2016 Easter Message to Mid-Atlantic Archdeaconry
THE EVIDENCE OF RESURRECTION – A CHANGED LIFE
About fifteen years ago in Alpena, Michigan, a friend of mine had an antique car, with great potential for car show, but needed refurbishment to reach that status. One day, he decided to take this car to the auto shop, changed the engine, completely gave the body a facelift. A car that would pass unnoticed in the neighborhood before suddenly became the talk of the town.
The Lord Jesus Christ had been changing the lives of people in Israel and surrounding nations, from Nazareth to Jerusalem, Judea and even to Samaria. He had chosen the twelve disciples among them. He nurtured and sent out the twelve disciples – Mark 6: 7 – 12. Later, He nurtured and sent out seventy two disciples - they went into the surrounding communities to preach the Gospel, and there was manifestation of signs and wonders. They had performed miracles like the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; healing the sick, casting out demons and, with Him, feeding thousands with very small quantities of bread and fish- Mark 6: 30 – 42, Mark 8: 1 -9. They had great potential for Christlikeness, but they were yet to reach that status.
In fact, one of them, Judas Iscariot, seemed to be doing all the work of evangelism in the energy of the flesh. He was not convinced that Jesus Christ was God; he was critical at times, he mismanaged funds at other times; and he was eventually used by Satan, to betray Jesus to the Jewish Council, who had wanted to eliminate the Lord, because they were of the opinion that His ministry in their community was an embarrassment to their religion.
Satan was not only influential in the life of Judas; he was always looking for ways of using each and every one of the disciples against their Master. When Jesus spoke about going to the cross, Peter rebuked Him because he did not understand that except the Master was crucified, there would be no redemption – Mark 8: 31 – 33. Peter also denied Jesus Christ three times, as He was going through trial, before His crucifixion.
These two disciples illustrate who we all are. However, while Judas never recovered from betraying Jesus, having committed suicide – Matthew 27: 3 – 10, Peter is a model of how betraying Jesus could be the starting point for repentance. A repentant person could be transformed into an apostle that speaks with boldness; this is what is expected of us. Easter is not just jubilation; it is Jubilation of new life that starts from submitting one’s ordinary life to believing in Jesus Christ, consequently leading to eternal life.
The resurrection of Christ opened the door for the Holy Spirit to come and transform our lives. When he was filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter started speaking with boldness, not only in the community but also before the authorities, rightly using the Scriptures, which they claimed to know.
The issue is not how short or how long we have been in Christ; the issue is whether we live as those whose lives have been transformed by the word of God. Could we confidently say?
“Things are different now,
Something happened to me,
When I gave my life to Jesus.
Things are different now,
Something happened to me,
When I gave my life to Him.”
If indeed, we believe in the resurrection of Christ, if indeed we believe that we have eternal life through Him, it is time for each one of us to leave behind the sins that easily beset us; it is time for us to look afresh to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, bearing in mind that in a few years or a few decades, we must prepare to be absent from the body and be face to face with the LORD.
For those who still believe, there is time to change from the life of sin to righteousness, the Scripture says, “Today is the day of salvation.” – 2 Corinthians 6:2, tomorrow may be too late. Christ, by His resurrection, has delivered us from Satan and sin. Call on Him today and He will rescue you. May the joy of Easter remain with us today and unto eternity, in the name of Christ. Amen.
Venerable Dr. & Mrs Dokun Adewunmi