Is Jesus' Easter Victory personal For You?

As I was preparing for a golf tournament on Monday morning, April 21, the day after Easter, a friend told me, “Hey Rock, the Catholic Church will be calling you. Pope Francis died.” His words were obviously meant jokingly. Sometimes we humans use humor to deal with loss and grief. Yet, I had not yet heard about the pope passing. In truth, I pray every morning that God strengthens the ‘Holy Christian Church’ on earth to ‘boldly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus’ (Ephesians 6:18b-20). Even though I am a Lutheran Christian, I will be praying for the Roman Catholic Church to find a faithful and effective new leader. Shepherds and leaders are important for our Lord’s church as it works to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus.

As I was thinking about this news, it seemed appropriate to me that the day after Easter was the day Pope Francis died. Death is almost always bad news. But, because of Easter, Christians do not face death as the end of life. Christians instead see death as the beginning of eternity with our Lord. There is a way in which the pope’s death can communicate and even celebrate Jesus’ Easter victory in the pope’s life, and also proclaim Jesus’ Easter victory for our lives.

Then I began thinking about my prayer list. I revised my current list on December 9, 2024. Since that time TEN people for whom I was praying were taken to heaven. That is a LOT! I have never before had so many people for whom I was praying die in so short a time. My list includes friends and church members in Alaska, and also Florida, people I know and care about.

Among those whom the Lord has called home since December 9 are Jody Kolberg Fenton. Jody grew up at St. John in Palmer, but when she married Murray, they moved to Soldotna. I baptized their daughters. God also called Karen Nystrom Sorenson home. Karen is the sister of Mike Nystrom, a very active member of St. John. Another victim of cancer is Gary Reaves, my brother-in-law Mark’s brother. I hunted moose with Tom Anderson, Tom and his wife Marilyn lived in Kenai, but both had cancer. I visited them in their home and brought communion. Both Tom and Marilyn passed away in the past couple of months. Last summer good friend Paul Scott asked me to pray for his almost 4 year old granddaughter, Rylee Chavez. Rylee made it longer than the doctors expected, but she died in January of brain cancer. Kathy and I also received word in January that long-time friend, Carolyn Dwight, succumbed to dementia. I visited with Carolyn’s husband, Rick, after her death. I first visited Guillermo Luna-Victoria in September of 2023 in the ICU in Gainesville, FL. Guillermo, or Billy, died this month on April 3 of multiple health issues after almost 20 months in the hospital. Steve Brown was a good friend I knew from my Palmer Kiwanis Club. Steve died unexpectedly, and his memorial service is being held in Palmer on May 10., Finally, Pastor Phil Kuehnert served in Fairbanks, Alaska, during my time in Palmer. Even after he retired and moved to Virginia, we kept in touch, and have communicated in the last month or so. But Phil died from heart failure during holy week, 2025. That list doesn’t even include three other families whom I pray for because they have lost loved ones in the past twelve months, the family of Luke Peltier, and Sandra Garley, and Jeff Overstreet!

Perhaps you can tell from my sharing that I knew all these people, or their families, quite well. I cared for them. This IS personal. And, like the pope, those are people I prayed for who are now experiencing Jesus’ Easter victory in heaven.

Is Easter personal for you? Jesus did much to prepare His disciples for His coming crucifixion and death. He knew His cross would shock and overwhelm those he cared about. However, Jesus’ suffering and death had a purpose. We have rebelled and sinned against the Creator and Lord of our universe. Our waywardness separates us from the God of life and love. That is why Jesus, the Son of God, died. Hebrews 2:17 teaches us, “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Jesus became human, He suffered and died to pay the debt which our sin against God demands.

Thankfully, God’s eternal plan was that sin would not win through death. Instead, God planned that as Jesus died, He would defeat sin and death through His resurrection. Listen to what Jesus taught His disciples the night when He was betrayed. “Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:19)

Again I ask, “Is Easter personal for you?” Sadly, that long list of my friends and former church members passed away. I cared about them. I care about them. But I believe the words of Jesus. Because I live, you also will live. Easter brings God’s good news which is personal for me.

If the death of Pope Francis the day after Easter was a good opportunity to communicate and celebrate Jesus’ resurrection victory, Easter brings good news for me too. My friends and fellow Christians may have died, but they are NOT dead. Jesus rose. Because he lives, THEY LIVE!

Easter is not just a religious story. Easter is not just an historic event. Jesus’ resurrection is real, and it affects us. Easter blesses us personally as we live through the struggles and losses of this life. I grieve the loss of friends and loved ones, but I celebrate their life in heaven. As Jesus proclaimed, “Because I live, you also will live!”