He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

This Sunday, churches all around the world will be repeating this phrase.  It's a simple call-and-response: the pastor addresses the congregation on Easter morning with "He is risen," at which point the collective response is "He is risen indeed!"  It's a variation of an old Eastern Orthodox tradition called the Paschal Greeting, which the church used as another variation of "hello!"  The greeting was derived from Luke 24:6, which reads: "He is not here; He has risen!"

In recent years, this has become one of my favorite Easter traditions.  I anticipate the pastor's "He is risen!" with the same enthusiasm as a kid about to hear "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?"  I always try to deliver the response with just little extra gusto than I would with many other liturgical traditions.  Why the excitement?  Aren't there like a hundred other things on Easter morning that merits more enthusiasm than the 5 seconds it takes to utter the phrase?  In years past, I probably would have agreed.  But the last few Easters I've taken a little extra time to meditate on those 7 little words.  And I want to encourage others to do the same this weekend.

So not to risk making any assumptions, we're talking about the exclamation that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.  For many, these words are empty, and to be fair, if Jesus is regarded as nothing more than a man, then the phrase would be devoid of meaning.  To the Christian, though, there is a richness that merits the exuberance in Luke 24.  Either way, the resurrection is a topic worth taking some time to think about.

In a previous post, I referred to the account of Noah and the global flood as one of the greatest moments in the history of the world.  However, if the death and subsequent resurrection of Jesus is true, it hands down takes the cake as the single-most important event in the history of the world.  If true, "He is risen indeed!" carries incredible significance.  For the Christian, the resurrection is central to their faith, so it's important not only to know what they believe, but why they believe it.  Conversely, if one does not believe in the resurrection, they owe it to themselves to at least know exactly what they are denying and truly weigh whether or not they want to accept the alternative.  

In the next few moments, we're going to dissect the word resurrection and look at what the implications would be if in fact Jesus did rise from the dead. 

The Definition

To give us a definition of the word resurrection, I went to none other than Webster's dictionary, the gold standard of definitions.  My Webster's New World Dictionary (Pocket Books, 1995) defines a resurrection as:

1. A rising from the dead
2. Coming back into notice, use, etc
3. A revival

Now, let's see if we can flesh these points out using scripture....

A Rising from the Dead

It seems obvious, but we need to assert if rising from the dead is a big deal.  Of course it is, that's why it's a called a miracle.  If it happened every day, there wouldn't be an Easter holiday, and I wouldn't be writing this post.  The resurrection holds significance for both God and us.

First, if Jesus was the Son of God, and couldn't rise from the dead, then God is not God.  Think about it - if God is supposed to be omnipotent (all-powerful), then He should be able to overcome death.  Again, seems obvious, yet I've met so many people who claim to either believe in God, or at least an all-powerful being, yet deny every miraculous act recorded in the Bible and the possibility of the supernatural ever becoming reality.  I'm not sure where all-powerful fits into those beliefs.  If one truly believes in an omnipotent God, then everything should seem plausible for Him.

Believe it or not, we've actually gone down a rabbit trail, because the resurrection was not simply a stage for God to flex is supernatural muscles.  He could have done thousands of other things to accomplish that.  Jesus died and rose for us, and that brings us to the second significance - us.  If the Son of God couldn't rise from the grave, then it would be foolish for us to ever think we could have our own resurrection.  But through the resurrection Jesus gave man a hope of someday doing the same.  Look at 1 Corinthians 15:20-27:

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he “has put everything under his feet."

I realize that passage doesn't necessarily prove the resurrection, but remember, we're not talking about proof, we're talking about the implications.  I'll save the proof for the apologists.  What this text is saying is that before Christ, we had no hope of a life after death.  Because of sin, we weren't good enough, and because we're human, we weren't powerful enough. When Jesus rose from the dead, He essentially conquered death not only for Himself, but for us as well.  For the Christian, this is terrific news!  

Coming Back into Notice or Use

If the rising from the dead aspect of the resurrection gives us hope for the future, what does it mean for us today?  While the promise of a better, lasting life is of immeasurable value, notice we're not immediately taken there the moment we put our faith in Christ.  If God is omniscient (all-knowing) and has a perfect plan for us, then there must be a reason we continue to spend the time on earth that we do. But what is that purpose?

Have you ever heard the saying about people being too heavenly-minded that they're no earthly good?  The resurrection puts in a safe-guard to prevent that from happening.  Look at 2 Corinthians 5:14-21:

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Before Christ, we were sinful, and as a result, we were useless.  After the resurrection, we were given an opportunity to have the slate wiped clean.  Start over.  A new person.  We are now useful - we have a purpose!

As long as we are on this side of eternity, we have work to do.  Not necessarily our jobs (although they serve their purpose too), but touching the lives of other people.  This work carries eternal significance.  When Paul says "he has committed to us the message of reconciliation," he means that we are now walking billboards for the impact of the resurrection.  When we demonstrate the same acts of kindness, mercy and justice that Jesus showed us, we are demonstrating the love of God.

Let me say that again: we demonstrate the love of God.

Because of the resurrection, we have the opportunity and privilege to show God to other people, not just with our words, but with our actions too.

A Revival

The Christian life was never meant to be solitary.  Not only is it a walk we go through with others, but we do the aforementioned good works alongside others as well. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we share the common hope of our own resurrection some day.  Look at Revelation 1:5-6:

and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

Christians on earth are already members of Heaven, we're just not there yet.  That's why when Jesus said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17), He wasn't just talking about Heaven.  The kingdom He describes is in the hearts and minds of those who follow Him today.

When my wife and I were planning our honeymoon (Jamaica, mon!), we saw a bunch of ads for Caribbean resorts touting themselves as "heaven on earth."  Don't get me wrong, those places are awesome, but they don't even come close to Heaven.  Rather, Heaven can be seen in the lives of those who follow Christ.  When citizens of Heaven work together for the common good in a broken world, that's how we know the Kingdom of Heaven is near.  As mentioned above, we're still on earth for a reason.  They say many hands make the work light, and that couldn't be truer with a community of Christians putting their own interests aside and working together to improve the lives of those around them.  Because of the resurrection, we have a taste of heaven on earth now.

Meditation

Today is Good Friday.  If you go to church later today, you will be reflecting on the backdrop of the resurrection - the Crucifixion.  It will likely be a somber occasion, as we are remembering a sad, dark day.  However, this gloomy picture makes Easter look that much more glorious.  Today we reflect on a day when all hope seemed to be lost.  Sunday marks a day when hope was just getting started.

Over the next 2 days, I encourage you to chew on the words "He is Risen!  He is Risen indeed!"  Think about what that implies: Jesus overcame death, therefore we can overcome death as well; we have the chance to become useful in participating in the work of God; we're part of a larger community that is working together to accomplish something bigger than ourselves.

Think about that leading up to the moment before it is your turn to respond to the pastor's charge.  If you're a Christian, try not to sound like a robot.  This statement doesn't define just what you believe, but who you are.  It's the best news you could possibly receive or share all year, so let it out!  Conversely, if Sunday is one of your bi-annual appearances at church, I encourage you to make the most of it.  Give some thought to these words, and how for those around you, they've brought the peace of knowing God, a love for their neighbor, and an indescribable joy in any circumstance.  The same could happen for you.

He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!