I was listening to the radio in my car, and the song “I Will Rise” by Chris Tomlin came on. At first, my interest was piqued because the word rise was in it, but as I listened to the lyrics, I realized what a great Easter message it has. I even texted to the music director at church as a suggested song to use at Easter. The song talks about how God overcame the grave and how we will rise us up if we have faith and do our best to follow Him. The lyrics go on to show the love of Jesus and how He died on the cross so we can live with Him in heaven forever. “And I will rise when He calls my name/No more sorrow, no more pain/ I will rise on eagles’ wings/Before my God fall on my knees/And rise/I will rise”.
On Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Like the song says, death is finally conquered, and the victory is on! While this sounds like such good news, when it comes to everyday life, this message might be hard to remember all the time. The world we live in can be a cruel, dark, and ugly place. I know many times I don’t feel victory and even feel alone and abandoned. What gets me through these difficult times is relying on the love that God has for me. Imagine where we would be if everything ended with Jesus death on Good Friday. It is only through Jesus’ resurrection that God can transform our darkest moments into the greatest act of love we have ever known. The resurrection of Christ gives us hope in the promise of eternal life. It is an invitation to follow Christ. No matter what is happening in the world and in our lives, the Resurrection is so much bigger than all of those things. His promise to us is so much bigger. Jesus’ resurrection allows us also to rise with Him when he calls us.
Jesus is alive and inviting us to Rise Up and remember that victory is on this Easter! Let us all strive to say yes to an invitation to eternal life with Christ. That is the reason to celebrate! Peace, grace, love, and Happy Easter to you!