“He is Risen”: A Story to
remind us of Resurrection Power
by Casey Groff
I grew up with the story of resurrection as one that was
simply put into a few images and wrapped together nicely with catchy phrases
like “He is Risen.” The images
typically consisted of Jesus standing by an open tomb, glowing and as I always
pictured it, holding up a peace sign and holding a dove. The phrase carefully
scripted above this image in meticulous Old English became a recycled greeting
at church on Easter Sunday. Wearing hats, gloves, tights and patent leather
shoes along with the most pink, flowered and bow-covered Easter dress ever, I
was welcomed into church with a “He is Risen,”
from everyone I encountered and that was my understanding of the resurrection.
I now realize the resurrection was not the only thing that
had become diluted through my limited understanding but more than that, the
power that Jesus demonstrated as He walked on earth as well as in His death,
had become meaningless to me. Resurrection power. When I hear these words
today, they give me chills. It reminds me of when the hyenas in Lion King say
the name ‘Mufasa’ to each other and they shiver because the King’s name is so
awe-inspiring and fear provoking. Resurrection power, is the awe-inspiring,
chill causing, fear provoking reality behind the phrase ‘He is Risen!’ This became truth to me in a very unlikely way,
through the story of Lazarus’ resurrection spoken to my husband and I the
summer following a miraculous healing for Steve who had been facing death from
a terminal un-diagnosable disease this time last Spring.
March came that year as an unwelcomed reminder that spring
was coming and Steve was not yet healed. We were clinging to the words that God
had clearly spoken almost a year and a half earlier that ‘Steve would be healed’
and ‘this would not end in death’. At this point in our journey, Steve and I
could only feel winter in our souls, and see cold, dead land in front of us, in
every direction we looked. Easter came and went and ‘He is Risen’ held some comfort but was devoid of the power the Lord
was preparing us to encounter. Early May brought new prayers and openness in
our hearts and Steve’s miraculous healing just happened. People often ask us
for the story but honestly it was pretty uneventful. We can tell you about
moments leading up to it, prayer sessions and things we heard clearly from God
but when Steve decided to get off all medication healing is not what we
anticipated, in fact we prepared ourselves for death. Rushed to the Emergency
Room we were told that his body had gone into shock and if we wouldn't have
come in, things might not have ended as they did… the Lord had said ‘this would
not end in death.’ Days later we just sort of realized Steve wasn’t in pain.
His healing came silently. So silently we didn’t know who to tell and we
weren’t sure how to proclaim it but we knew a miraculous work of the Lord had
occurred and we wanted to celebrate that, but how?
Months later, in our new place, we fell on our faces in
prayer listening to worship music. Why were things even harder now that Steve
was healed? Hadn’t we passed the Finish Line? Wasn’t the race won!? He was
healed! We hadn’t anticipated the struggle following Steve’s healing. We stood
awkwardly in the transition wondering ‘What do we do with ourselves now?’ We
felt like we had been in a bad episode of the Twilight Zone, which I have never
seen but am assuming it is a confusing place. As we prayed together that
particular day the Lord reminded Steve of the words ‘This will not end in
death.’ Suddenly I felt the Lord lead me to John 11 and the first thing I read
was in verse 4, “ Lazarus’s sickness will
not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God
will receive glory from this.” Steve and I both stared at each other a
moment, speechless. But chills ran down both of our spines…. We read the story
together and saw how limited Martha was in her understanding of Jesus when he
tells her Lazarus will rise again. We are not like Martha because we have been
given the resurrection as a tangible reminder that in Jesus is this
resurrection power! We are not
like Martha who did not even have the frame of reference for her brother to
literally be raised from the dead because we know that Jesus actually was
raised from the dead. If we claim, like Martha, to believe that Jesus is the
resurrection then we are also saying we believe in this power, the resurrection
power. The people, along with Lazarus’ sisters, do not understand why Jesus let
Lazarus die when they knew He could’ve saved him. Death precedes resurrection.
When Martha is hesitant Jesus responds, “Didn’t
I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe,” verse 40. Then
the many who followed Martha and Mary to the tomb were witnesses to Lazarus
being raised from the dead and these many believed. The awe inspiring, fear-provoking
reality that Jesus has the power to raise the dead was revealed in this very
moment.
This power has been revealed to us through the recycled
church greeting, ‘He is Risen.’ Steve
and I saw our last couple of years of excruciating pain, struggle and what felt
like death in so many areas of our life through a new lens. A lens that ensures
‘the Son of God will receive glory from
this.’ The journey we were on allowed many to join and these many became
witnesses to God’s miraculous healing power. These many can now share the story
of His resurrection power that makes all things new and brings life to dead
places. Wrestling through the why’s of our journey is a constant struggle but
not when we are reminded that we have been given a frame of reference for
resurrection power through the ultimate example of Jesus and that this same
power is still at work within us. The Holy Spirit continues to move today
through this same power. If you need a present day reminder of the chill
causing, awe inspiring, fear-provoking reality that ‘He is Risen’ remember miracles, like Steve’s healing, that happen
today and fall on your knees with us in praise and let’s all look to the cross
in triumphal union and together let’s shout ‘ HE IS RISEN’!!!!
