"Where, O death,
is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power
of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ."
"Gives us the victory!" Hear those words addressed personally
to you. "Gives YOU the victory!" It is one thing to know that God raised Jesus
from the dead, one thing to know that God has been victorious over sin and death in
general. It is quite another to believe and trust the Easter victory is for you.
The 40 days along the Road to Coronation have taken us to the humble
beginnings of Jesus. In this journey we saw he was baptized as an anointed King, but,
surprisingly, lived as Servant of all. The Road to Coronation looked like it would end in
humiliation and defeat a short time ago. But today we rejoice in the Easter victory.
Almighty God raised this Servant-King from the dead and confirmed him as the world’s
Savior and Lord. Alleluia!
Easter is for you. Do you believe that Promise? From the first breath
we take as babies, our lives are lived deathward. Sin makes us think we had better get all
we can, while we can, because our lives are bracketed by death. That’s the sting of
death and the power of sin.
Easter is the beginning of God’s great reversal. Death is
conquered. Sin is vanquished. We are named sons and daughters of the risen Servant-King.
We walk in the ways of the One who carried the cross but now wears the crown. We are
royalty, inheritors of life. We are Easter people. God gives us the victory! Believe it!
Live it! Sing it!
Prayer: Dear God, thank you, thank you, thank you! Help me now to live
in the power of your resurrection. Help me to believe and trust the Easter victory is for
me. Amen.
