By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
When we think of Easter, usually two images come to mind — the Cross and the empty tomb.
Both are important and are visual reminders of the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for you and me.
My personal favorite is that of the empty tomb.
The empty tomb symbolizes our hope for eternity.
Had the women who went to His tomb on that first Easter morning discovered Jesus’ body in that tomb, we would live our lives literally with no hope for what lies beyond death.
The resurrection of Jesus is why we can live not only in the present but for tomorrow as well.
No matter what tomorrow brings, we can face it because of what Jesus Christ did for all of us when He took our sins upon His shoulders and died a horrific death on the Cross of Calvary.
His resurrection sent a message that He truly is the Son of God and that He accomplished the task He set out to do.
I encourage everyone to read the column “Trusting God Through the Uncertainties of Life,” written by Jenna Fleming, a pastor’s wife in Memphis.
She wrote the following: “People can fail me. Plans fail. Car engines fail. Pregnancies can fail. But God never fails.”
Praise the Lord.
We live in a world where we are faced with stresses and trials each and every day.
People wake up in the morning, not knowing if they will have anything to eat. Others wake up, wondering if today will be the day they get the phone call that a loved one, who has been extremely ill, has died.
You or someone you know may go to work today, wondering if this will be the day you are notified you are being “downsized.”
As Jenna Fleming writes, life is filled with uncertainty. The only thing that is certain is the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.
When the world or circumstances seem to be falling apart all around us, we can rest assured Jesus Christ is on His throne.
I Peter 1:3-4 reminds us; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (KJV).
The Easter message is simple. Jesus came to earth to die in order that anyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.
Often times, Christians take that simple message and make it extremely hard.
Celebrate what Jesus Christ has done for you on Easter Sunday and then make sure you share that with others who have yet to invite Christ into their hearts and lives.
When all is said and done, He is our only hope for eternity.
