The Aftermath
Easter Sunday is by far my favorite holiday of the year. I love Christmas, but if Christ would have only been born, taught us how to live, and skipped the cross, the plan of God would still be incomplete! That is what makes Easter Sunday, in my opinion, the ultimate celebration of the finished work of the cross.
One of the things I love the most, however, is the Jewish celebration of Passover. Passover is the celebration of death, literally “passing over” the Israelites during the last plague on the Egyptians in the exodus. As we celebrate the victory of the cross and Christ’s resurrection, I always love to look at the Passover feast as a reminder of the aftermath of God’s victory. Death has passed over us forever, and we are no longer slaves to sin and death because of Christ, just as the Israelites were no longer slaves to their oppressors after Passover. The giant bully that had us in captivity with seemingly no end has now been defeated forever, and we are free to live for and worship our God as He always intended. We are free to be His people alone and to go forth, showing His glory to the world around us. We are no longer in bondage to our enemy and forced to build His kingdom, but we are free to experience God and be used to build His kingdom in ways we could never imagine!
Be encouraged this Easter season to walk in the aftermath of God’s victory more than ever before by not celebrating the victory alone but also relishing in the beautiful life we now have because of that victory with thanksgiving and expectation! Let us look forward to and seek encounters with our God daily. Let us give Him thanks and praise for this new life of freedom with everything we have. Let us seek Him in new ways. Let us walk in boldness of victory over every former sinful oppressor! God’s presence is now ours to enjoy! His love, His power, His healing, His provision, His peace, His wisdom. There is no end to the goodness of what He has done. The true greatness of the victory is found in the endless and matchless goodness of the aftermath.