As the story goes, on one Easter Sunday a Sunday School teacher had just finished telling her third graders about how Jesus was crucified and placed in a tomb with a great stone sealing the opening. Then, wanting to share the excitement of the resurrection, she asked: “And what do you think were Jesus’ first words when He came bursting out of that tomb alive?” A hand shot up into the air from the rear of the classroom. Attached to it was the arm of a little girl. Leaping out of her chair she shouted out excitedly “I know, I know!” “Good” said the teacher, “Tell us, what were Jesus first words.” And extending her arms high into the air she said: “TA-DA!”
Now this is a cute story but I strongly doubt that this story is a true one but there is truth in the story. The little girl was right. It is very true that the resurrected Lord is the central event of our faith. It’s what we would definitely call the “TA-DA!” of Christianity. And because of Easter, we know that God in Christ Jesus is more powerful then anything in life, even death.
The resurrection is not just another thing we believe or an annual religious event to be observed. The resurrection is pivotal and foundational to our journey of faith. Everything hinges on the resurrection. And you realize that especially when life smacks you in the face.
Recently I read about a man whose young daughter died. It was devastating for the family. But in her death, Easter took on new importance. The father said this: “Until you stare death eye to eye, Easter is just a word, a nice day with bunny rabbits and eggs.... but when someone so precious to you dies, Easter becomes everything.... an anchor in a fierce storm.... a rock on which to stand.... a hope that raises you above despair and keeps you going.”
Everything hinges on the resurrection. In our deepest and darkest moments…. when challenges come…. when difficulties knock on our door… when the most devastating things happen and we don’t think it can ever get better the resurrection gives us hope that it can be better and will be better. When we are in the midst of day one or day two, the resurrection gives us hope that there is a day three and victory is coming.
Kay Arthur is a Christian writer and lecturer, and many thousands of people around the world have been impacted by the bible studies put out by Kay Arthur. She is a committed Christian woman. But it has not always been this way for Kay Arthur. Many years ago when she was in her twenties she was as far away from God relationally as a person could possibly get. Her husband was diagnosed as manic depressive and it got so bad that she just got tired of living with him. Ultimately she got involved with a married man and an affair. When her husband found out he became so depressed that he threatened suicide. And when he threatened suicide she was so crass, so uncaring that she told him, “Go ahead and kill yourself, I could use the life insurance money.” And he did. A few days later he hung himself. Kay Arthur said that as she drove away from the cemetery that day she felt like such a failure as a wife, as a mother, as a person. And she felt such anger and frustration and pain. And she said as she drove away she shook her fist at the sky and she screamed, “To Hell with you God.” But then in her book, “Lord, I Need Grace” where she shares this story she writes, “What I didn’t know until later, was that that was exactly what he did for me. He gave his life; he went to the very gates of hell. And he did it for me. In 1957, a song, entitled 'What A Difference A Day Makes' sold more than two million copies. When I think of that song title, I realized that it could apply to many dates and events. But the greatest day in history was the day that Jesus went to hell and back and came forth from the tomb on that resurrection morning."
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