Reflecting Upon Resurrection Day – Sunday Thought For The Day

David C. McCasland wrote: “On the darkest evening of Jesus’ life, He agonized in prayer in the Garden, faced a wrongful arrest, endured humiliation at the hands of religious leaders, and winced at Peter’s denials. Yet He moved faithfully toward the cross where He would die for our sins.” (And It Was Night; 3/28/13; odb.org)

This Resurrection Day I find the essence of Dave McCasland’s words to hold special meaning. They remind me of the afternoon I turned to Christ for salvation in what was the darkest hours of my life. Everything I had, everything I owned, my business, my future, and my family were on the verge of being taken away. But, out of that darkest hour, I was given a life line to an eternity with Jesus Christ in glory. Because of His death and resurrection — and my belief that He is God, my confession of my sins and admission that I was lost and unable to save myself, which led to my acceptance of Him as my only avenue of salvation; the darkness of that hour became the light unto my feet that has guided my way for now nearly 44 years.

I’m shamed to say that since then there have been many times when I’ve dropped the ball, and on occasion even knowingly. But, while there have been plenty of times that I have disappointed both Him and myself, He has never failed me nor forsaken me.  My desire to be more like Him continues to increase.

In the Book of Hebrews 12:2 (KJV) it reads: “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Some may ask; what was the joy that was set before Him that would allow Him to willingly suffer the death He was to face, even though He Himself was innocent? I believe we are His joy, us and all those who accepted Him as Savior before us and all those who will accept Him as Savior in the time remaining before His return.

Resurrection Day is a special day to me.  I remember the first Resurrection Day service my wife and I attended 8 months after I was saved.  During those months my wife had accepted the Lord also.  I remember the joy of holding our infant son in my arms at that time.

Resurrection Day becomes more precious to me as I grow older and become more aware of my own mortality. I’m thankful that when the Spirit of God beckoned me I accepted God’s Son, Jesus Christ, which is the only way to enjoy life eternal with Him in heaven.

But, it’s not just about knowing without question that I will one day be in heaven with Him — it is about having His Spirit with me here on earth. It is about having freedom and certainty at the same time. It is about knowing that no matter how bad it gets here on earth (and it is going to get bad), I need not worry because His scriptures tell us/me how it all ends. Thus, when people comment that they don’t know how I can have such confidence in the face of the teeming caldron of decay, immorality, and collapse that confront us, I tell them that I’ve read the Book. I know how it ends, and we win.

This Resurrection Day, I pray each and every one of you will reflect upon just what the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, means to you.