From The Passion of the Christ
Revelation 1:8, 17-18 New International Version
(NIV)
8 “I am the
Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is
to come, the Almighty.”
17 When I saw him, I fell at
his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and
said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever
and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 New International Version
(NIV)
The Resurrection of Christ
15 Now,
brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to
you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this
gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to
you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I
received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was
buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas [Peter], and
then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred
of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living,
though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the
apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to
one abnormally born.
9 For I am the
least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle,
because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the
grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without
effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God
that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what
we preach, and this is what you believed.
Most historians of the Bible and theologians believe that the statements
in verses 3 & 4 above are a very early Christian creed of the church that
date to no more than 2 to 5 years after Jesus rose from the dead.
In a world of uncertainties as tumultuous as the seas, Easter reminds us
that we have an anchor firmly cast in that sea. An anchor firmly set in truth and in history.
God loves us and gave himself for us. May this Easter be a time of peace in
that sea for you. A time of renewed hope, purpose and joy.
HAPPY EASTER !
