WEEK FIVE: EASTER

If you have ever taken time to go to one of the caverns in our area, there is something that they do at every one of them during the tour. At some point, when you are deep in the cavern underground, they will stop the tour and they will turn off all the lights. Then they will usually tell you to wave your hand in front of your face to demonstrate how dark it is because you cannot see your hand no matter how close you get it to your eyes. If you have ever done this, you understand how deep that darkness is… and if you had to spend very much time down there in that darkness, you would lose all semblance of depth and space. It is extremely disorienting. As creatures with the sense of vision, we were created to function in light. We were not equipped with the necessary senses to function well in darkness.

In this season of Easter, we celebrate new life and spring, bright colors, and light… but this celebration is not what Easter is all about. The life and light are only available because of the breaking of darkness that Jesus accomplished by facing the ultimate darkness of death. Fortunately for us though, that darkness of death wasn’t the end—it was the beginning. The ultimate darkness of death brought into reality the ultimate light and new life of resurrection, and that resurrection made possible the light that can lead us even when everything around us seems dark.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”  (Isaiah 9:2 NIV) This means that the darkness which clouds our lives doesn’t have the power to control our lives.  John 1:4-5 says, “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it.” Then again in 1 John 1:5, he wrote, “This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.” Finally, in 1 Peter 2:9 we read, “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” (NLT)

No matter how dark life may look and no matter how dreadful our circumstance may seem, we can live in the light of Jesus. Because of the resurrection, we know that sin, shame, and death are defeated and we can be set free from the bondages of those things. All we must do is accept God’s forgiveness and step into the light that we are called into. Let this Easter season be a time of not just celebrating new life around you, but let it also be a time to celebrate new life inyou.