For I know that my Redeemer liveth. –Job 19:25
It is a matter of great comfort and rejoicing to any person, whatever circumstances he is in, when he can say that he knows that his Redeemer lives.
First: It [Job’s statement] implies that he knows that Christ is the appointed Redeemer and Savior of man. It implies a knowledge of Christ’s divine mission; that he was no imposter, but indeed a person sent from God to reveal his mind and will. It implies a knowing that he is the Messiah, as he professed himself to be, and that he is the person that God has pitched upon and sent into the world, and that he might be the Savior of men from their sins and from eternal destruction. It implies what Peter professed in the sixth of John, v. 69:
And we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Excerpt from the sermon I Know My Redeemer Liveth by Jonathan Edwards, 1740
The remembrance and celebration of the Resurrection is by far my favorite church holiday. While Christmas is the beginning—Christ the creator coming to earth in the form of the created, with all the human temptations and trials—the Resurrection is the magnificent culmination:
Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. –I Corinthians 15:1-7
We had a wonderful Resurrection Sunday. We got up early and I started the dessert (a lovely Italian cake called Pastiera), and put the lamb, which had marinated overnight, in the crock pot. I’ll write another post about all the things I made, because they were all new recipes but for one, and they all turned out yummy. While I got the pastiera going, the kids opened Easter baskets, and they loved their piggy banks, Leapsters (from my grandparents), recorders and small amount of candy. Joel and I each got a Samuel Rutherford book (J’s picks; he gave me The Loveliness of Christ and himself Lex Rex), and a large Dove chocolate bunny. Yummmmm. Joel was my super-helper and got various small things done that I wouldn’t have gotten to had he not stepped in. The man is truly amazing. He cleaned the bathroom, picked up the living areas, fed the children and kept them from getting into mischief while we ran around getting the house and ourselves ready for the day.
Then it was on to Sunday school for Joel and the kids while I finished up getting the centerpiece on the table and baking the cake, setting the table and prepping some of the veggies. I ran out the door, because I was late for practice with the other musicians, and left the cake needing less than ten minutes of bake time. Thankfully Joel was planning on coming home to take the cake out of the oven if needed, so he and I passed on the less-than-five-minute-drive to church.
Pastor Brian preached on I Corinthians 15:1-14, and then we celebrated Communion, which is a tradition in our congregation.
Our church service was so worshipful; we sang some of the gorgeous, traditional Resurrection hymns, and the trombone, cello and piano did a slow rendition of Christ the Lord is Risen Today for the offertory; the depth the trombone and cello added was beautiful.
After church, Joel and I came home, finished getting dinner on to cook, our neighbors came over and we enjoyed a leisurely dinner with good fellowship and interesting conversation.
Resurrection Sunday, 2010