Article April 9, 2001 Issue

THE MARVELOUS LIGHT OF RESURRECTION

Finding a power for today in the resurrection of Jesus

By Richard Bergenheim

Have you experienced resurrection? For a lot of people, that question will sound strange. Resurrection is often synonymous with Easter, which celebrates Jesus' triumph over death after his crucifixion. Some might say that Easter reminds them of the promise that after death we, too, can look forward to life with God; that Easter assures them that life does not end.

Yet the feelings that touch many hearts at Easter time also show that Jesus' resurrection can powerfully affect our lives today, not just after death. Something awakes an inner joy in us and we are filled with wonder as we think about the power of God—divine Love—which enabled Jesus to triumph over hatred and death. Every time I read the Bible's accounts of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, I feel a stirring inside. The tragedy of the crucifixion is annulled by the glory of the resurrection.

For anyone who has felt that his or her world has caved in, that all hope is gone, it can be a wonderful discovery to learn that Jesus' resurrection can still touch people's lives powerfully today. It reveals a love beyond anything we have known before. It revives our hope.