Poor Milan Shipper. He’s a high school student in the Netherlands who just wanted an exciting vacation before heading off to university. His dream is to visit Australia for a few weeks, so he was excited to find an amazing deal online to Sydney. Seeing the offer, he booked it on the spot. However, a couple of weeks ago, when he boarded his second flight, from Toronto to Sydney, he was surprised at how small the plane was. After the flight had taken off, he discovered he was on his way to another city called Sydney: the one in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Sydney, the Canadian one, is a lovely place on the east coast, but it wasn’t where Milan wanted to go. The folks at the airline, being good Canadians, apologized to him. They got him on a return flight back to Amsterdam and were able to help him get a ticket to his dream location: Sydney, the Australian one.
Such mistakes are not uncommon. Sometimes, despite our best attempts, our plans go wrong. We end up taking a path that doesn’t get us where we want to go. Some mistakes are easily corrected and leave no marks. Other mistakes can go far deeper and carry far more lasting implications.
That’s why we need Easter and the power of the resurrection. The resurrection is about hope. Sin and death don’t have the final word over life. The resurrection affirms that the price of our sins has been paid. God’s love has overcome. We can have confidence that we are headed in the right direction towards the right destination.
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” Ephesians 1:18-21
Christians are ‘people of the resurrection’. It impacts our outlook on life and our hope in death. It assures us that God is in control and he can work with our sins and mistakes. It’s our guarantee that we are on the right path and will reach our heavenly destiny. “He is risen! He is risen, indeed!”
