Easter Sunday

Binhi sang Pagtuo

April 13, 2009

Dear Centralians and Friends,

Our reflection for this week comes from John 11:25-43.

Yesterday almost all of Christendom celebrated Easter Sunday – the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Why almost? The Western Church (Roman Catholic and Protestant) celebrated it on April 12, 2009 while the Eastern Church will be celebrating it on April 19, 2009. Next year, and the following year – 2010 and 2011 the dates of celebrating Easter will be the same. It is sad to note that Christians cannot even unite on the date of celebrating Easter Sunday.

I would like to share one message, one implication and four challenges on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The message of the resurrection is that God is a God of life. The statements of Jesus as recorded in John – “I am the way, the truth and the life”, “I am the living water”, “I am the resurrection and the life”, “I am the bread of life” – points to the truth that our God is God of life, and giver of life. John 10:10 affirms it – “I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full.” Because of this truth, together with Peter and Martha, we can declare, “thou art Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

The implication of this message is that we must not allow the world to kill Jesus again and again, and force him to remain in the tomb. Thus, as we resist the forces of death in our midst, let us ponder on these challenges from the word LIFE.

L – Live a life that shows that Jesus is alive in our lives and is not dead. Like what happened in Lazarus, Jesus Christ is commanding us to unwrap ourselves from the graveclothes, thus freeing us from the bondage of death-like situations. Let us always picture out Jesus shouting at us, “get out of there.”

I – Involve actively in the ministry of resurrection. Let us be active in the ministry of resurrecting our brothers and sisters who are living a spiritually dead life; and resurrecting also those who are victims of modern day Sadducees and Pharisees.

F – Fulfill God’s expectation to be bringers of life and not death. We are expected to always seek life and not destruction. Let us cry together with Jesus (John 11:35) every time we see death and destruction, and then let us do something about it.

E – Encourage one another to be united in taking away the stone in the tomb. Jesus is asking us to collectively “roll the stone away.” There is strength in unity. We must participate in the task of putting away the barriers that impede us in having a life in its fullest.
May God continually bless us all!

Sincerely,

Pastor Francis Neil G. Jalando-on

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