EASTER POWER. EASTER PEACE.

Happy Easter to one and all! Alleluia! He is Risen!

This Easter, I'm reflecting on the potential impact Christ's resurrection can have on our lives. What does it change in the world? How does it change us? First off, let's make a distinction.

If what we mean by Easter is baskets full of candy, a pastel color pallet, and dressing up nice, it probably won't make a huge impact in our lives. Cultural Easter comes and goes as quickly as inventory flies off the shelves in Walmart. However, if by Easter we mean the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and the culmination of his Gospel, now we are talking about something that has the potential to make a huge impact. 

We might consider the impact of Easter in terms of power, or the ability to act. Easter has the potential to increase our power significantly, and who is not interested in gaining power? The power we are given at Easter is the peace of the Risen Christ. First and foremost, Easter reveals the power of God over death. In Christ's resurrection, death is defeated as life returns to Jesus on Easter morn. Consider, for a moment, how powerful that truly is! If power means the ability to act, death is the ultimate enemy which renders everyone powerless, completely unable to act. If death has truly been defeated, we can never be completely powerless and our lives never truly end. 

The result of knowing that we can never truly die is a peace which passes all understanding, the peace of the Risen Christ. That peace empowers us to move beyond our fear because it promises the life of a God-given soul which cannot be harmed or destroyed. The peace which God gives us in the Risen Christ is a power greater than any we can find in the world. 

For what power does the world hold over the servants of the Risen Christ if they have an eternal spirit? 

Therefore, Easter power is Easter peace, the power of believing we posses a peace which the world cannot touch. This has implications for our lives and the ways Christians think about violence, war, and oppression. Not only does it enable those who are suffering to endure, it also enables those who witness the suffering of others to intervene. 

This Easter, I hope you experience the peace of the Risen Christ and feel empowered to serve others in his name. 

CJ+