He Is Risen!

At this time of the year the flowers bloom, sun breaks through the clouds and the streams flow.  There is beauty all around and God's creations are everywhere to be seen.  Even with all this transforming beauty the best part of it all is the celebration of our risen Lord.  We celebrate the wonderful and joyous phrase that Matthew gives, "He is not here: for he is risen".  Christ who had died for all of us was resurrected three days later and even now does live!  As a hymn says, "He lives, he lives, who once was dead".  What great hope that gives us, knowing that because Christ overcame death we can too and death is not the end.  This is one of the things that I love about the Gospel is that it is full of hope for us, a future to look forward to.  That is what the resurrection of Christ offers, a hope for the future. I know that Christ lives.  He truly is our Savior and Redeemer.  Without Him we would all be lost.  We do not need to be as Thomas when he said, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."(John 20:25)  We can know He is the Risen Lord if we just have the faith.  Thomas was allowed to feel the marks of our Savior but the Christ said to him, "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."(John 20:29)  Let us believe without seeing, we can know and "feel" those marks without actually seeing Jesus Christ.  I have a knowledge of this,  He does live and He is the One who sacrificed Himself for us and rose the third day.  Enjoy this Easter season for it is a time of gratitude, joy and hope!