His Death and Resurrection Promises Life

As a little girl I remember being told the story of Jesus rising from the dead on the third day. I can vividly remember the picture depicted to portray this miraculous event. A tomb, with a huge boulder that had been rolled away showing it empty! I picture Jesus standing outside the tomb clothed in a white robe, a smile across his face and his arms stretched out wide to either side. He is surrounded by light, glowing in God’s glory!

At the time, this was just a story read to me at Sunday school when my family used to go. And sadly, that is all it was, just another children’s story that didn’t become anything more to me. At a young age I accepted Jesus into my heart because my mom told us that is what we should do. I don’t remember going to church on a regular basis. I didn’t know Jesus, really didn’t know anything about Him, especially who I was in Him, who He was in me and not even how much He loved me. I had no clue how much I needed Him.

Approximately 32 years later, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, asked him into my heart again, confessed my sins and asked for His forgiveness. This time it was different because this time I knew I needed Jesus. This time I knew I am a sinner and this time I knew I wanted a deep relationship with Him. I wanted to know more about Him, and fully understand who I AM in Him and who He is in me, to feel His perfect and abundant love!

I felt new. I felt like a baby learning things for the first time, so hungry and thirsty for God. I felt at peace and loved and joyful! I wanted to shout out to the world! About eight months later it was Easter. I was so excited because Easter had a whole new meaning for me! I read about the Passover in the Bible. I read again about Jesus’ ministry and his crucifixion. I really began to imagine what it must have been like for Jesus. How much pain He endured emotionally (rejected and accused of something he was not) and physically (the beatings, a crown of thorns forced onto His head, nails through each hand and feet) and as He bared the weight of all our sins feeling His separation from God.

This week when I read The Death, Burial and Resurrection is the topic for Faithful Bloggers group writing project I wasn’t sure I would participate because I didn’t think I was qualified to write on this topic. I feel like I’m still learning and then realized, wait a minute? Isn’t that part of the journey? To continually learn and grow in God’s word, in our faith, in His love and grace and … I could go on and on. I love it when I read a scripture I have read many times before and all of a sudden it seems to speak directly to my heart as if I am reading it for the first time. This is because God’s Word is alive and He is NOT dead! Jesus is the resurrection and the life!

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

Without Jesus we are dead in our sins.When we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, ask for His forgiveness and believe He died on the cross for us, we become made new, washed clean by His blood. As believers we are alive in Him. We become resurrected, our life is raised from sin’s death. But that is not all! When our time on earth is over, we will enter eternal life with the lover of our souls!