Easter Sunday - Celebrating Jesus who conquered death

Continued from Good Friday – Grateful for Jesus who knew dread

It had been the weirdest thing preparing for something dreadful that might not happen. But we didn’t want to have regrets so Mom had made our favorite family meal, we had reminisced together, we had cried and prayed together, and Dad had had a private talks with each of us. It was heart-wrenching for me.

The next morning, Dad had his surgery (two in fact), and it was the most agonizing 13 hour wait to see him.

Miraculously, the doctors did not find a malignant, growing tumor in his spine as they had suspected, but instead a benign tumor behind an extremely rare but non-life-threatening spinal fistula. Such relief! We all gave each other awed looks and prayed prayers of thanksgiving in the waiting room. I went from utter dread to HOPEFUL JOY.

When I think back on that day, I realize it was a foretaste of what Easter proclaims.

While we are so grateful we still get to enjoy Dad here on earth, he lives with chronic pain now, and his life just looks a little different than any of us anticipated. I pray for God to take that cup from him and to give him strength to endure his present suffering until that happens, which may or may not be on this side of heaven. While we wait for his full healing, the Easter message brings us such HOPEFUL JOY though – that Jesus rose and conquered death! And one day, Dad will have no more pain! There will be no more suffering of any kind!

I’m reminded again to embrace both Christ’s suffering and his victory this Easter.

I love what John Piper says about it:

Indeed, even agony will turn to glory, but Easter doesn’t suppress our pain. It doesn’t minimize our loss. It bids our burdens stand as they are, in all their weight, with all their threats. And this risen Christ, with the brilliance of indestructible life in his eyes, says, “These too I will claim in the victory. These too will serve your joy. These too, even these, I can make an occasion for rejoicing. I have overcome, and you will more than conquer.”

Easter is not an occasion to repress whatever ails you and put on a happy face. Rather, the joy of Easter speaks tenderly to the pains that plague you. Whatever loss you lament, whatever burden weighs you down, Easter says, “It will not always be this way for you. The new age has begun. Jesus has risen, and the kingdom of the Messiah is here. He has conquered death and sin and hell. He is alive and on his throne. And he is putting your enemies, all your enemies, under his feet.”

When he wipes away every tear, our faces glisten more brilliantly than if we never would have cried. Such power is too great to simply return us to the Garden. He ushers us into a garden-city, the New Jerusalem. Easter announces, in the voice of the risen Christ, “Your sorrow will turn into joy” (John 16:20) and “no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22).

Easter says that the one who has conquered death has now made it the servant of our joy. Not only will he remedy what’s wrong in your life and bring glorious order to the mess and vanquish your foe, but he will make your pain, your grief, your loss, your burden, through the deep magic of resurrection, to be a real ingredient in your everlasting joy. You will not only conquer this one day soon, but you will be more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37).

HE IS RISEN!

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