A Time to Rejoice – Sunday, April 19, 1981
Perhaps our deepest dread is the fear of extinction, of being blown out like a candle flame, of ceasing to be. That inescapable fear of the unknown, at times grips each of us. And the more we love life, the more we fear death. That’s why Christians everywhere feel a mighty surge of hope on Easter. For millions of people, Easter morning is the most stirring time of the year… a time when we are filled with awe and reverence, with wonder and gratitude.
Easter—or more accurately what happened that we commemorate at Easter—removes that fear of extinction. It reaffirms that there is life beyond the grave. Eternal life is a reality, just as much as earth life and bodily death are realities. Christ lives and man shall live. Human history holds no more important and joyful message.
The world has never been the same since the resurrection of Christ. This staggering event is the cornerstone of Christianity. To believe in the immortality of individuals is to believe in God, since eternal life without divine guidance is difficult to imagine.
Yes, the resurrection does promise a continuation of life, a renewal of relationships. And that gives each of us added purpose. The family and friends, the commitments, the involvements we create in this life will be as immortal as our own souls.
The whole spiritual pattern of the Christian world is interwoven with the wonder of Easter. We need the miracle of Easter in the kind of world in which we live. We need the thrill of it to make us feel God’s nearness. It is an adventure in faith and an expression of joy.
What greater announcement to the world upon Christ’s victory than those three simple words, “He is risen.”1 That is the great message of Easter; the message that death is not a finality, but a gateway… a gate through which we must all travel, a gate which leads to life eternal and the Savior.
1 The New Testament, Mark 16:6
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April 19, 1981
Broadcast Number 2,696