There is a story in the Bible usually not associated with Easter, but it may be one of the best Easter stories. It is the story of Abraham and the birth of his son Isaac. Early in Abraham’s life, God promised he would be the father of many nations. It was a promise filled with blessings and a hope for the future. Yet Abraham did not have any children, and his wife, Sarah, was unable to conceive.
Abraham waited and waited, but no child ever came. Making matters worse, Abraham’s name means “the father of many.” It must have been disheartening every time someone used his name and he recalled his lack of children.
He and Sarah finally reached an age where it seemed the promise would be impossible to fulfill. But Abraham would not give up on God’s promise. Finally, at the age of 100, Abraham became the father of Isaac. Happy Easter! How is this an Easter story? St. Paul wrote in Romans 4, “And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead – and so was Sarah’s womb.” How was Abraham able to do this? St. Paul wrote, “This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.”
Easter is the celebration of God bringing the dead back to life. In the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus, we find hope, a hope for eternity to be sure, but also a hope for our lives today. You may find yourself in an impossible situation, a situation where all the possibilities seem dead, buried and gone. But, don’t give up hope on God’s promises for your life. Dead possibilities are no problem for a life-giving God. He brings the dead back to life.
Over 2000 years ago, Jesus was crucified, placed in a tomb and had a stone rolled over the opening. He was considered dead, buried and gone. But on Sunday morning, the stone rolled away, the tomb opened up and he which had been dead walked out alive! God’s promise was fulfilled.
I pray you will let the story of Easter strengthen your hope during difficult times. St. Paul wrote, “Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping.” The same can be true for us. Happy Easter!