Happy Easter!

In fact, the Church has a much more powerful way of saying this which goes right to the heart of the matter.

We greet each other by saying:

Christ is risen!

and we respond by saying:

He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

You see, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most stupendous event in all of history. The proclamation “Christ is Risen!” is at the heart of the Christian message.

It means that Jesus really was executed, crucified to death on Good Friday, and buried in the tomb; and that God raised him up, body and soul, to new transformed glorious life; the kind of life he has prepared for all his people in his everlasting kingdom.

Jesus did not just survive. He did not somehow manage to avoid death on the Cross. He was not resuscitated – brought back to this life like Lazarus, or the widow of Nain’s son.

The disciples did not simply conclude that Jesus’ soul or spirit somehow was alive with God. They knew that already from synagogue teaching. 

They did not regard the memory of Jesus and his teaching among them as his “new life” or “risen life,” as an extended metaphor. None of that is the Christian gospel.

This is the Christian Proclamation. Jesus was dead. He was laid in the tomb. But on the third day the tomb was empty, the spirit restored, the body transfigured, Christ was raised. Death now has no power over him.

This in and of itself is gloriously wonderful good news. That even one man of our fallen human race has entered glory means that humanity has produced something, someone, of everlasting value.

But this is not all, not by any means.

Because the resurrection of Jesus shows that he is who he says he is. God raised him up and glorified him because in his life and death he glorified God, by doing his will.

Now Jesus said and did astonishing things, outrageous things as the chief priests and teachers of the law recognized. 

He said that whatever Law God may have given through Moses in the past, we are to obey him instead.

He said that our response to him right now determines God’s response to us right now and in the end. 

He called God his Father, making himself equal with God.

He said, I am going to my Father, and where I am you will be also.

He said, I have come to give my life to rescue everybody. When I am lifted up I will draw everyone to myself.

Now that is incredible, isn’t it? You can see why the disciples as they worked with Jesus, got to know him and began to suspect that this just might be true started to get enthusiastic. 

The Cross appeared to be utter defeat for the pretensions of Jesus, dashing the ridiculous hopes of his followers. We can understand their heartbreak and their despair.

And we can begin to grasp the wonder, the awe, the astonishment that dawned that first Easter Day.

The stone is rolled away.

The tomb is empty!

Mary Magdalene has seen him!

He has appeared to Peter!

He is Alive! He is Risen!

He is Lord and Saviour!

Everything about him is true.

Everything he promises is true.

We can say YES to him today. We can live for him today.

That is why we are thrilled to say, Christ is Risen!

He is risen indeed! Alleluia!