Reference Point
By Jack Wyman
How are you feeling these days?
What’s on your heart and mind?
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. . .”
With this iconic contrast, Charles Dickens began his epic novel, A Tale of Two Cities.
The American version might be called A Tale of Two Countries.
Our divisions deepen daily. Our angst rises, our hopes dim. Millions despair of the healing of our national strife. For many, this is “the worst of times.” Period.
We witness yet another school shooting. The angry debate over guns is reignited. Then a former president of the United States is criminally indicted on 34 felony counts. We witness his arraignment—and history. It makes us sad or angry; satisfied or resentful. Some scoff, others condemn; some are giddy, others vengeful. We head for our corners, shouting and cursing all the way.
We’re on the right side, we insist. We know it. And it gives us satisfaction to hate our enemies. Even if one is a former president, especially this former president.
One frustrated commentator, hoping for a hanging, ruefully said, “He slipped the noose today.”
Christians can get caught up in this. The anger, hate, suspicion—the condemnation and the fear. All the loud and anxious recriminations; the sadness and even depression caused by these turbulent times.
Where is the hope?
This weekend, millions of us will go to church to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Surrounded by desperation, we’ll seek encouragement. This is the high holiday of Christendom. For many, it will be the one day of the year when God gets a nod. Then it’s back to the real world. Believers have this one great annual opportunity to share their faith, their music, their worship, and their preaching with those who would not otherwise pay any attention.
Yet even for Christians, there is this persistent temptation to imbibe only the rituals of the familiar recitation of 2,000-year-old facts. To join in the appropriate holiday festivities; the lighter moments of family, food, drink, and Sunday finery.
There may not be anything new we can learn about the resurrection historically. Perhaps, though, we can let the resurrection affect us personally. Not just on a beautiful spring Sunday, but in every moment of every day that we live. Maybe it’s the true spiritual antidote we all need in these difficult days.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ—not just for the Christian but for the world—is much more than the central historic reality of civilization. It’s more even than the magnum opus of God’s eternal plan for humankind’s redemption. The resurrection is an attitude. It’s a way of seeing the world and our place in it. It’s the linchpin—the modus operandi—of the Christian life. It must be the Christian’s lifestyle.
The full truth and meaning of the resurrection must impact you and me in a very personal, practical, and permanent way. It must inform how we think, and feel, and live. It must guide our understanding of pain and suffering; of sorrow, sickness, and death.
It must be our reassurance and hope as we live as fallen creatures in a fallen world. The resurrection teaches us to place our faith, not in politics or politicians, but in the resurrected Lord who has triumphed over every earthly power. Only a resurrected Christ can control and guide the march of history.
The resurrection gives the only real and lasting meaning to our lives. In his defeat of death, destruction, sin, and Satan, Jesus Christ has given us every reason to live as positive and hopeful people, come what may. The resurrection gives the only true perspective on what we do not understand and find hard to accept. The empty tomb is the only source of hope in a hopeless world that wanders in aimless pursuit of self-gratification.
The resurrection gives purpose and value to our labor. All our efforts to alleviate suffering, show compassion, advance justice, combat corruption, educate for virtue, and create opportunity are never in vain. Never.
Why?
Because Jesus Christ has risen. He lives and reigns, and in due time he will make the world over. So let us heed the call of the poet Tennyson, “Come, my friends, ‘tis not too late to seek a newer world.” Let us teach our children citizenship, service, and sacrifice. Let us teach them the nobility of politics; that it is an important and worthy calling.
Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Paul tells us, we must always be abounding in the work of the Lord. Our labor for him is never in vain (I Corinthians 15:58).
The resurrection isn’t just an Easter celebration. It’s a way of living. It is the confirmation of our faith, the purpose of our work, and the hope of our future. The resurrection gives comfort in our trials, peace in our anxieties, confidence in our struggles, and optimism in our outlook.
Christmas would be meaningless without the resurrection. Had Jesus been born in the manger and died on the cross, we still would be without hope. We need the empty tomb. Because he lives, we not only can face tomorrow, we can live forever with him.
The grave is never the final goodbye for the Christian. We must not fear death. Jesus defanged it. He has conquered death and the grave, and given life and immortality to all those who trust in him.
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian! Take Hope! Take confidence! He lives!
Be not moved nor discouraged by the vain imaginations of mere mortals, nor the raging of the nations.
In his endless splendor and matchless glory, our risen Lord and King draws closer by the day.
The resurrection.
It’s our eternal reference point.
To order Jack Wyman’s book, “Everything Else: Stories of Life, Faith and Our World”, go to amazon.com, Christian Book Distributors or barnesandnoble.com. It is also available on Kindle and eBooks.
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