The Easter miracle and its promise.

[Xeno.of.athens]

Many people have begun to think of Easter as a Sunday for chocolate bunnies, eggs, and small social gatherings. And such things are indeed common on that day. But the chocolate and the social gatherings are not the message of easter. They are small pleasures that we can share with children and with one another. They bring a little joy into the world and to our tummies

So, what is the message of Easter? It is the resurrection. And you may ask why I say THE resurrection rather than Christ's resurrection or a resurrection. It is because in truth there is only one resurrection, and it is Christ's. Why only one? Because in Christ's rising from the grave he raises humanity from the grave. And when he ascends to heaven forty days later it is the only ascension because in his ascension, he raises humanity to heaven. And we speak of his glorification, and this too is the only glorification, because when Christ's human nature is glorified. This is why the Lord, Jesus Christ, is raised as a man and remains a man in heaven, he remains God also. Yet for us it is his humanity that captures our attention most, because in everything good that transpires in his humanity, it is the foundation and the summit of all our hopes. In his resurrection is our resurrection, in his ascension is our ascension, in his glorification is our glorification. When he sits on the right hand of the Throne on high, he is also us sitting there. And when he judges we also judge. This is what it means to be in Christ. And it is why human nature is so precious, because in Christ every good gift and every perfect gift that God has for humanity is to be found.

 

[Clare73]

Many people have begun to think of Easter as a Sunday for chocolate bunnies, eggs, and small social gatherings. And such things are indeed common on that day. But the chocolate and the social gatherings are not the message of easter. They are small pleasures that we can share with children and with one another. They bring a little joy into the world and to our tummies

So, what is the message of Easter? It is the resurrection. And you may ask why I say THE resurrection rather than Christ's resurrection or a resurrection. It is because in truth there is only one resurrection, and it is Christ's. Why only one? Because in Christ's rising from the grave he raises humanity from the grave. And when he ascends to heaven forty days later it is the only ascension because in his ascension, he raises humanity to heaven. And we speak of his glorification, and this too is the only glorification, because when Christ's human nature is glorified. This is why the Lord, Jesus Christ, is raised as a man and remains a man in heaven, he remains God also.

Yet for us it is his humanity that captures our attention most, because in everything good that transpires in his humanity, it is the foundation and the summit of all our hopes. In his resurrection is our resurrection, in his ascension is our ascension, in his glorification is our glorification. When he sits on the right hand of the Throne on high, he is also us sitting there.

Actually, we are sitting there (Eph 2:6), as we are resurrected, we are raised to heaven, we are glorified with Christ's own inherited glory (Ro 8:17, Gal 4:17). We do not lose our God-given redeemed identity by being in Christ.