I can’t think of a better time to speak about the resurrection power of Jesus Christ than during the resurrection season—more commonly known as Easter. Easter by itself is full of good times: the Easter bunny, hard boiled colored eggs, plastic filled eggs (sometimes involving cash), the hunt, family, food, pretty dresses… I could go on and on. But without the resurrection, it’s just another fairy tale/fun day. Fairy tales can be nice to read, but in real life we need something true and accessible. And that’s where the resurrection power of Jesus comes in.

Isaiah 61:1-3 is a foretelling of the coming Messiah (Savior) who would die a sinless death on a cross thereby defeating death, hell and the grave and forever bridging the gap between God and man. This passage of scripture tells us that the finished work of the Cross is going to mean good news for mankind: eternal life, freedom, comfort and rest in our hearts and minds, health in our bodies, beauty in place of devastation, joy to replace our deep sorrows, and thankfulness in exchange for a heavy heart, to name a few. This could sound like a fairy tale to some, but for me personally and for those who have experienced the resurrection power of Jesus, it means the difference between life and death. And I don’t necessarily mean physical life, but being able to live a healthy successful life in the midst of the trials, heartbreaks and hardships.

As a little girl I believed in Jesus, but I thought He was distant and it just meant one day I would get to go to Heaven. By the time I was twenty-four, after much heartbreak and disillusionment as a single mom of three, I was desperately hoping it meant more. I began to pray at night asking God to help me because I didn’t know where else to turn and I had made such a mess of things. I was a young woman in need of resurrection. Jesus was faithful to answer me through His Word and the still small voice telling me that my life could be different and happy. It took some time to change my mindset and believe in the goodness of life again, but it ultimately happened as I drew closer to Jesus each day through worship, prayer and studying His Word. And I became stronger. At thirty-six, happily married with a house full of children (his, mine and ours), my husband and I were living a beautiful mess. I say that because reality is that life can be messy, overly busy, and sometimes disorganized and unplanned, regardless of how hard we try to keep it in order.

Then one day, in the midst of our beautiful life, the unthinkable happened. I received a phone call at work informing me that my husband, three precious boys and beautiful little girl had all died in a tragic car accident. In a single moment I was once again a woman in desperate need of resurrection. I wouldn’t have made it one day without it. I could feel the protective grace of Jesus instantly with me and even though I felt horrible, I knew it should have been much worse. The following morning, I asked the Lord this question: “As bad as I feel and as horrible as this is, how am I able to even stand in this shower? How come I’m not on the floor wanting to die?” His answer: “O death where is your sting, O grave where is your victory?” (I Cor. 15:55) My God in Heaven, you really are you who you say. I was so amazed and incredibly grateful for the truth of His Word and the power of His resurrection. I had believed for twelve years that Jesus defeated death hell and the grave when He died on the Cross and rose again three days later—no one had to convince me of that. But what I didn’t know was that the same power that raised Him from the dead was alive on the inside of me and could hold me up when my circumstances said I should want to lay down and die! Now that’s real power! I would have to face this situation, walk daily in God’s truths, and receive His freedom, healing, recovery and restoration—all of which were going to take time. However, one truth stood out above all—because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross—one day I will ultimately have my family back forever! This truth and the power of His resurrection are what enabled me to walk forward each day until I completely recovered. My prayer today is that during this Easter/resurrection season, you too will receive the truth of Jesus as your Savior who gives us eternal life, and the truth of His power to restore and recover your life in every way.