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The Story of Easter

Robert J. Morgan recalls the momentous day when England received the news of Wellington’s victory over Napoleon at Waterloo.

There were no telegrams or telephones in those days, but everyone knew that Wellington was facing Napoleon in a great battle, and that the future of England hung in the balance.

A sailing ship semaphored, which means they signaled with coded flags, the news to the signalman on top of Winchester Cathedral. He signaled to another man on a hill, and thus news of the battle was relayed by semaphore from station-to-station eventually reaching London and all across the land.

When the ship came in, the signalman on board semaphored the first word: “Wellington.” The next word was “Defeated,” and then the fog came down and the ship could not be seen. The message, “Wellington Defeated” went across England, and there was great gloom all over the countryside.

After three hours, the fog lifted and the complete signal came through: “Wellington Defeated the Enemy.” Then all England rejoiced.

This year will be a most unusual Easter, with churches around the world closed due to COVID-19. Let me encourage you to take some personal time to reflect on the reason Christians around the world celebrate Easter.

It all started with the cruel crucifixion of Jesus Christ. After taking his lifeless body from the cross, his friends tenderly placed his body in a borrowed tomb near Mount Calvary, where He had been crucified. Sadness reigned.

The message to all on that day no doubt clearly signaled “Christ Defeated.” But praise the Lord, three days later, it was as if the fog lifted and the message was finally made clear, “Christ Defeated…the Enemy.”

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the heart and soul of Christianity. Following is how the Bible describes that momentous event:

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

While they (the women) were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the angels said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Come and see the place where he lay. Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered his words.

When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and the others with them who told this to the apostles.

But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

Peter was soon to find out what had happened. He was soon to stand face-to-face with the resurrected Christ, and Peter’s life would be changed forever. As Easter approaches, let me encourage you to take some time to reflect on the true story of Easter.

 

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