As we gather for worship today, we come to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Truly this is a day of great celebration, for we serve a living loving Lord who is in the world today.  We have been blessed with the assurance that our Savior, Jesus Christ, got up from the dead with all power in His hands.  Because He lives we live also.  There is no power in this world that can hold us down.  He is able to meet our every need and provide us with the strength that will allow us to do great and glorious things in His name.  I’m often reminded of the words of my pastor, Reverend Albert Franklin Campbell, that he has repeatedly shared for many years on Resurrection Sunday.  I’m sure that these same words will flow from his heart and lips again on today: “He is risen, He is risen indeed!”  He will then go on to say it may not be grammatically correct but it is theologically sound.  Matthew records the resurrection of Jesus in Matthew 28:5-6 in this manner:

“Then the angel spoke to the women. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen. Come, see where His body was lying.”

Here, we see Mary Magdalene along with the other Mary going to the tomb.  They were shocked to find the tomb empty.  But, having discovered that the Master was no longer in the tomb, their hearts were filled with joy and they ran to tell the other disciples this marvelous news.  It is my prayer today that you will tell others our Savior lives and you will share the good news.  May this Resurrection Day not only give you the opportunity to celebrate, but may it also strengthen your faith and renew your hope.  In spite of all of the gloom and doom in the world, we have joy in knowing Jesus Christ got up from the grave with all power in His hands.

Matthew 28:5-6 (NLT)