Saturday, March 22, 2025

and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures;

 And on the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures (Traditional)

On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scripture (Ecumenical) 

Based on 1 Corinthians 15:3-5

Dear sisters and brothers,

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Probably you might remember that I was baptized and confirmed at the age of 13 in the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, at Vaniyambadi, South India. It was indeed part of my assignment to memorize in English our Lord’s prayer, the Apostles Creed (shorter one) and the Nicene Creed (longer version), which was new for me as I am originally from an orthodox Hindu family.  In our church tradition, we used to recite either Apostle’s creed or Nicene Creed on all special occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries and graduations.

Coming from a Hindu background, it was important for me to understand and to accept the resurrection of Christ, which was the main reason for accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior. There were many hundreds of gods which my grandparents and parents believed, but none of them raised from the dead. It was the first time in my life to realize that Jesus is fully human and fully God. Above all, He is the Father of the fatherless – which was an incentive for an orphan boy!

Why rising from the death is so important?

Scripture plays a crucial role in our faith journey. It was prophesied (Psalm 16:9-11), in the scripture that Jesus will rise from the death on the third day. He is the only God, who rose from the death. As we live in a changing world, we need to rely on the Scriptures, which speak not only about the past but also about the future—what is yet to come. Scripture contains God’s Word. May we read and meditate on it daily, not just on Sundays or during the Lenten season, but throughout the year. God’s Word in Scripture is unchangeable and provides purpose for our daily walk and guidance for the future."

We have a trinitarian God, whom we believe: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Let us remember the sufferings which Jesus had for us on the cross, where He was a human being, and on the third day He rose again – Jesus is fully God. He paid the price through His life for us on the Cross of Calvary.

Prayer: Oh Lord and our heavenly Father, during this time of Lenten Season thank you for helping us to understand that Christ is divine, and He is eternal. Help us to be salt and light in this foreign world. Make us an instrument of the Gospel- those who see us, may see Christ, who lives in our hearts and minds. In your Holy and mighty name, we pray. Amen.