Sometime ago I ran across this story: “You probably do not remember the name Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin. During his day he was as powerful a man as there was on earth. A Russian Communist leader he took part in the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, was editor of the Soviet newspaper Pravda (which by the way means truth), and was a full member of the Politburo. His works on economics and political science are still read today. There is a story told about a journey he took… from Moscow to Kiev in 1930 to address a huge assembly on the subject of atheism. Addressing the crowd he aimed his heavy artillery at Christianity hurling insult, argument, and proof against it. An hour later he was finished. He looked out at what seemed to be the smoldering ashes of men’s faith. ‘Are there any questions?’ Bukharin demanded. Deafening silence filled the auditorium but then one man approached the platform and mounted the lectern standing near the communist leader. He surveyed the crowd first to the left then to the right. Finally he shouted the ancient greeting known well in the Russian Orthodox Church: ‘CHRIST IS RISEN!’ En masse the crowd arose as one man and the response came crashing like the sound of thunder: ‘HE IS RISEN INDEED!’”

That was certainly not the first time that someone thought they had silenced the Christian message, in fact buried it. And it has happened over and over again. There are those today who believe the gospel has been discredited, is passé, is a myth told to children and gullible adults.

But the message will not be silenced or stay buried because the truth is CHRIST HAS RISEN! It is a part of history. But it is also a part of our life. The Bible says:

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:4)

The new life that Jesus lives through us is evidence He lives and we serve a risen Savior.

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Filed under: The Journey |