The Lord is risen! Indeed , He is risen! 

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There are many in this world who do not share in the joy of this news. Non-believers in the resurrection who are not offended by this message might look upon such rejoicing with curiosity. They might even be glad that people celebrate some belief. But for those of us who believe that Christ truly lived, truly died, and truly rose from the dead, rejoicing may seem inappropriate in the face of the cruelty, injustice, and death in our world. It may seem downright insulting to celebrate when you or the people you love are experiencing intense suffering and even death. Why feel happy in what brought about my salvation, when I don’t feel particularly saved? 

 

Perhaps the word “salvation” is so often used that it can lose its impact and meaning. So, it is good for us to understand that salvation is God becoming human, and living, suffering, dying and rising, so that, in uniting Himself to us, we be freed from death and have eternal life. But freedom from death does not mean that we are protected from suffering and death. It does mean that sin (ours or other’s), suffering, and death cannot keep us away from eternal life in Jesus. 

 

The resurrection was first announced after the disciples entered the place where Jesus was buried. When facing the mysteriously opened tomb, they stopped at the entrance of a great dark void. That void speaks to our deepest fears of suffering, complete isolation, and death. It is only with great courage and a whisper of hope, that they enter the place of death. And when they found the tomb without the corpse of their Friend and Master, they understood. They understood that Jesus had entered the darkness of suffering, complete isolation (remembering Jesus’ words from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”), and death. The disciples understood that in whatever desolation they would experience, they would never be alone and would even triumph. Jesus had already entered the darkness and would be entering into all their experiences of it, and come through it victorious, glorious, and fully alive. They understood that no matter what, they would also experience that victory, glory, and life, while on earth, though not in a fully realized way, and forever in heaven. As we look upon the bleak void of human suffering and death, may we face it with the courage and hope that come from being disciples of Jesus. May we never cease to rejoice, even through our tears, because the eyes of faith can see that Jesus was and is in that place of darkness and has conquered it.  

 

Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Christ in the series, The Chosen, was once asked, “If you could sit down for coffee with Jesus, what’s that one question you would ask?“ He replied, “How did I do? Did I get it close?” Then he and the interviewer began to choke up, because Jonathan was not just talking about a role, but his whole life. How beautiful that this disciple wants to be so like his Master. But here’s the thing: it is even more beautiful that Jesus wants Jonathan Roumie, and you, and me to be so close to Him that we share His life in our life, His suffering in our suffering, His death in our death, and His resurrection, in our rising from the dead. This is salvation. When we choose to believe this reality and live according to it, we don’t just “get it close” in our imitation of Jesus. Amazingly our Lord and our God shows Himself to be truly inseparable from us, even, or perhaps especially, in our suffering. This is why we celebrate and proclaim joyfully: The Lord is risen! Indeed, He is risen!