April 2010 - English

If in this life only we have hope in Christ … But now Christ is risen from the dead … (1 Cor 15:19a, 20a)

At this time of year, we celebrate the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. These verse remind us that we have a hope, not only in this life, but in the life to come. Today, we are recipients of the gift of life which gives us power over sin and the ability to live a righteous and holy life. But that is not all, for when we pass into eternity we have the confidence that there is also victory over death.

Please don’t think that hope, in this context, means ‘wishful thinking’. But rather, it means a settled certainty that these things will come to pass. And why can we be so sure? Why? Because Christ was risen from the dead! And just as He is risen from the dead, so one day we too will rise from the dead. We will not rise in the same body as we have now for we will receive a new spiritual body. And if our new body is anything like His new body as He appears in Revelation 1, it will be a glorious body indeed.

It is essential, that we link both this life and the life to come together, for they are inextricably linked. Later in the same chapter we read, ‘“Death is swallowed up in victory.” ... “The sting of death is sin ... ‘(1 Cor 15:54b,56a) There is an close link between sin and death. They had to be dealt with together, and we rejoice that they were both dealt with by the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

‘The Lord is risen’

‘He is risen indeed’

Hallelujah!