By Guery Clendening

It is Spring! The flowers are blooming and Azalia’s have been beautiful this year. I love this season. To me Spring speaks of new beginnings. When I lived in Illinois, the winters could be harsh at times. I remember during one winter, looking out my office window at a very large tree. With snow and ice covering its branches, you would have thought the frozen limbs were dead. But when spring came, an amazing thing happened; what seemed to be dead came alive! The branches budded and before long the tree was filled with green leaves. It is fitting that Easter is celebrated in the Spring. This past Sunday, people from all over the World celebrated the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Years ago, I was on a planetravelling to Israel. The person sitting next to me was a man from Israel, who knew the historical record concerning Christ. As we discussed the story, he made a statement that got my attention. He said, “you know, they never did find the body of Christ.” I breathed a silent prayer and said to him, “The reason they never found the body is because He rose from the grave. That is the foundation of the Christian faith.”

There is a passage of scripture in the New Testament, that is found in First Corinthians, chapter 15,verses 12-15, and verse 20, that says, “Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how is it that some among you say that there is no resurrection from the dead? …for if there is no resurrection from the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; then our preaching is useless, and your faith is also useless….But now, (as things really are) Christ in fact has been raised from the dead….

So, what people were celebrating on Easter was not only the resurrection of Jesus Christ; but they were also celebrating the hope they have in Christ; that they too will rise from the grave to live forever with him! Jesus said this: “Because I live you will live also”..John 14:19. That’s why Easter is so special for so many. Not only do they celebrate Christ’s resurrection and His promise of Resurrection for them; but they also celebrate because through Christ’s death, sins are forgiven and new life is theirs through faith in Christ! Yes, miracles do happen. Just like the tree that blossomed in the Spring, those who put their faith in Christ will experience a new life of peace and freedom from the past. As we enjoy Spring, may we celebrate and experience the poiwer of Christ to make all things new.