April Newsletter

On April 2, one college basketball team will be crowned NCAA champion, when they win the championship game.  It will be a great victory for the team and the school, witnessed by 60,000 plus fans in New Orleans, and millions of fans on tv. 

On Easter Sunday, April 8, we will celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord, the greatest victory the world has ever known, the victory over sin, death, and the devil.  Yet, that Easter victory was witnessed by very few people.  The soldiers who were to guard the tomb were there.  They were struck dumb, when the great stone was rolled away.  Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome were there.  They came to the tomb to prepare the body for burial.  But they did not find Jesus; only an empty tomb and an angel or a man dressed in white.  Later, Peter and John came to the tomb, and found the cloth where the body of Jesus had been laid.

That was it.  The greatest victory the world has ever seen, and less than ten people were in attendance.  Most of the disciples were hidden behind closed doors in fear.  Others simply didn’t believe the victory was possible.  When they saw Jesus die on the cross, they were not thinking victory.  They thought Jesus had lost.  And all His great promises of forgiveness, salvation, and everlasting life seemed to be empty promises.

Jesus had told them He would defeat death, by dying.  He told them it was necessary for the Son of God to suffer and die, and on the third day rise.  He told them, He was the Resurrection and the Life; and all who believed in Him would never die.  But only a few showed up on that first Easter, when God raised Jesus from the dead, and Jesus won the greatest victory of all, the victory over sin, death, and the devil. 

But an amazing thing happened.  From the angel in the tomb, to the women at the tomb, to Peter and John; the news of the victory spread.  “Jesus is not here (in the tomb), He is risen!”  From these few witnesses, the Good News spread; Jesus Christ has won the victory over sin, death, and the devil.  From that first Easter morning, the Good News has come to the whole world.  Jesus Christ has won the greatest victory of all.  One of my favorite Easter hymns (Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won! – Hymn #133) puts it this way:

Jesus lives! The victory’s won!  Death no longer can appall me.

Jesus lives! Death’s reign is done!  From the grave will Christ recall me.

Brighter scenes will then commence, this shall be my confidence.

Jesus lives, the victory was won, on the first Easter.  And we celebrate that victory today.  It was the greatest victory of all, for Jesus won the victory over sin, death, and the devil, for all of us.

Your friend in Christ,

Pastor Ron