A World Overcome: Reason for Celebration

We live in a  world torn by struggles in which some factions seek power, while others long desperately for peace. This picture of the modern era may appear new because of the weapons used to wage the wars, but it is a condition that has been familiar to men and women for virtually all of human history, ebbing and flowing perhaps, but always present.
The “wars and rumors of wars” of which we hear almost daily, whether at home (gang murders and riots) or abroad (jihad perpetrated by the likes of ISIS, Hamas, and Hezbollah), can easily instill a sense of fear and uncertainty. Where will the next uprising occur? How many more lives will be lost? How will these events affect my own life?

Particularly at this time, however, it seems appropriate to shift our gaze slightly. Not to ignore the realities of our world, but to acknowledge and purposefully focus on another reality, one that, when rightly understood, allows us to put our earthly anxieties into proper perspective and provides the hope that can seem elusive in the face of the darkness we so often encounter.

On Good Friday, we remember the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ—a dark day indeed. We may read the Biblical account of that day and empathize with the sense of despair felt by those who personally witnessed the death of their beloved Teacher, the apparent destruction of their dream of a new life.

But, just as it did for those disciples over 2,000 years ago, Easter Sunday brings cause for celebration. Celebration not just that a man who died was once again brought to life, but that, in His resurrection He demonstrated that everything He promised can be believed as truth. That, while it is certainly the case that in this world we will (and do) have trouble, we can absolutely take heart because He has overcome the world!

May your hearts be filled with joy this Easter in celebration of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.