[The angel] said to them, “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him.”
Mark 16:6
Dear members and friends,
In the stories of Easter lie the most important and fascinating teaching from our Creator. The inevitable capture, trial, torture and death of Jesus symbolize a sad truth: in this world, what is spiritual may not prevail over what is corporeal as long as the minds of its inhabitants are closely attached to what is corporeal. Yet, the resurrection of Jesus reveals that we are spiritual beings whose true life begins in heaven, as designed by God.
A significance of the resurrection of Jesus is that the power of life prevails over the power of death, which is analogous to the fact that love is more powerful than the sum of all negativities. Jesus’ victory over death means hope for all humans; no matter how hard, challenging, and painful our life on earth is, it will be done in accord with divine providence at the end. According to Swedenborg, “divine love (and therefore divine providence) has the goal of a heaven made up of people who have become angels and are becoming angels, people with whom it can share all the bliss and joy of love and wisdom, giving them these blessings from the Lord’s own presence within them” (Divine Providence #27). Creator God is doing everything within the divine power to guide us all to heaven. And Easter is the day we celebrate this truth.
My brothers and sisters in God, let us meditate upon bliss and joy from our Creator on this Easter, and let us pray for all those who are in pain, affliction, or spiritual darkness.
Blessings, Rev. Junchol Lee