HE IS RISEN

Lake County Mail, Issue 43, 31 March 1948, Page 8

HE IS RISEN

Once more the great Christian festival of Easter has come round. We have, I hope, remembered our Blessed Lord suffering, on the Cross of Calvary on Good Friday, and we have thought of Him rising, from the dead on Easter Day. What difference , does it make, this rising of Jesus Christ from the dead? All the difference in the world. “If Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” The Church, nay more, the whole of Christianity, it built upon that one solid fact that Christ rose from the dead. If that is false all is false. If that is true, then . . . what? If that is true then what the church has been saying for centuries, ever since it was founded by its Divine Saviour, is true also. By Hia rising from the dead Christ proved Himself to be God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God. The whole structure hinges on that. historical fact—a fact vouched for by four independent accounts, and by the experience of the Christian Church throughout the ages. By His rising from the dead He proves that His words were true, that He had power to forgive sins. in peace thy sins are forgiven thee,” are said not only to the cripple but to us, and 'are as effective for us as they were to make the lame walk. “ This is my body, this is my blood ” really mean what they say, Christ really does come to us in some wonderful way in Holy Communion. The promise that “My grace is sufficient for thee ” is fulfilled. Christ does endow us with grace to continue the fight against sin the world and the devil. And too, is we will have Him and believe Him the blessing of peace is ours too, “ Peace be unto you,” “ My peace I give unto you,” all these and more also are impossible if Christ rose not from the dead. But because He did, because it is a fact, because He proved Himself to be God, He can and does make those _ promises and fulfil them to those who believe in Him. To those who don’t or won’t, He cannot come in blessing, in forgiveness, nor in peace. The world needs Christ, but He can only come to the world through its individual members, through you and me accepting Christ and proclaiming Him. Peace cannot come without that. What are you doing towards peace? Philip C. Williams.