“He is Risen”: A Story to remind us of Resurrection Power

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“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’!!!!