Easter and Resurrection Hope

On Good Friday, our Christ died on the cross. On Easter Saturday, we lingered at the cross. As we lingered, we waited; waited and grieved. Our beloved Jesus is dead. We are clinging to darkness and despair and death. It seems that we are stuck here. Yet today we are reminded of the Easter promise of good news; of light, hope and life.

Trumpet fanfare, the Hallelujah chorus proudly being sung, lillies blooming all around us. Easter has arrived! The tomb is empty. Jesus is no longer there. And light not darkness, hope not despair and life not death have the final word.

Easter shows us that death doesn’t stay in the grave; that resurrection is possible. Yet there are times in our lives when we can’t see the resurrection promise. We grasp to hold onto whatever we can; to give us a glimmer of hope.

I sat with my mom several years ago as she laid in her ICU room. The buzz of the machines humming all around us. Mom is there, but yet she isnt. I am grasping onto every little sign of hope that I can; a slight movement, a muffled sound, anything. It seems that there is no hope in sight, but then one day she wakes up. She isn’t ever the same again, but she has regrained her health. Resurrection hope embodied!

Friends who daily struggle to find the light in the midst of their darkness of depression and mental illnesses. They are grasping onto whatever hope they can find. There are days the darkness is so overwhelming. The hope is stifled when it seems there is no end to the pain and despair. Yet one day they wake up and find themselves feeling better. Another sign that light, hope and life do indeed have the final word.

In the rubble of the Haiti earthquake, resurrection also bursts forth as they continue to rebuild. Out of death is born a new relationship and out of that relationship, new life continues to grow.

There are so many days when it is hard to find the light. We grieve the losses of our lives. But then we run to the tomb and find the tomb empty. Jesus is supposed to be there, but he is not there. In finding the empty tomb, we know that resurrection is indeed possible. And because it is possible, we trust and know that light not darkness, hope not despair, and life not death have the ultimate word. We see that beauty can come from ashes; that God can redeem our brokenness as he makes beautiful things out of dust; out of us.

From the table, to the cross, to the empty tomb, there is hope. There is light. There is life. And as we proclaim in the resurrection we know we can proudly declare, “Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!” Christ is risen and together we run to tell everyone about this amazing gift; the gift of God’s son sent not to condemn the world, but to save it. The gift of a savior who was born to bring hope, light, joy and life.

“Weeping may come for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”–Psalm 30:5

And today, my friends, it may seem like you are in a season of weeping, but joy will come again. Christ promises that joy to each of us. Easter breaks forth from the weeping and the darkness of Good Friday, to the empty tomb and joy bursts forth into this broken world.

I am linking up with Holly and Testimony Tuesday, Kelly and the RaRa linkup, Jennifer and Tell His Story, Holley and Coffee for your Heart, and Kristin and Three Word Wednesday.  


 
 

6 thoughts on “Easter and Resurrection Hope

  1. 'We see that beauty can come from ashes; that God can redeem our brokenness as he makes beautiful things out of dust; out of us.' So grateful for this truth and His faithfulness to make it so. His goodness always rises!

  2. "Yet one day they wake up and find themselves feeling better. Another sign that light, hope and life do indeed have the final word." So good Tara, this post brought tears to my eyes.

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