I've appreciated this Easter more than previous because in this last year I've come to appreciate the significance of the ressurrection in a much more personal way. I think often times evangelicals use the resurrection as merely proof for the fact that Christ's death really did work. However, if we understand the significance of union with Christ, then we know that we have no new life in Christ, unless, in fact, Christ has new life in His resurrection.

I did the sunrise service for my church. Here's a copy of the very brief message.

Sunrise Service

Something struck me as I thought about going to the sun rise service. Our plan was to get in our cars, more or less follow each other here, get out, huddle together in the cold, and I would do a brief service, and then we would follow each other back. What struck me was the similarity between that and the last time we followed each other in our cars, huddled together in the cold, and I did a brief service. That was for Calude’s grave side service, which, as you know, followed on the heals of Steve’s memorial service. How ironic that the sunrise service on Easter to celebrate the resurrection brought my mind to the grave side service where we committed the body of a loved one to the ground.

I thought about that week in February, and I remember a song that God used to sustain me and communicate the emotions I was feeling. It is called “In the Valley.” The words go like this:

When You lead me to the valley of vision

I can see You in the heights.

And though my humbling wouldn't be my decision

It's here Your glory shines so bright.

So let me learn that the cross precedes the crown

To be low is to be high

That the valley's where You make me more like Christ

Let me find Your grace in the valley
Let me find Your life in my death
Let me find Your joy in my sorrow
Your wealth in my need

The second verse says,

In the daytime there are stars in the heavens
But they only shine at night
And the deeper that I go into darkness
The more I see their radiant light
So let me learn that my losses are my gain
To be broken is to heal
That the valley's where Your power is revealed

If we think about it, a grave side service isn’t a bad way to think about the resurrection. That’s when we need it the most. Or as the song says, “It is there God’s glory shines so bright.” We are here waiting for the sun to come up. And that’s not because we don’t have a perfectly good church building to meet in, or we think shivering will burn the extra calories we plan to eat today. But there something symbolic that we are cold and it’s dark. Then the sun comes up, and the darkness flees, the fog melts, and it begins to get warmer. We are here longing for the sun to come up. And we know for sure it will.

If we think about it, the sun is really an incredible thing. Thousands of miles away, it is this ball of nuclear energy, that doesn’t hurt us, but sustains us, warms us, provides light of us to see. But during the night it appears to leave. Yet then in the morning returns. It is really a tremendous display of power and glory. No wonder the ancients worshiped it. And they even thought of sunset and sunrise in terms of death and resurrection.

But that son isn’t the premier display of power. It only points to something far greater, more powerful than nuclear energy. That is the resurrection of the crucified Lord. And it is such a power because on the cross Christ killed our old nature, our old identity with Adam, and Christ wrought a new nature, resurrected nature. All was dark, all was night. And then boom, Christ arose. Life was breathed into Him. And He created new life, not only for Himself, but all who would follow. A new race of Jew and gentile, slave and free, men and woman—all who will trust Christ and repent of their sin. The resurrection is about the sublime power of God. And this power shines brightest when we are at our darkest.

I remember the message I did that morning between the funerals we looked at why it is that in both 2 Corinthians 4 and Philippians 3, Paul actually says that suffering is the result of the resurrection life. And the answer is quite startling: it is that only when we are weak, when this body is beaten down that resurrection life of Christ shine through. When we are week, then He is strong. During our night, when we long for the resurrect life to come, then we life shines through us.

One day it will come. One day the dead in Christ will rise, and we will have a body like Him. And it is not just about the body, but about the complete removal of our flesh, that our relationship with God will be so much closer than it is now. Until that day, we suffer so that the anticipation of that day will shine through.

Let this Easter not be filled merely with thoughts of Easter bunny, or candy, But Let us this Easter have a sober joy about it. Let the reminder of death draw our minds to consider new life. Consider the new life for those who have passed and the new life for us now, knowing that the resurrection life that God has for us is real and will come, and of such staggering proportions that can not even be imagined.

Today we celebrate that hope. That’s a good thing. But let us remember that one of the ways hope in the resurrection is expressed is in our darkness, as we wait for the Son, the son of God, to come, causing our darkness to flee, and the consummate resurrection life will immediately bring us warmth of new life—far exceeding anything this earthly sun could do.