It is said that on the evening of June 18, 1815 a man stood in the tower of England’s Winchester Cathedral gazing anxiously out to sea. At last he found what he was looking for – a ship sending a signal by use of lights. He strained to see the message. All of England held its breath with him, wanting to know the outcome of the war between their military leader, the Duke of Wellington, and the French dictator Napoleon Bonaparte. Bonaparte, who had once ruled all of Europe bar England remained a threat, and now the decisive Battle of Waterloo had been fought.

So, as he stood in the tower of Winchester Cathedral our man waited to relay the news that would determine England’s future. The signal came just as a heavy fog was rolling in. It only just got through, but how he wished it hadn’t, for the signal read: “Wellington defeated” The man signalled to other stations and the news spread across the countryside, bringing great gloom and sadness. But then a great reversal. The fog lifted, and the message was sent again, this time in full: “Wellington defeated the enemy”. Joy? Happiness? Delirium! Wellington had won!

On Good Friday it seemed the message was “Christ defeated”, but three days later we discover that the message had not been received in full. The resurrection reverses what we initially thought and declares “Christ defeated the enemy!”¹ Satan may have thought that he had halted God’s plan of salvation, but alas, on the morning of the third day God raised Jesus from the dead, and by this he perfected the work of salvation to redeem the world from destruction.

The event that changed the world’s calendar, and would determine her future is the news that God appeared on earth in human form, in the person of Jesus the Messiah; He lived, was killed, and on the third day He was raised to life. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was one of the most momentous events in history. By rising from the dead to return to eternal power at the right hand of the Father, Jesus fulfilled a vital part of the plan of God that has paramount importance to the life and future of every human being. This is the new that have shaped the world, and would determine her future.

Let us never forget the incredible importance of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. It is the anchor of every hope we have and ultimately the anchor of hope for all mankind (Hebrews 6:17-20).””For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16. The sacrificial death of Christ on the cross is to bridge the gap separating man from God. Through the resurrection of Christ we have been brought into a new hope of eternal life. However, those who reject this offer of salvation have by so doing chosen eternal condemnation.

…But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. 3The Son is the radianceof God’s glory and the exact representation of Hisnature, upholding all things by His powerful word. AfterHe had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high...” Hebrews 1:3-4. Matthew Henry wrote, “…In beholding the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ, we behold the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Father, John 14:7; the fulness of the Godhead dwells, not typically, or in a figure, but really, in him. When, on the fall of man, the world was breaking to pieces under the wrath and curse of God, the Son of God, undertaking the work of redemption, sustained it by his almighty power and goodness.”

How do we make sense of a perverse world? A little boy was giving a puzzle to solve by his father, who needed some time for his leisure . His dad Dad realises he’s not going to get any peace, so he decides to set his son a task that will take some time. He notices a picture of the world on the front page of the newspaper lying in front of him. He tears the picture out then rips it into small pieces. “Now son, I’ve got a game for you. Take the pieces of this picture of the world and put them back together again and then we’ll play together.”

The little boy eagerly takes the pieces away with him and sets to work. Dad’s relieved he’ll get to see the last half hour of his TV program. But to his amazement his little boy is back in less than five minutes. “I’ve finished daddy. Can we play now?” The father is stunned when he turns around to see his son holding up the picture of the world, each piece sticky taped into the right position. Dad begins wondering whether he has a child prodigy on his hands. “How did you get it done so quickly?” he asks. “That would’ve taken me a good 20 minutes and I’m an adult.”²

“Oh, it was easy daddy. On the back of the world was a picture of a person, so I put the person together and that’s when the world came together.” How do you put the world together? How do you make sense of your world and find your way through it? Christians find that Jesus is the face on the other side of the puzzle. He enables us to make sens eof life and our world and to find a path through it.

The resurrection was preceded by the passover and the crucifixion. Jesus was in the grave for three days. These three days may be for you three years in a difficult situation; it may be three months, thirty months or three years in a wilderness of life. If you’re well positioned in God, this affliction is to prepare you for greatness. It is to make manifest the glory and power of God in you and through you. It won’t be long, with persistent faith and absolute trust in God, you will come out of your grave; you will come out of your predicaments and become a masterpiece, a ready-made vessel of God for good works. Rise to your feet and say, my life is worth a living because Christ suffered, died and rose again!

My wife and I, and of course all our loved ones who cared and prayed for us, were together in the wilderness, hungry and tasty for the blessing of the fruit of the womb. Like Jesus cried to God we also questioned if he had abandoned us. We prayed and fasted. But God determined that we must spend Nine years in the school of adversity. He didn’t tell us we would be tried for Nine years after our wedding. We kept hoping against hope until the appointmented time that He chose. Today, if you ask me, if we truly went through Nine years of childlessness, I’ll tell you am not sure it was up to nine years, I think it was only 9 days. This is so because looking at our son doesn’t remind me of the terrible but profitable years of waiting. It only reminds me of the faithfulness and the power of God, and how through this affliction he has made us into a better couple  The bible offers consolations to those who are being tried, “For weeping may endure for a night; but joy comes in the morning! Therefore, the resurrection of Jesus Christ continues to give us assurance that no matter how bad the situation might be, there is light at the end of the tunnel! Say with me, ‘I will rise!’

If you find your self in a bad situation; don’t resign to fate. After every night comes the morning.  The power of Christ will bring you out! When Christ rose from the dead, he was empowered! In other words, His resurrection made Him more powerful. There were greater things He could do because He rose: if he had not risen he wouldn’t have destroyed the power of sin and death. If he had not risen he wouldn’t have being able to bring many sons unto glory. Had he not risen he wouldn’t have rebuilt the dilapidated bridge between us and God, thereby giving us access to God.  If he had not risen, there wouldn’t have been hope of eternal life. In the same way, the power you acquire after been tried should be greater than before you were tried. That’s God’s plan provided you allow him to work in you. Christ is Risen! And because He lives, you can face tomorrow. All fear is gone because He holds your future!  You are wining! Yes, we are winning!

Happy Easter!

GreatMark

^1,2Source: unknown