He Is Risen Indeed!

Do you ever worry that you've heard the Easter story so many times, it might grow to feel stale?

The good thing about maturing as a Christian is ease and comfort with God's love, the bad thing is the danger of taking His love for granted.

The apostle Paul never seemed to take Jesus' sacrifice for granted. In Ephesians chapter 1, he lists God's blessings in long run-on sentences overflowing with enthusiasm and joy. He offers a prayer for the reader to grow in the knowledge of God.

"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 1:18-20).

This Easter weekend, ponder the hope, the inheritance, and the power He gives us. Think about that power. Jesus lay in His grave, His heart still, all metabolic functions stopped, every cell no longer functioning. Friday night, all day Saturday. Then Sunday before dawn, the power of the Father did its mighty work. Jesus' heart jolted awake, the chemicals resumed their flurry of activity, every cell returned to work - but in a new way, different than in our mortal bodies, immortal, never to cease again.

That same power works in us. That same power is available to us. That same power can resurrect a stale faith and bring back joy and enthusiasm.

He is risen! He is risen indeed!