He has risen!

By Johnny McClaughlin

Words matter! The word from the Physician, the Human Resource Department, the Politician or Bank Manger matters. We must acknowledge words matter because they can change the trajectory of our lives. In the Easter story we meet the disconsolate women making their way through the dark streets on the first day of the week (John 20:1), when they heard words from the angels that can change eternal destiny, Luke 24:5–6 “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, he has risen.”

These three words “He has risen” can change perspectives. The women had suffered the worst Sabbath of their lives wrestling with the grief of Jesus being crucified and buried in a tomb. Only a matter of days ago life was full of hope, joy and purpose and now they are immersed in desperation and hopelessness. However, as they are confronted with the stone rolled away, the empty tomb and two men in dazzling apparel informing them that Jesus was alive, we can only imagine how their perspective on the first day of the week was beginning to change!

Second, these three words “He is risen” can change people. The women have now heard words of life, about the author of life who is now alive! This news has changed everything. How different this is from human experience as John Stott wrote, “We live and die, Christ died and lived!” The women are tasting what Jesus said would happen in the upper room, John 16:20 “you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.”

Third, these three words change Peter. As the leader of the twelve, and the one who said he would never desert his Lord even if everyone else did, then perhaps no one was feeling the stinging grief Peter must have been feeling this Sunday morning. Was he replaying all his failures? Did the sound of the rooster crowing wake him in a cold sweat? Peter is a failure, but the three words “He has risen” will show him failure is not final.

How did Peter respond? Dr Luke records “But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in…and he went home marvelling at what had happened.” (Luke 24:11–12). Peter who had run away from the Lord, was now running back to Jesus. Why? Because these three words, “He has risen” changes everything.

What about you this Easter as you consider your physical, spiritual, and emotional life? Does the resurrection of Jesus bring hope into your hopeless situation? As aliens and strangers living amid the thorns and thistles of this world, often life’s circumstances may not change in the immediate but because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead everything will be gloriously changed in eternity. 1 Corinthians 15:54–57 “Death is swallowed up in victory…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.”