Resurrection Power: Beauty from Ashes

Today is Easter Sunday, the day when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It is one of the three most honored days in the Christian experience; Good Friday and Christmas day are the other two.

Christmas is the celebration and remembrance of the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus chose to leave the glory He had in Heaven and become a human being. As a human, He experienced everything we humans experience such as physical pain, emotional pain, and temptation. Yet, even though He was human, He did not sin.

Good Friday is the day to honor the death of Jesus. He was found guilty by His own people of blasphemy because He claimed to be the Son of God. The Roman government was involved as the executioners of this crime Jesus was charged with. The Jewish religious leaders struck Him, spit on Him, and cast Him out to be turned over to the Roman government. The soldiers in the employment of the Roman government mocked Him and beat Him without mercy. The struck Him on the head and whipped His body with a metal-tipped whip. They shoved a crown made from thorns on His head. Scriptures record that Jesus was beaten beyond recognition. After the beatings and torture, Jesus was nailed to a cross upon which He died. As the sinless God-man, His death became the final offering, the final sacrifice, for the sins of mankind.

Easter Sunday is the celebration and remembrance that Jesus rose from the grave. As the Son of God, His death was planned by His Heavenly Father so that the resurrection could take place. The resurrection is God’s victory over death and sin. The death of Jesus had to occur. The sinless God-man had to die to take away the sin of those who believe in Him. The sinless God-man had to die in order to go to hell to defeat sin and death itself. The sinless God-man rose from the grave through the resurrection power of God to give all would believe in Him victory over sin and death. Without Jesus’ death, none of these things could occur.

Jesus willingly accepted the task of leaving Heaven and setting aside His glorious majesty as God’s Son to become a flesh-and-blood human. He willingly accepted the Father’s will that He be tortured and die a horrendous death on the cross. Why? Scripture tells us that Jesus knew the good purpose His life, death, and resurrection would provide for mankind. The Bible even says that Jesus knew there would be joy as a result of what He suffered: “…who for the joy set before endured the cross, scorning its shame…” (Hebrews 12:2). God planned and allowed all of this to happen.

This Easter season, I have been thinking about my pain, suffering, and loss. I ask myself if God planned and allowed it to happen. My thoughts lead me to the Bible to try and find an answer to my question.

This Easter I think of Joseph whose story can be found in the book of Genesis. Out of jealousy because Joseph was their father’s favorite, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. While in slavery he was wrongly accused of attempted rape and suffered in prison as a result.
This Easter I think of Job whose story can be found in the book of Job. Job was the most faithful and wealthiest man in all the earth. Satan appeared before God and accused God of putting a hedge of protection around Job. Satan told God that the only reason Job worships Him is because He blesses him and protects him. If God dropped this protective shield then Job would think differently about God. God gave Satan permission to do whatever he wanted to Job except to touch Job himself. As result, Satan causes Job to all in one day, lose his all his livestock, which was his wealth, and lose his seven sons and three daughters in a freak accident. Despite it all, Job does not blame God and the Bible reveals that Job did not sin in his words or his attitude.
Satan appears before God a second time and tells God that Job will curse God to His face if his life is threatened. God gives Satan permission to do whatever he wants to Job except kill him. Satan causes painful sores to cover Job’s entire body yet in all of this, Job does not blame God for what is happening. Job even says, “Shall we not accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10).

This Easter I think about my story. I think about the pain and loss I have experienced and I must ask myself some questions? Like Jesus I have asked, “Father, is there any other way than this one? If there isn’t any other way, then not my will be done in me but Your will be done in me.” I ask myself the attitude behind Job’s question, “Do I accept only good things from You, Father God, and reject the idea that trouble might be Your will for me life as it was for Joseph, Job, Jesus, and others?” I consider Jesus’ attitude and ask, “Father, will You help me to see this situation the way You see it? Will You help me to see the joy that will be mine when You deliver me from this pain and hurt?”

Joseph forgave his brothers for what they did to him and told them that what they had meant for evil God worked out for good. Job said, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Jesus said, “…not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). The end result of these stories of betrayal, pain, and suffering?

God honored Joseph’s faith by paying him back for all the wrong that had been done to him. Joseph interpreted a dream for the Pharaoh of Egypt about a coming famine and was immediately placed in charge over all of Egypt second in power only the Pharaoh. He was also given a wife who gave him a family. As the famine worsened, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to buy food and Joseph was instrumental in saving the lives of all of his blood relatives, God’s chosen people whose generations would produce the baby Jesus.

God honored Job’s faith by giving him another family of seven sons and three daughters. God also restored Job’s health and gave him twice the wealth he had before his faith was tested.
God honored Jesus’ faith and obedience by raising Him from the dead so that we could have the life of God in us through Him. God honored Jesus’ faith by giving Him a place of authority in the spiritual realm so that we can walk in freedom from the power of sin.

The Bible tells us that as believer’s, we have the same power at work in us that raised Jesus from the dead: “…his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand…” (Ephesians 1:19-20).

I confess I do not understand God’s sovereignty, God’s ability, desire, and choice to do whatever He wants to do. There are times when I think that God could have stopped all of the awful and terrible things that have happened that devastate people’s lives.Yet, I trust Him even though I don’t understand. How can I trust Him? Because I read stories of faith like those of Joseph, Job, Jesus, and many others found in the Bible and I see that in every instance, God worked the situation out for the good of those who loved Him. He destroyed the works of the devil in their lives and paid them back for the wrong that was done to them. I trust the God of Joseph, Job, and Jesus to work my situation out for my good and to pay me back for the wrong that has been done to me. I trust the Father of Jesus Who is my Father, too, to exert His power in me to create life out of death in me.

I choose to have the faith and heart of Joseph who forgave those who wronged him and confessed that what they meant for evil God worked for good. I choose to have the faith and heart of Job who lost everything just short of his life and yet he still praised God. I choose to have the faith and heart of my Lord and Savior Jesus, Who lived in submission and surrender to God’ will for Him. I choose to believe that my God can be trusted to take the ashes created by events in my life and turn them into something beautiful for a greater good than I am not able to fully see right now.

This is Easter Sunday. A day that reminds me that God even uses Satan and his evil works to reveal God’s glory.

This is Easter Sunday. A day that reminds us of the hope that God truly can take the situations that Satan intends for evil and work them out for the incredible good of those who love Him.