“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God…” (1Thes. 4:16) Spring is such a time of reflection. As we hear the birds sing and see the flowers begin to bloom, we know that warmer weather is upon us and another year of moving into action beckons our senses. The coldness of winter and drowsy wet weather is soon to give way to the joyful time of outside activity and nature.
Spring also brings us the yearly meditation about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That miraculous event that separates Christianity from every other religious or supernatural claim. The undeniable verification of the truth of the gospel was on display as Jesus came out of that tomb on that Sunday morning in Jerusalem, proving that He was God’s only begotten Son and the Savior of mankind. Muhammad is dead and buried. Joseph Smith is dead and buried. Buddha is dead and buried. And yet Jesus came out of that grave and demonstrated that He alone has power over death and the grave.
The resurrection of Jesus offers the empty tomb as the crown jewel to the world. In fact, in an odd twist on commercialism, the tomb of Jesus is the only tourist attraction where three million visitors go to see NOTHING! The angels proclaimed so many years ago on that special Sunday morning, “He is not here, for he has risen.” These words offer hope, comfort and strength to all who recognize that the world is out-of-joint and broken.
This Easter week, let us consider the second greatest event in human history. Just as Jesus came the first time to reveal Himself as God’s Messiah and man’s redeemer, He will return the second time as judge of all mankind and the healer of the nations. He did not stay dead…and He will not stay gone! He is coming back for a people who have surrendered their life to Him. He will make things right, undo the wrongs, and bring eternal justice to bear upon evil men who reject His truth.
Those who have died in faith will gain the greatest gift of all—resurrection with a new and glorious body. In this life, there are many unfair and unjust experiences that come our way. However, take heart. There is coming a day when our heavenly Father will summon His Son to step across time and make things right. Jesus will split the eastern sky and summon His children, both dead and alive, to meet Him for a glorious reunion. We will have a front row seat to watch Jesus turn the kingdoms of the world into His earthly rule. Yes, Jesus came out of that tomb on that first Sunday morning, and He is returning in glory with the angels and with every believer from every generation…when the trumpet sounds!
