

He is Risen...Indeed!

Luke 24:34—…the Lord is risen indeed!

My grandchildren had a grand time hunting Easter eggs in the back yard this morning. They got together a day early—the four cousins—so they could celebrate with the “other side” of their families tomorrow, on Easter Sunday.

It was, as always, a joy to watch them. They pushed aside bushes, peeked under outside furniture, peered into every hole in the ground, and even climbed up on top of every available object so they could see hiding places that were otherwise out of their line of sight.

As much as I enjoyed their wide eyes and excited chatter, it’s so much more important to me that they know what Easter is really about.

It’s nice that the kids can enjoy their little Easter bunny stories and colored eggs. Getting family together is always a good thing. But I fear that we, as adults, don’t do our part in properly teaching the little ones the importance and significance of this celebration of Jesus’ resurrection—and thereby, our salvation.

The story of the crucifixion is amazing…touching…heart-rending. It’s a vivid picture of ultimate love. That sacrificial bloodshed marked the beginning of hope for mankind.

But we must never forget that it was only the beginning!

Had Christ remained in that tomb, all that went before would have been without purpose. Had He not rolled that stone away and come forth as promised, all of the blood…the pain…the suffering… would have been forgotten as just another day in history.

But He did come forth! “He is risen indeed!” That means He rose… without a doubt. He conquered death…undeniably. He tossed away the shroud, rolled back the stone and walked away…in actual fact.He is risen…and we are saved!

Let’s tell our children that story. Let’s make sure they know that Jesus loves them enough not only to die, but to rise again.

Happy Easter, my friends! Rejoice and be glad in knowing that our Lord is risen…indeed.

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