Stopping Easter?
“The coronavirus is going to stop Easter!”
Who was this news-person to say such a thing on national media? Stop Easter? There is no virus on earth that can do that. Besides, Jesus has already risen from the grave. Easter is not a distant promise. Easter is an accomplished feat.
Yes, I understand that this talking-head was referring to churches being unable to observe Easter in their sanctuaries. But even then, there will be millions of people all over the globe who will be celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus from the grave. We may not be inside brick and mortar facilities, but we will still be lifting our Hallelujahs to the risen King!
The thought of stopping Easter is not new. Satan used all of his tricks to prevent the Resurrection but failed. Now Jesus holds the keys to death, hell, and the grave. (Revelation 1:18)
Satan has always wanted to kill Jesus. When the demon-inspired King Herod heard that the King of Kings had been born, he commissioned his armed troops to kill all babies two years old and under (Matthew 2:16). Though this plan failed, it proved that Satan’s intent was lethal.
Later, Satan himself confronted Jesus on the mountain of temptation (Matthew 4). One of his clever temptations was to take Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple. There, Satan challenged our Messiah to jump to His death and expect the angels to catch Him. The scheme failed.
Undeterred, Satan again inspired the religious establishment leaders to kill Jesus by stoning Him (John 8:59; John 10:31). In Luke 4:29, the people tried to throw Jesus off of a cliff! In Matthew 26:4, the ecclesiastical elite plotted a kidnapping and murder of Jesus. However, on all of these occasions, the killing of Jesus failed. Why? Because no one could kill Jesus.
Jesus said in John 10:17-18 NIV, “The reason my Father loves me is that I LAY DOWN my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have AUTHORITY to lay it down and AUTHORITY to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
There it is. No one could kill Jesus, and no one could stop Him from rising to new life. Why? All the power resides in Jesus. When Jesus decided to “take it up again,” neither the huge stone that sealed the tomb, nor the heavily armed soldiers, could stop Him. Jesus had the AUTHORITY to rise. Jesus still has the AUTHORITY!
COVID-19 has no authority over Jesus. So, if you’re feeling like we are doomed by this coronavirus, remember 1 John 4:4 ESV, “He [Christ] who is in you is greater than he who is in the world!” Jesus defeated Satan through His Resurrection from the grave and lives forevermore!