Salvation, like spring, has burst upon scene
Published Friday, May 2, 2008
Well, it looks like spring has finally arrived. A couple of weeks back, when I was shoveling and blowing snow, I was beginning to wonder about the coming of spring, although I knew, of course, that spring would come.
Maybe later rather than sooner, but it would get here. The snow would melt, the trees would bud and the grass would begin to green up. The signs of the season would soon be coming.
Just over one month ago, you and I celebrated Easter. It was very early this year and the remnants of winter were still around us. Yet Easter served as a reminder that winter would, soon enough, be gone. But just what did we celebrate on Easter Sunday? The passing of winter and the coming of spring?
I’m sure that we did — at least to some degree. But Easter is really about celebrating Jesus Christ’s victory over sin and death. It’s about God’s promise to overcome them on our behalf.
Like that snow we had, sin can bog us down. It can weigh us down and, sometimes, even crush a person’s spirit; and death, we know, is a part of life that awaits everyone. They really are much like that wet, late-season snowfall that we had, weighing heavily upon us.
Yet, as you and I look around us now, what remained of winter is gone. As we look around, the sights and sounds and smells of spring are everywhere. The resurrection of our Lord on that first Easter has brought about the same thing for our souls. The darkness and the dreariness — the numbing cold — that sin and death brought into our lives has been replaced with the warm sunshine of God’s salvation.
Salvation, like spring, has burst upon the scene. The newness, the freshness, the vibrancy of eternal life in Jesus Christ has come into our lives. As the days continue to warm and the colors of new life continue to spring up all around us, may you and I always be reminded of the newness of life promised to us through Jesus’ resurrection.
Craig Palach is the pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls.
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)