In the Spring of 1966 Time magazine produced one of its most famous ever cover stories, asking Is God Dead?. Many people were convinced that God was indeed dead. Yet today Christianity is booming in many parts of the world, and there is great interest in Jesus even in the so-called 'secular West'. In this moment of pandemic, billions of Christians still celebrate Christ’s resurrection this Easter.
The foundational claim of Christianity is that Jesus certainly was dead but that he didn’t stay dead. And 2000 years on, the Christian church still confidently proclaims that truth. On the third day after his crucifixion Jesus was up and out of the grave and back in action. At first the disciples couldn’t believe it. But soon the disciples and, at one time, a group of 500 people had first-hand experience of Jesus's resurrection.
Three key characters in the Easter story were very real people with very real problems who met with the risen Christ. This encounter changed them and our lives can also be changed by Jesus. See if you identify with any or all of them:
• Mary was full of grief (John 20:11-16, Mark 16:9)
• Peter was full of guilt (Matthew 26:75)
• Thomas was full of doubt (John 20:25)
When they met the risen Jesus it changed everything for each one of them:
• Mary was comforted and filled with joy (Psalm 34:18, Psalm 30:5)
• Peter was totally forgiven and restored (Mark 16:6-7)
• Thomas became a man of faith and a great worshipper (John 20:26-29)
Apply
Do you relate to any of these three individuals who each had very real problems in their own lives? Do you need Jesus to remove hurts and troubles in your life? Mary was full of grief, heartbroken by all that had taken place. No one had helped her like Jesus - before she met Him, her life had been a total mess and she had been a tormented soul, but Jesus had given her dignity, purpose, and His unconditional love. Peter was full of guilt, blaming himself for letting Jesus down because of his own fear and panic. He felt like a total failure, and, like many people today, he couldn’t forgive himself for what he had done. Thomas was cynical, and his logic and doubts prevented him from believing the good news of Jesus's resurrection.
Do you need to encounter the risen Jesus to change your life today? After Jesus's resurrection, Mary, Peter and Thomas were all transformed by a personal meeting with Him. Mary was comforted and filled with joy. All sadness and tears were gone, and she couldn't help but tell everyone that 'I have seen the Lord.' God can comfort you in all your troubles and prepare you for heaven where there are no more tears. Peter was totally forgiven and restored, and was singled out in Mark 16:6-7 because the Lord knew how bad he felt. In Galilee, Jesus had breakfast with Peter and recommissioned him to be one of the great leaders of the first century church. Today you may have failed but you are not finished. Your past need no longer define you. God wants to forgive you and to heal you and to open up a bright new future to you. Like Peter you can start over. Finally, Thomas became a man of faith and a great worshipper, whose doubts disappeared when Jesus appeared before him. Thomas instantly changed when he had an encounter with Jesus. He became a believer and he worshipped Jesus as his Lord and His God. You too can worship the Lord with great joy when you believe that the risen Jesus can change everything in your life (in your home, marriage, children, family, health, finances, business, studies and more). Because He lives, you can live both in this life and the next.
