What Does Resurrection Sunday Mean to Me?

by  David M. Brown


A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away I remember what my life once was like.  I was born and grew up in a great Conservative Jewish home living first in North Miami Beach, Florida, then Atlanta, Georgia and for some time in the capital of the United States, Washington, D.C.  I also found myself living in the Holy Land, the Land of Milk and Honey, the State of Israel also known as the Land of Israel and the Jewish State.  Living the life of a devout Conservative Jew, I believed the last of the names listed but today, I know it is also the land where my Personal Lord and Savior, My Messiah and the True Son of God was born, ministered, died and rose again.

You surely recognized the title of this commentary or testimonial as calling tomorrow Resurrection Sunday.  Why?  Well, as many people have asked over the years, where does the idea of the bunny and easter eggs come into the story of Jesus Christ's life, ministry and death and resurrection?  Easily said, these are not symbols of His life.  They are simply symbols of the time of the year, Spring.

I will be the first one to tell you that I would never have believed that Jesus Christ died and rose again and still would not if I remained in my old life.  I would say this as well, I am not even sure if I would be alive today if I did not come to accept Him as my Lord and Savior.  I feared death because I had no idea what was in store for me afterward.  I have heard about Heaven and Hell but I was never sure what any of this meant.  I have heard of pergatory and being in limbo, but once again, had no idea what any of this meant until I read Dante's poems and stories in American Literature classes in my first year in college.

Then, I felt that it was absolutely necessary to pick up the Holy Bible and begin to read.  Read I did and read I do each and every day.  Way back when, I would spend hours and days in Hebrew School reading from the Torah and the Siddur (Jewish prayer book) but I still did not find a lot of the answers that I was looking for.  In neither of these great books did I ever find the mention of the Precious Name of Jesus Christ.

When I came to my decision to accept Jesus Christ into my life, I learned from my first pastor that there were many signs in my prior life that led me to the day of my conversion.  I did not see them until he and I talked for nearly three hours.  Wow!  I learned that he knew more about my life than I knew about my life.

So, today, as I have done over the last ten years since my conversion into the life of Jesus Christ, I come to gather my thoughts, dwell in His Word and come to an understanding that without knowing and accepting Jesus Christ, I would still be asking the same questions and definitely continuing to fear death and even fear itself.  I would still be lost and wondering what was to come in my life after death, if anything without Christ.

Dwelling in the Word, the Holy Bible and knowing Jesus Christ, I have the greatest understanding of what my life is to be and how I am to lead it.  Understanding the story of the Resurrection is so important that knowing without it, we would not have a Christmas.  Without the Resurrection, we would all be wondering, what happens to us after death?

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.  And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.  And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but has risen.  Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise."  And they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest, Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.  But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.  Luke 24:1-12 English Standard Version

So, just as was foretold in the Scriptures, Jesus Christ had risen again.  He has Risen!  He Has Risen Indeed!  Jesus is Alive!  He is with us!

So, Resurrection Sunday means to me that I have eternal life because I have accepted Jesus Christ into my life, into my heart and into my mind.  He is truly the Son of God, the Messiah!  And, there is no turning back!

Happy Resurrection Sunday!