When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was Jesus saying to the world, 'I love you'.
Biblically, we do not actually have resurrection stories.
"The empty tomb declares that the verdict of the Sanhedrin was wrong".
Christians in most parts of the northeast with traditional pomp and gaiety celebrated the Easter Sunday signifying Jesus Christ's victory over death after his crucifixion to redeem the world. Yet the greater Biblical emphasis is on the implications of this belief.
"I am the resurrection and the life".
"Our God has not forgotten us".
It is one that we can not relegate to the private dimensions of life; it radiates outward into our public speech and actions.
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However, his punishment was increased because he sarcastically applauded the fourth official as he walked down the tunnel.
The message of Easter is that Jesus so loved humanity that he had to give up his life for our sake and by doing so, He commands men to "love one another.' Jesus set for us an example by laying down his life 'for his friends.' The meaning of 'friends" here is extended from those who obey Jesus to all humanity, made up of the wicked, the unbelieving, the idolaters, the adulterers, and those who do things that are, sometimes, too weighty for the tongue to utter.
We will have the energy, the passion and the persistence to answer that call to the degree that we access the all-powerful, never-ending, ever-present Love of God within us. Whenever the "Gloria in Excelsis Deo" - the "Glory to God in the Highest" - was intoned, every bell in church began to ring, the organ blared an excitement that seemed uncontained, and people in our parish couldn't wait to say the traditional Polish Easter greeting: "Wesolego, Alleluia!" He was taken to the tomb where he was nursed back to life and then "resurrected".
Certainly, we have problems in Northern Ireland, but they are nothing compared to the plight of millions of our fellow human beings around the world.
One of the most impressive pieces of testimony to the historic actuality of Christ's resurrection is the tremendous change that came over the apostles once they had wholeheartedly accepted it as truth. That's why we Christians throughout the world look to Easter weekend with joy and not sorrow.
Either way, the point is that the Resurrection triumphed over death. It might even contribute to bringing all people together for our common good.
"We hope to have peace next year", he said as he sat before the entrance's towering wooden doors, keeping an eye on those who entered. Lucky for us, we have a local initiative that can help us do just that. This started as a grassroots effort to increase the environment of welcome and goodwill for everyone in our city. It reminds us that compassion can pull us together at a time in our society when so many forces pull us apart. Given the symbolism of new life and rebirth, it was only natural to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus at this time of the year.
The Rev. David Wiggs is senior pastor of Boston Avenue United Methodist Church.
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