4-12-26 “Living with the Risen Christ”

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“Living with the Risen Christ”

I want to start with something funny that I found on an internet site. It says, “I was at the beach with my children when my four-year-old son ran up to me, grabbed my hand, and led me to the shore, where a seagull lay dead on the sand. ‘Mommy, what happened to him?’ the little boy asked. ‘He died and went to heaven,’ I replied. My son thought for a moment and then said, ‘And God threw him back down?’”
When I was not a Christian, I used to think that Christians were foolish. I had no interest in learning about God and didn’t want to hear what Christians had to say at all. But someone eventually made me curious about God.

While I was in the hospital with a broken spine from a car accident, I met a girl who was in the same room. She had also been in a car accident, and her injuries were more severe than mine—she had broken her spine as well as both legs. Yet, while I was depressed and losing hope of ever walking again, she was always positive and smiling. At first, I thought she might be out of her mind because of a serious brain injury.

One day, I realized that she was a Christian with strong faith. I told her, “If you are a Christian, you should complain to God because He did not protect you from that accident.” But she said, “I do not complain to God. God’s promise is not to protect me from every accident, but to be with me always. Even though I can’t walk, I am fine because God is with me.” At first, I could not understand how she could feel that way. After spending more than six months in the same hospital room with her, I began to grow curious about God. While I was filled with fear, anxiety, and hopelessness, she remained hopeful—without doubt or worry. How could God make her like that? She motivated me to think about God.

Can you inspire others to be curious about God through your actions in everyday life? That is real Christian living with the Risen Christ, isn’t it?

Do you know what the difference was between her and me? She was with the risen Jesus Christ—and I was not. If you are with the risen Christ, you have no fear, anxiety, or depression. One day, I met a pastor who came to visit her, and I asked him to pray for me because I wanted to meet the God she knew.

Many things have happened this past week. We went through Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. In other words, we entered Jerusalem with Jesus, waving palm branches as if welcoming a humble king on Palm Sunday. We witnessed the washing of hands and imagined having our feet washed by our Lord Jesus on Maundy Thursday. We came to church to worship, pray, and be anointed so that we could remain close to Him. Then we lost our Lord Jesus, who was nailed to the cross on Good Friday.

But we also received the good news that Jesus Christ has risen for us, and we celebrated the risen Christ on Easter morning. Our joy on Easter morning was even greater than the excitement we felt on Palm Sunday.

And now, what comes next? Where does the risen Jesus go? Is the risen Jesus with you now, or has He gone away again?
On the evening of that first Easter day, the disciples were filled with fear. They were afraid that the Jews might accuse them of stealing Jesus’ body. So they gathered together and locked the doors. Even though

Mary Magdalene told them that Jesus had risen and that she had seen Him, they could not believe it. They were still wondering what had happened to His body, even after seeing the empty tomb. We often think of Thomas as the doubting disciple, but he was not the only one—none of the disciples fully believed yet. Without Christ—their Lord, Teacher, Master, and leader—they were like sheep without a shepherd. They were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews.

However, the risen Jesus came to them and said, “Peace be with you.” He came, bringing the Spirit of peace to His fearful disciples. Then He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” This reminds us of Genesis 2:7: “God formed the human from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the human became a living being.” The disciples, who had lost their Master and Lord, were like the dead. But through Jesus, they became living beings again. When Jesus came to them, their fear was gone.

The risen Christ came to them through the Holy Spirit. In other words, He gave them new life and made them living beings without fear, anxiety, or depression. Through the Holy Spirit, they were completely changed—from doubting disciples to believing disciples, from fearful disciples to fearless disciples. They had lost their Master and Lord, but they met Him again.

Jesus came again eight days later for Thomas. When Jesus first appeared, Thomas was not there, and he did not believe what the other disciples had said. So Jesus came again and showed Thomas His wounded hands and side. Thomas was transformed, confessing, “My Lord and my God.” Our Lord does not ignore even one person who is doubtful, curious, or fearful. Just as He did not miss Thomas, He will not miss you.

If you are struggling with doubt, Jesus may come to you—even in your dreams. If you are afraid for any reason, hold on to our Lord Jesus’ wounded hands and side in your heart, and pray, “O Lord, come to me and give me faith instead of fear.”

While working in a hospital as a chaplain, I met a patient who had been diagnosed with brain cancer. He was a Christian, but after receiving his diagnosis, he began to doubt whether God truly lived and loved him. No one else knew he was struggling, because he appeared to be a strong believer. He was a committee member, a Sunday school teacher, and a lay leader—someone who seemed to have faithfully served God his whole life. Yet he confessed to me that he doubted whether Jesus was real. He wondered, “If Jesus is real, why did this happen to me?”
I shared with him my own experience of meeting God in the hospital when I felt hopeless with a broken spine. That night, he met the risen Jesus Christ in a dream. The next day, he said to me with tears, “I met Jesus Christ in my dream. He came to me and showed me His wounded hands. I have no doubt anymore. I believe in Him. It is okay even if He does not heal me, because He is with me now.” Sometimes we misunderstand the Christian life. Some people think that if we believe in God, our lives will go smoothly without accidents or illness. But we do not find that promise in Scripture. Instead, we hear Jesus say, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

At Good Friday, we touched the crown of thorns, the cross, and the nails, imagining Jesus’ wounds—wounds that healed us. As Isaiah says, “By His wounds, we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Do not let His sacrifice be in vain. He died and rose again because of you—because He loves you.

So, are you with the risen Christ today? If you are, fear, anxiety, and despair have no hold on you. You can live boldly, with hope, with courage, with confidence—because you are God’s beloved child, chosen, precious, and filled with His Spirit. Go forth as a new living being, and let the world see the power of the risen Christ in you!

Thanks be to God. Amen.