I love those words -- such hope, such victory, such joy! Christ, who died for us, is risen.
Every year, when I hear those words on Easter, I think of the remote little villages in the Carpathian mountains of Ukraine, where the tradition among some is still to greet each other with "Христос воскрес!" ("Christ is risen!") and then the other person answers back, "He is risen indeed!" all year long, any day of the year. Can you imagine how beautiful that is? Unfortunately, it is so traditional now that most (maybe even all) of the villagers don't really think about the significance of their words as they say them. I remember being there and praying that someday, revival would happen in those villages and that that traditional greeting would be the joyful expression of understanding the importance of the resurrection. Can't you see it? Every day, greeting your neighbors with "Hey! Christ is alive! He died for us and now He's alive again!!", and then they answer back "So true! He is alive! And, we get to live with Him forever!" I get tears in my eyes imagining it!
And, now, so many years after my time in Ukraine, I'm imagining what it would be like if we as believers all over the world greeted each other this way, not just on Easter, but every day... always remembering that Christ's resurrection is what validates our faith, always remembering His victory over death after His sacrifice on our behalf, always remembering the hope of eternity we have in Him.... always living every day in the joy of Easter. Really, we should live this way, shouldn't we?
So, this year, after dressing in our pretty Easter dresses, painting and hunting for our eggs, and singing the traditional Easter hymns in our church, I'm praying that Easter will carry on in our hearts. I'm praying that my heart will want to exclaim to everyone I meet, "He is risen!" all year long, every day of the year. Join me in praying for this, friends?
He is risen! And, we'll be celebrating for eternity!
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"
(John 11:25)
