The Beginning Of The End
At the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter
My dear encountered couples:
Tonight is a preview of “Coming Attractions.” Tonight we celebrate the end of sin and its terrifying effects, the beginning of grace and its happy results. We get a glimpse at what can be for each of us - if we choose to leave sin behind us and reach out for Jesus Christ.
Liturgically, and according to our calendar, Good Friday has passed and Easter has begun. Sin and its effects are behind us, a heaven full of grace can now be seen through fully open, golden doors. Satan has been defeated and sent back to hell, Jesus Christ has won us from him and is reaching his hands for ours to take us into heaven. There will no longer be pain and suffering, no more tears, no more sorrows of any kind. Only happiness, bliss, joy, and love. It is time for Alleluias and praises of the Lord. We have been saved from our sins and their horrifying effects. Nothing but good is in our future. Do you believe that?
It is up to you, you know. The job of your salvation has been undertaken. Jesus has done the necessary preliminaries. It is now up to you to complete what yet needs to be done with the help of his Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ has obtained the forgiveness of your sins, he has taken all the suffering and pain for the effects of your sins upon himself. Now it is up to you to believe it, to accept it, to embrace it fully as a fact, and live like a person who has been saved.
Are you sad? No reason to be. That which saddens you is merely an illusion. Oh, you can feel it all right. You can still see and touch and experience those things that make you sad. You can still be suffering from the effects of your sins and the sins of other people. But the death and resurrection of Jesus is to show you what will happen with all that, what is absolutely certain to happen to all that - if you believe in Christ and take hold of his hand.
Those things that make you sad and depressed and sick and angry have already been taken by Jesus Christ to himself and buried with him. They have been changed into things of joy and happiness, laughter and love. You may be experiencing unhappiness now, but what happened this night, before dawn, a long time ago in Palestine, guarantees that for you all darkness will pass and the sun will shine. Forever! if you choose it too.
Salvation from all that saddens you has come. A new life is being offered. You can enter into it now and begin enjoying it. You can right now tonight join with the angels and saints; you can join with those people you love who have already passed on into heaven, and share with them their happiness. As looking forward to a vacation at your dream place can fill you with joy long before you ever leave for it, looking forward to heaven can make you happy and content and give you peace right now.
This is the night, this is the day God has made to show the fullness of his love for you. Please be happy and rejoice. The Son of God is shining on your life.
