“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die, and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:25-26
I hope we all answer “YES” to the question above that Jesus is asking us all.
HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA
Christ died that we may live. He died so that our sins might be forgiven. He died that we may be healed by his stripes. He died to bring us righteousness and peace. He died to free us from the fear of death by conquering death. What else could he have done that he has not done? On the cross, He said, “it is finished.” This great sacrifice of love brought us salvation, and even the devil cannot ever match or wrap his head around it. And Yes, through His resurrection, we have the power and authority to stand against the devil and his evil tricks.
1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds, you have been healed.” He did it to bring us all back to Him. What greater LOVE can we ever ask for?
Again, He IS RISEN! He is ALIVE!
He rose from the dead, not just in spirit but also in bodily form, as He said in John 2:19-22. Jesus also proved this on various occasions after His resurrection.
Do you know how? I will tell you.
People recognized Him after His resurrection – John 20:20
He spoke after He resurrected – Luke 24:36-38
People touched Him – Luke 24:39-40
He showed His disciples His wounds – John 20:26-28
He even ate – Luke 24: 41-43
My point is that Jesus is alive and in our midst every day, no matter the circumstances. No matter how broken we are, He is there with us. And if He is alive, you better believe that His word is ALIVE too. In Hebrews 4:12, we are reminded of that. It says,
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
So no matter the level of brokenness, and no matter how deep in sins we are, the word of God can penetrate through it and heal. That is the whole purpose of His resurrection.
Let’s think about it for a minute. Do you see how people change, things change, seasons change, everything changes, but what is the only thing that has remained constant even before any of us were born and will remain till all of us are gone?
The word of God!
It is as valuable and never out of trend now as it was centuries ago. It speaks to every situation we find ourselves in. It is the sword of the spirit. Therefore, in that situation you are right now, by the power of His resurrection and the power in His word,
Speak healing to your body
Speak wholeness
Speak peace
Speak liberation
Speak faith. Yes, speak it and believe it because His word is alive and active. And as you wait patiently for its manifestation, never lose hope. Keep focused on the victory ahead, which He has already won for us by the power of His resurrection. Let us not let anything-sickness, hardship, not even death, separate us from the love of Christ. That is what the enemy wants, to see that we are separated.
My friends, together, let us put the devil to shame and remind him that through the resurrection of Jesus, we have been forgiven and cannot be condemned. Romans 8:1 says there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Let’s think about this again for a minute. Do you watch wrestling or boxing? I watch those once in a while. They all come out there hoping to walk away in victory at the end of the match. But, at some point, I stop watching, especially in boxing, because they are all bruised, bleeding, and hurt. But guess what, they continue to fight, still hoping to win. So let us all keep fighting this spiritual battle, even with the bruises, so we all will win the prize of eternity, which is already ours in Christ Jesus.
It’s not easy, but we all are in this together. The truth is that there is no one without a burden, no matter how perfect a person might look on the outside or on social media. Just wait until you hear the other person’s story. The good thing is that God has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. Our awesome God will be there with you, holding you by your right hand. He is saying to us in Isaiah 41:13, “For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.” So my friends, believe in and trust God. Remember, His word is alive and active.
In case you are wondering why you should trust God,
I say, why not? Think about it for a second. Since no one is without trials and tribulations, there is one of two ways that we can choose. To do it on our own, with all the fear and anxiety added to it making it worse, or with God, who will give you His grace, which makes the burden lighter and give you His peace that no man can comprehend. So, again, why not?
It doesn’t even end there. God knew that as mortals, we tend to forget, especially during trials and tribulation (at least that’s the devil’s plan to make sure we forget). So through His death and resurrection, He gave us a helper, an advocate – the Holy Spirit, through baptism, as He promised in John 14:25. The Holy Spirit will remind us of everything He said.
Again, I hope we all answer “Yes, Lord, I believe” to Jesus’s question in the verse above. May the Resurrection of Jesus remind us that we have been born anew. Therefore, let us put to death our sins, our unforgiveness and fear and rise to a new life with Christ on this resurrection day. A life of complete submission to God through Christ.
I love you, and I am praying for you all. Also, remember me in your prayers and encourage others along the way.
I wish you all a Happy Easter and God’s blessings on you and your family.
REJOICE!
Ngozi