Our Daily Easter
Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 1:3-9
In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus ... 1 Peter 1:3
When terrorists stormed his school in southern Russia, Alex Pospelov, age 13, became one of the hostages. Like other students and teachers, he spent long hours on the gym floor, guarded by heavily armed men. The hostages were all thirsty, hungry, and afraid.
A terrorist noticed that Alex, an Orthodox Christian, was wearing a small cross. He pointed his machine gun at the cross and demanded that Alex confess Allah. But instead the boy stammered, "Christ is risen!" At this tense moment, all Alex could remember was a traditional Easter greeting, even though it wasn't Eastertime.
Do we realize that every Sunday we gather to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord? In Peter's words, we are given a "new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus." This hope, our eternal inheritance, comforts us in the midst of suffering. It's a firm foundation of our saving faith, and it is more precious than gold. Alex might have been confused, but in the face of death he found the best words to say.
As Easter draws near, we will again hear the great news that Christ died for us and is risen from the dead. We will be reminded that the foundation of our living hope is best described by the ancient greeting "Christ is risen!" Our daily walk of faith is meaningless if we are not walking in the light of this great truth.
Lord, we praise you for the living hope that we have in your Son's resurrection. Thank you that in good times and bad we can lean on this great truth: Christ is risen! Amen.
About the author — Sergei Sosedkin
Rev. Sergei Sosedkin is the Russian-language ministry leader for ReFrame Ministries. He is a native of Moscow, Russia. As he oversees the Russian-language ministry, Rev. Sosedkin works from our office in Grand Rapids and in various locations in Russia.
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