Resurrection Power: Strength to Overcome Life’s Sorrows

Resurrection Power: Strength to Overcome Life’s Sorrows.

An Easter Message by Dr. Pamela Paul

The disciples spent three years with Jesus, who they knew as their Rabbi, son of man, son of God. They believed he was the Messiah, foretold by the great prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Malachi, and others. A king had come to rescue them from their oppression. Their vision was diminished. In many ways they thought Jesus of Nazareth was going to save them from the rulers of the Roman Empire who dictated over them, subjugating their freedoms, leaving God’s promises unfulfilled. They imagined a kingdom on earth where righteousness and justice prevailed. But Jesus had more in mind. Way more.

He taught them how he had come to bring a new kingdom. An eternal one. The Kingdom of Heaven not only offered us eternal life, but power to live our lives out here on earth despite the suffering, the sickness, and a world turned upside down around us.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”[1]

During the course of his ministry with the disciples, Jesus would allude to his imminent departure from this earth.[2] His students could not quite make sense of it. They did not understand that his death on the cross during Passover would be the ultimate sacrifice. They did not realize that with his death, he gave us the greatest gift of all. He offered us salvation. This gift is not only for eternal purposes but offers hope and deliverance from the bondage of sin and worldly sorrows that we all face. It is the ultimate rescue, without guns or violence. or warfare.[3]

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” [4]

Nearing the end of His nomadic lifestyle with his followers, tensions had risen with the Jewish Sanhedrin and High Priests, accusing Jesus of blasphemy for calling himself the son of God, and for daring to declare that the prophecy of Isaiah was being fulfilled in Him.

“Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” [5]

The chief priests and scribes plotted and schemed on how they could kill Jesus.[6] Collaboratively they condemned him to death[7] and turned him over to the Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. With much pressure and persuasion, Pilate handed him over to be executed to death in lieu of a tradition at Passover to release a prisoner free. Jesus took Barabbas’s place on the cross and Barabbas was set free.[8] Jesus was beaten, tortured, mocked, crucified, and killed.

Yet there was more.

Sad, perplexed, confused, heartbroken, and frozen in time, the disciples were processing the horrific death of their beloved Rabbi, and pondering all that He had taught them about God and the Holy Scriptures and about what was to come. The teachings of Jesus that had once perplexed them was now coming to light.

“And the third day He will rise again.”[9]

And then the crescendo! Bringing an end to the sting of death, Jesus rose again. He was alive!

“O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?”[10]

Jesus revealed himself first to Mary, who mistook him for a gardener where the tomb of Jesus’s burial laid empty.[11]

He later revealed himself to the disciples and spent about 40 days with them bringing his teachings of the Kingdom of God together with greater understanding and prepared them for the future.[12] As he was saying His goodbyes, with an assurance to return again, he offered them a promise that is available for us all.

” But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” [13]

The disciples of Jesus now saw the complete picture. They were not about being freed from the tyranny of the Roman Empire. Rather, they were being set freed from the bondage of oppression, in spirit and in truth. The words of Jesus resonated like fire in their hearts and souls.

And then on Pentecost, the disciples experienced an outpouring of His spirit, infusing and indwelling them. They became empowered, emboldened, and confident in their hope, faith, and belief. The anointing of the risen savior was upon them. Their mission became to share the good news everywhere, throughout the whole world. Pentecostal-Easter-Dr. Pamela Paul

At Easter, we are reminded of Jesus’s death and resurrection that ushered in the gift of salvation and so much more. Many of us have heard this message and joined in with the disciples through faith and belief. Christ died for our sins and he has invited us into the family of God, where faith, hope, and love abound. If we believe in Him and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we can be adopted as sons and daughters of God and enter into eternal life, equipped with the power of His spirit to fulfill the life he has given us here on earth.[14] This gift is available for us all.

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.”[15]

If we embrace the power of His spirit, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead[16], guaranteed to all who believe, we will be strengthened to overcome the hardships and adversities in life. Our marriages will improve, our anxieties will be relieved; our depression will be turned to joy, and our lives will be worth living.

Consider this Easter the truth of the message of the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. Receive Him. Receive the Holy Spirit. Be empowered to live in victory and not defeat, regardless of the circumstances or hardship you face.

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

My prayer for you this Easter is that you will know the true meaning of the good news of Jesus Christ and choose to surrender your problems over to him. Allow His strength and power to guide you and carry your through the tough situations of life.

Your victory is ahead.

Yours Truly,

Dr. Pamela

[1] Matthew 4:17: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%204%3A17&version=NKJV

[2] Matthew 9:15: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+9%3A15&version=NKJV

[3] Isaiah 61:1-3 : https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+61%3A1-3&version=NKJV

[4] Isaiah 9:1-2 : https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+9%3A1-2&version=NKJV

[5] Luke 4:2: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+4%3A21&version=NKJV

[6] Mark 14:1: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+14%3A1&version=NKJV

[7] Mark 14:64: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+14%3A64&version=NKJV

[8] Mark 15:15: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+15%3A15&version=NKJV

[9] Matthew 20:19: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+20%3A19&version=NKJV