This Easter: Rejoice!
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7
The death of Jesus on the cross and the resurrection, which I am completely convinced are historically completely factual after studying the facts in their historical context for well nigh on twenty years, and Jesus’ character, as seen not only in the sermon on the mount and the beatitudes (Matthew chapters 5-7) and the parables (for some of the most wonderful see Luke chapter 15), but also seen in His life, in which He lived out all of these commandments, the love He showed us in His life one earth, that He tells us with which to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and love our neighbours as ourselves — all these things tell us what a wonderful God we have — His goodness is unimpeachable. Even when we can’t see it because of our sufferings, we can know that Jesus also suffered, and, indeed, felt completely abandoned by God at the time.
Whatever you are going through in life right now — problems that need solving — relationships that have broken down — careers that have hit rock bottom — poverty — or even emptiness of life in riches — maintenance that you haven’t done in one way or another — many things you may have done or things you have failed to do — and so many other problems in life that are possible — you can ask him to solve problems like these — to deliver you — and we should ask Him to forgive us for how we have failed and He will forgive.
Yet we should know that not every problem we experience is inevitably our own fault. Look at the life of Paul, in Acts and the letters. More problems will come — persecution, even, if you are a Christian, is inevitable (2 Timothy 3:12).
But God tells us to come before Him — with thanksgiving and rejoicing — and lay out our requests for our needs to be met and our problems to be solved.
Such a great promise is given to us — that when we do obey this command (it is a command) to “rejoice always” and when we actually do bring before Him our thanksgiving and present our requests — that “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
The peace that is promised here — which transcends understanding — that “guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” — is such a great promise! Let us grasp this promise today.
So let us not forget to rejoice today, on Easter Day, but also, on every day of our lives, no matter what problems and griefs beset us.
For it is the commandment of God.
