Celebrate the Risen Lord Sunday

This coming Sunday we will celebrate Easter and the Risen Christ. Easter represents a time of victory, victory over the grave, over the powers of Satan and sin. Christ promised his followers that He would rise from the grave and He kept that promise. He also promises to give new life to all who accept Him as Savior and millions now in heaven can testify that Jesus kept His promise.

After a sometimes long winter we feel new strength in our bodies with the coming of spring. We need to worship God and feel new strength in our spiritual life as well. Christ was crucified for our transgressions and made a sacrifice for our sins.

The angel gave a command to his followers when Christ arose from the grave. “Go quickly and tell his disciples,” the angel said. This command is still in effect today. We must go and tell.

Easters will come and Easters will go but the resurrection power of Christ will go on and on, as will the power to lift sinners from a useless life of sin to a Christian life of service and joy.

A young man was obsessed with the idea that he should start a new religion. He went to a pastor and with much zeal told him about the new religion he wanted to start. “How would you suggest I go about starting,” he asked. The pastor looked at the young man and replied, “There is only one way to start a new religion. Go out and die for something, get buried and rise again.”

The story is told about three trees that stood in a dense forest. One day the trees prayed each asking for what it wished to become once it was cut. The first tree prayed that it would be used to build a beautiful palace where kings and queens lived and where visitors would come and gaze at the palace with awe.

The second tree prayed that it would be used towards building a large ship that would sail the seven seas and circle the globe. The third tree prayed that it would stay in the forest and grow to be the tallest tree there so that it could always point a finger towards God.

One day woodmen came and cut down the first tree. Instead of being made into a palace the tree was used to make a stable. Later a virgin and her husband found shelter in the stable and that night was born the fairest babe ever in all creation. Every since that virgin birth men, women and angels have all been singing “Glory to God in the Highest.”

Thirty years passed before the second tree was cut. This tree was used to make a small ship which was launched on the Sea of Galilee. A tall young man later stood on the deck of that ship and spoke to the multitude saying, “I came so that you might have life and have it more abundantly.”

Not too long after the second tree was cut the third tree was felled. The limbs from that tree were made into a cross and beastly men with a devilish spirit pinned the shoulders of the young man to that cross.

Every since that historic day the cross has been pointing men and women towards the saving grace of Jesus Christ who died on that cross so that each of us who accept Him as Lord and Savior can have eternal life.

Even though the three trees prayed for things in life they felt would be more pleasing and glorious each of them wound up serving a much greater purpose after they were cut because of what their timber was used for.

May we all celebrate the risen Lord on Easter Sunday and be grateful for the privilege of serving Him.

He was dead but He is risen and praise God for that.