Coming Out of Quarantine!

After being quarantined with COVID for about 17 days, yesterday I was finally able to leave my home. It was a good feeling to be able to step outside without the fear of infecting someone else with the virus that had me sick for almost three weeks. And I’m very excited to be able to be in church this weekend for our Easter services. 

You might say, I feel like I’ve experienced a resurrection of a sort. As I wrote about last week, it’s no fun being stuck at home unable to do the things you want to do and go the places you want to or even need to go. Being able to come out of quarantine is in some way like being resurrected to new life! At least that’s how I feel.  

I know that may be a bit of an exaggeration. But it’s an appropriate one considering what this weekend is all about.  The scriptures describe for us how on Friday Jesus’ body was shut up in a tomb that was sealed with a giant stone. There was no way in the world that Jesus was going to be able to get out of that tomb—at least not from a human perspective. We might say he was stuck (could we say, “quarantined?”) in that tomb. But, as we will celebrate on Sunday, on the third day, by the power of God, Jesus was raised from the dead, the stone was rolled away, and he came out alive as ever!  And his new life meant for us new life. 

The Apostle Paul wrote, “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies….” (Romans 8:11 – ESV) And “By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.” (1 Corinthians. 6:14- ESV) 

We’ve been given a wonderful promise that the power of God that raised Christ from the dead is at work in us now and will one day raise our bodies to new life from the grave. Because Jesus lives, we too shall live!  That’s the hope of the Christian faith! 

So, this weekend, as we remember on Good Friday Jesus’ death on the cross and then on Sunday celebrate his resurrection, let’s allow his life to fill us anew with hope. As we will sing, “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow! Because he lives all fear is gone!” May those words be as true for us today as ever. 

Have a great day and a wonderful Easter weekend! 

-  Pastor Tim Harris