Christ is risen!
Do you know the response?
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
I read an interesting story earlier this week about this common Easter Greeting:
Dr. George Sweeting tells of an incident in the early 1920s when Communist leader Nikolai Bukharin was sent from Moscow to Kiev to address an anti-God rally. For an hour he abused and ridiculed the Christian faith until it seemed as if the whole structure of belief was in ruins. Then questions were invited. An Orthodox church priest rose and asked to speak. He turned, faced the people, and gave the Easter greeting, “He is risen!” Instantly the assembly rose to its feet and the reply came back loud and clear, “He is risen indeed!”
This weekend is the highlight of the year for us as Christians. It is this week we celebrate the greatest victory ever. Christ is Risen! He is alive. It is a time of joy. It is a time of celebration. It is a time to smile.
We have great reason for joy. Because Jesus is alive, we know that no matter what we endure or experience, Jesus has overcome. There is no power, or force, or authority to be found anywhere in the universe that has power or mastery over us. Jesus defeated the one thing in this world that is most certain. And now because he lives, we who believe, will live new lives too.
Maybe you are feeling defeated today. You can relate to the disciples. No doubt those disciples felt defeated on Friday and Saturday. If only they had known what Sunday would bring.
That is what faith is about. It is about living on Saturday, knowing Sunday is coming.
Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
