Easter Message 2026
He Is Risen!

Thomas Jefferson is considered one of Americans greatest leaders.  Many thought of him as a Christian, but Jefferson rejected large portions of the bible.  Thomas Jefferson did not believe that any of the miracles in the Scriptures had actually occurred.  He was so committed to his philosophy that he even edited his own special version of the Bible  in which all references to the supernatural were deleted.  In editing the Bible, he confined himself totally to the moral teachings of Jesus.  The closing words of the Jeffersons Bible are these, There they laid Jesus and rolled a great stone at the door of the sepulchre, and departed.”  That is the end of the story as far as Thomas Jefferson was concerned.

It is amazing that people can follow the life of Christ all the way to the cross, revel in His sacrifice for us, then end the story there, but that is not the end of the story.  The story goes beyond the cross to a tomb which was vacated three days later, leading to the greatest revolution in the history of humankind.  To neglect the conclusion of the story is to miss the whole point of the story. 

The doctrine of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith. 

The resurrection takes Christianity out of the realm of philosophy and turns it into a fact of history.  To deny the resurrection is to remove the keystone in the arch of the Christian faith.  The crucifixion of Jesus would have been in vain without the resurrection, for the resurrection validated Christs work on the cross.  Of all the great religions in the world, only Christianity is based on the resurrection of its leader.  Therefore, if the resurrection is not a fact, Christianity is a waste of time.  If Christ is not raised, Paul told the believers at Corinth, our preaching is in vain, our faith is without basis.

 Easter is true!  One of the most amazing, yet most neglected facts of Easter is the dynamic truth that Jesus Himself predicted what would happen long before it actually took place (St. Matthew 16:21).  If I were to predict my own death and resurrection,

I would be locked up.  Only a foolish person goes around predicting their own resurrection, unless that person is also God.  Jesus Christ was God incarnate and could do exactly as He predicted.  He promised His disciples that He would come alive from the grave and His predictions are evidence in support of the resurrection.  Not all the evidence of Christ resurrection is found in the Scriptures and in the past.  We have present day evidences of the resurrection, such as the Christian faith.

The resurrection of Christ is the very citadel of the Christian faith.  The doctrine of the resurrection turned the world upside down and lifted Christianity above Judaism and the pagan religions of the world.  If Jesus did not rise, there would be no Christian faith

(1 Cor. 15: 14-19).

A second evidence for the resurrection is the Church of Jesus Christ.  The Church  is founded on Jesus Christ.  Scripture reminds us that the Church is built upon Jesus Christ as its foundation.   If the crucifixion ended the life of Christ, the Church could not come into being.  The main reason is that the Church flourishes today, and it can celebrate Easter, is because Jesus came out of the tomb and declared that He has conquered death, and that He is the author of life. 

 

A third evidence for the resurrection is the Christian day of worship, Sunday.  The very fact that we attend church on Sunday is evidence of the resurrection.  The original day of worship was Saturday, but Christians began meeting on Sundays because it was acknowledged that Jesus came back from the grave on Sunday.  The Jewish Christians began meeting on Sunday to celebrate Gods new relationship with His people. Worshipping on Sunday is a testimony that Jesus rose victorious on a Sunday morning.

 

The last evidence of the resurrection is the Christian ordinances.  Every time we partake of communion, we give evidence to the resurrection.  The ordinance of baptism offers a wonderful picture of the resurrection.

 

This Easter let us celebrate the fact that Christ is risen and has ascended to Heaven.  Remember, His is still alive and He has left us with a mission. We are United on Mission. So let us witness with power, let us walk by faith, and let us wait in Hope.

On behalf of Pauline and I and the Mid-Atlantic Region, we wish you an Easter that is

filled with the Joy and Peace that the death, burial and resurrection of Christ brings.

 

Bishop Woodroe Thompson

Mid-Atlantic Regional Bishop

Thomas Jefferson is considered one of Americans greatest leaders.  Many thought of him as a Christian, but Jefferson rejected large portions of the bible.  Thomas Jefferson did not believe that any of the miracles in the Scriptures had actually occurred.  He was so committed to his philosophy that he even edited his own special version of the Bible  in which all references to the supernatural were deleted.  In editing the Bible, he confined himself totally to the moral teachings of Jesus.  The closing words of the Jeffersons Bible are these, There they laid Jesus and rolled a great stone at the door of the sepulchre, and departed.”  That is the end of the story as far as Thomas Jefferson was concerned.

It is amazing that people can follow the life of Christ all the way to the cross, revel in His sacrifice for us, then end the story there, but that is not the end of the story.  The story goes beyond the cross to a tomb which was vacated three days later, leading to the greatest revolution in the history of humankind.  To neglect the conclusion of the story is to miss the whole point of the story. 

The doctrine of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith. 

The resurrection takes Christianity out of the realm of philosophy and turns it into a fact of history.  To deny the resurrection is to remove the keystone in the arch of the Christian faith.  The crucifixion of Jesus would have been in vain without the resurrection, for the resurrection validated Christs work on the cross.  Of all the great religions in the world, only Christianity is based on the resurrection of its leader.  Therefore, if the resurrection is not a fact, Christianity is a waste of time.  If Christ is not raised, Paul told the believers at Corinth, our preaching is in vain, our faith is without basis.

 Easter is true!  One of the most amazing, yet most neglected facts of Easter is the dynamic truth that Jesus Himself predicted what would happen long before it actually took place (St. Matthew 16:21).  If I were to predict my own death and resurrection,

I would be locked up.  Only a foolish person goes around predicting their own resurrection, unless that person is also God.  Jesus Christ was God incarnate and could do exactly as He predicted.  He promised His disciples that He would come alive from the grave and His predictions are evidence in support of the resurrection.  Not all the evidence of Christ resurrection is found in the Scriptures and in the past.  We have present day evidences of the resurrection, such as the Christian faith.

The resurrection of Christ is the very citadel of the Christian faith.  The doctrine of the resurrection turned the world upside down and lifted Christianity above Judaism and the pagan religions of the world.  If Jesus did not rise, there would be no Christian faith

(1 Cor. 15: 14-19).

A second evidence for the resurrection is the Church of Jesus Christ.  The Church  is founded on Jesus Christ.  Scripture reminds us that the Church is built upon Jesus Christ as its foundation.   If the crucifixion ended the life of Christ, the Church could not come into being.  The main reason is that the Church flourishes today, and it can celebrate Easter, is because Jesus came out of the tomb and declared that He has conquered death, and that He is the author of life. 

A third evidence for the resurrection is the Christian day of worship, Sunday.  The very fact that we attend church on Sunday is evidence of the resurrection.  The original day of worship was Saturday, but Christians began meeting on Sundays because it was acknowledged that Jesus came back from the grave on Sunday.  The Jewish Christians began meeting on Sunday to celebrate Gods new relationship with His people. Worshipping on Sunday is a testimony that Jesus rose victorious on a Sunday morning.

The last evidence of the resurrection is the Christian ordinances.  Every time we partake of communion, we give evidence to the resurrection.  The ordinance of baptism offers a wonderful picture of the resurrection.

 

This Easter let us celebrate the fact that Christ is risen and has ascended to Heaven.  Remember, His is still alive and He has left us with a mission. We are United on Mission. So let us witness with power, let us walk by faith, and let us wait in Hope.

On behalf of Pauline and I and the Mid-Atlantic Region, we wish you an Easter that is

filled with the Joy and Peace that the death, burial and resurrection of Christ brings.

Bishop Woodroe Thompson

Mid-Atlantic Regional Bishop

 

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