by Joanie Butman
Last Sunday in the early hours of morning, my phone began a cacophony of pings with Easter proclamations. Most of them were faith declarations of “He is Risen!” Others were simple yet profound “Hallelujahs!” Based on the number of “Amen!” messages I received and sent, the internet must have been flooded with Easter greetings as dawn arrived. The apostles didn’t have social media to spread the good news, but the old-fashioned, word-of-mouth method of communication went viral as the apostles raced from the empty tomb. And why not? Christ’s resurrection was, and continues to be, the central event in all of history. The original and ultimate Master’s victory.
That being said, one of the hardest biblical truths for many (including myself) to grasp is that the same power that rose Jesus from the dead lives in us. Even though intellectually I know that statement is scripturally sound, there are moments in life when pain and hopelessness seem more than anyone can bear. However, when we choose to rely on the power of Christ’s resurrection despite our circumstances, we allow Him to create our own resurrection stories – times when He redeems our suffering and restores our life, dreams, marriage, family relationships, career, etc. Nothing is beyond the restorative power of Christ. He can take anything we offer Him and use it for His purposes, refining us in the process and creating something new.
Despite Jesus’ predictions, the apostles couldn’t quite grasp what was unfolding before them, and we are no different. We can be just as foolish to doubt Christ’s power and authority to raise someone from the dead even though we see it happening in the lives of people every day – lost lives restored and redeemed. People rescued from the jaws of death, addiction, financial ruin, prison, etc. One of the greatest Easter lessons I’ve learned (and experienced) is that if Christ has the power to rise from the dead, He can certainly resurrect whatever we surrender to Him. As Rick Warren reminds us, “The Easter story is your story. No matter what situation you find yourself in, your situation isn’t hopeless. Jesus has turned around many a situation. He can do the same for you. It’s never too late for a miracle.”
Golfer’s will be glued to the TV today, eagerly waiting to see who will prevail in this year’s Master’s Tournament in Augusta. News of the victor will be all over every news outlet tonight. But it will fade by the end of the week as other news takes precedent. In contrast, our Master’s victory is still just as vibrant over 2,000 years later.
The training and preparation necessary to compete at the Master’s level is long and hard. The same can be said for any spiritual journey. We’ve all got a Master’s victory of our own to pursue when we persevere against all odds to claim the prize that Christ has set before us. Augusta’s iconic green jacket is unattainable for all but a few elite golfers. However, our Master's victory on that first Easter Sunday provides something infinitely more valuable and lasting. Jesus is waiting to clothe anyone with a white robe of righteousness when they choose to claim His precious gift of salvation. Christ was resurrected once (the true Master’s victory), but blessedly we can experience the same miracle again and again. That’s the joy of Easter. His resurrection power is a gift we, as believers, can choose to appropriate and celebrate every day. Hallelujah!
Choose wisely!
