Easter is the happiest and happiest holiday for all Christians
photo from open sources
“When from the outside it seemed to everyone that Christ was defeated, because He died and was buried in the tomb – the Lord reveals Himself as the victor”
As once, almost two thousand years ago, myrrh-bearing women heard from an angel at the Lord’s tomb, we hear these extraordinary words of greeting again. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, the crucified one,” says the angel to the surprised disciples of the Savior. – He is risen – He is not here. This is the place where they laid Him” (Mk. 16:6). The death of the Son of God on the cross, the burial of His body in the tomb, which happened three days ago, seemed like the final victory of evil. But as the Lord promised, He defeated death, broke the chains of hell, which kept all the dead imprisoned, destroyed the reign of evil.
Then, when from the outside it seemed to everyone that Christ was defeated, because He died and was buried in the tomb – the Lord reveals Himself as the winner. For death cannot conquer God, who is Life. Darkness cannot overcome Him who is Light. Evil has power, but its power and success are futile and temporary. Just when hell thought it had swallowed Christ, it was destroyed and lost its power. Just when the Jewish leaders thought that their armed guard and the seal affixed to the stone on the tomb finally confirm the death of Jesus of Nazareth – He, as a victor, comes out of the tomb and leaves the place intended for the dead empty.
He comes out of the grave, and this represents a new beginning of a renewed world. He testifies that death is not final, that it will be defeated for all mankind. Christ dies, taking upon Himself the sins of all people. And He resurrects, becoming a new beginning, a new Adam, because it is said in the Scriptures: “As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22). As Adam’s sin became the cause of the mortality of all his descendants, and therefore we die, so Christ’s resurrection becomes the cause of the future resurrection from the dead of all people, which means that our resurrection with you also.
That is why we, dear brothers and sisters, celebrate today not only an ancient historical event, but we celebrate Christ’s resurrection as a sign of God’s victory over evil and as the beginning of our own future resurrection.
And let the Christian awareness of this help us all in the fight against sin and manifestations of evil in ourselves and in the world around us. It helps in the fight against invisible enemies, that is, evil spirits who tempt people to evil, and against visible enemies, among which are strangers who have come to our peaceful home with diabolical malice. They came as a thief, who, according to the Gospel, “comes only to steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10).
We thank our defenders for the fact that this year we can freely celebrate the Resurrection of Christ, honor Easter, glorify God in our native language in our churches, offer sincere prayers for our Motherland Ukraine. May the Lord protect them and give them victory over foreigners. We prayerfully turn to the patrons of our land, Saints Yuri the Victorious and Prince Yaroslav the Wise, and ask them and all the saints of the Ukrainian land for intercession and help for those who are fighting against evil.
I heartily congratulate the state and local authorities of the White Church and all our territorial communities with Easter, I congratulate veterans and volunteers and everyone who serves the Ukrainian people with dignity, cares about our state, our native land and their better future.
From the bottom of my heart, I wish each of you good health, success in all good deeds, harmony with your neighbors and all blessings from God – first of all spiritual, and also earthly as needed.
“The night is past,” the Scripture informs us, “and the day is at hand: therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12). As the darkness of the night recedes from the light of the sun, as nature comes to life from the warmth of spring, driving away the winter sleep, so may all evil retreat from us. Fighting evil is difficult, but with God we can defeat it. So let’s rejoice and be merry, because
Christ is Risen! – He is Risen Indeed!
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