Monday, April 1, 2013

April 2013 He is Risen

He is Risen!! The words “He is Risen” still rings in my ears from our Easter worship. What a wonderful celebration it was. During the Easter season (Easter until Pentecost) it is customary to greet one another with the words “He is Risen!” and to respond with “He is risen, indeed!” It is important to remember that “He is risen” is more than just a common-place greeting. “He is risen” speaks of a miracle. A man who was physically dead rose again to life. Two millennia ago, Jesus Christ was crucified and then was brought back to life by God. This is what we celebrated on Easter. “He is risen” is a miracle! However, while we may be aware that “He is risen” was a miracle 2000 years ago, we may be unaware that it speaks of a miracle which affects us today! It is easy to miss the miraculous when they have become common-place. When doctors revive a man who has died, people acclaim the miracles of science. Yet every day, a baby is born. A creature that had no existence 9 months previous, appears. Is it not a greater miracle “to create from nothing” than for something which was once alive “to live again?” Because we see things over and over, we tend to forget that they are miracles too. We can miss the present-day miracles of God because they are common-place. “He is risen” was a miracle 2000 years ago, but “He is Risen” is a miracle for us today as well. “He is Risen” means that Jesus Christ is here with us today, rejoicing with us in times of good, comforting us in times of bad, protecting us in times of trouble. “He is risen” also means that when we die, death is not the end. It means that the quality of our life here on Earth is not the most important thing to worry about, but rather life after death. God has promised a wonderful place in heaven for us. God has promised us a wonderful reunion in Heaven with our brother and sisters in Christ. “He is Risen” is more than just a greeting. It is a promise fulfilled. “He is Risen,” a miracle today, yesterday and always. He is Risen, Indeed! Pastor Okubo