“He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” Matthew 28:6
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! How exciting it is to say these words! This is the day that the Lord has made! Let us be glad and rejoice in it!
I hope you are all as excited as I am about this day! As I was putting my 10 year old daughter to bed on Friday night, she looked at me all smiles and said, “I am so excited for Easter! I can’t wait for Jesus to rise from the dead!” I looked at her and said, “Yes, that is something to be very excited about!” We can be excited because we know the outcome of Jesus’ death. We have heard the story and we believe.
Can you imagine what it must have felt like for those followers of Jesus that first Easter morning? Over the course of just a few days, they must have experienced about every emotion possible. They went from feeling anger, resentment and sorrow over the death of their beloved Jesus to feeling frightened and confused when they first discovered the empty tomb. Then when they realized what had actually happened, they felt overcome with joy and excitement! Talk about an emotional rollercoaster!
It’s hard to imagine what it was like that first Easter, but the closest I’ve come has been to celebrate at an Easter sunrise service. Now, I’m not going to lie, I am totally not a morning person! The thought of waking up before the sun even rises makes me cringe. For one day a year I manage to drag myself out of bed early, but this is not just any day. This is the day that we remember the amazing thing that Christ did for us; the day he rose from the dead and conquered sin!
There is something so mystical and powerful about gathering for this service. Usually the attendees will gather outside just as the sun rises. They will enter the dark church with candles lit while reading the account of the resurrection from the Bible. Then those wonderful words are spoken. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! As the organist, I then get to play that glorious first note of joyful song as everyone joins in the singing! You would think after so many years of doing the same thing over and over again that it would all be mundane, but rather it is the complete opposite for me. There is something so powerful about this moment that it often brings me to tears. Thinking about what Jesus did for me, the suffering, death and resurrection never gets old.
The challenge now is to carry on the joy that we feel on Easter morning throughout the rest of the year. It’s easy to celebrate now, but quickly forget how important this gift from God is. My prayer for you is that you can carry this Easter feeling with you throughout your life.
I leave you with this song from the Newsboys to remind you today that GOD’S NOT DEAD!
If you have any questions about your faith, or any prayer requests, please reach out to me. I am here to help answer any questions you may have and help you along your journey!
Also, if you do not have a church to attend this Sunday, or cannot physically make it to a church, I invite you to watch the service at my church. It will be streamed live on Facebook at 8:00 & 10:30 CDT.
Saved By Grace 
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