The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1951-03-22

sASAiOi dkCS lilt odu-
dest day in earth's
history, Easter the n, r...-
most Joyous. Yet
they come only 48 hours apart. This
reminds all Christians that neither
Good Friday nor Easter stands by
itself, but each gives meaning to
the other.
Cross and CrucifiN
THE Protestant churches usually
have a cross. That Is because
Protestants wish to remember that
the Cross Is empty that 1t 10 not
. dead Jesus whom we worship. but
Q living. risen. reigning Christ.
Even in the churches where
crucifixes are numerous, there
may be pictures or statues rep
1esenting the risen Christ. Sup
pose there had been only Good
Friday, suppose that had been
the end Of Jesus? Then there
weuld have been no particular
peint In the cross. II would have
been the mere instrument Of
enc more violent death, another
case Of Justice gone wrong, an
other tragic failure.
The Resurrection showed who It
was that hung upon the Cross; the
Resurrection showed that the Cross
was not scene of failure but Of
victory. Death could not keep its
prey; He tore the bars awayl" But
on the other hand, what would the
Resurrection have been without the
Cross? Just another miracle
something to make our eyes pop.
but not TO make US grateful. The
New Testament tells OF or hints at
many resurrections during the time
Of Christ; but it is not enthusiastic
about any Of them, with this one ex-
ception.
Victim and Victor
THE New Testament represents
4 the Resurrection in many lights.
One Of the most striking Is that II
was . reward. reward for the
Cross That is. God highly exalt-
ed" Jesus because OF mis- willingness
to die on behalf of others Isaiah
1912; Phil. 2:8). The Cross was the
battle with the dark powers. and the
victory: the Resurrection was the
march Of triumph.
On the Cross Jesus was both
victim and victor; on Easter
morning he was all the victor.
The Cross was = perfectly rs-
tural event; by II Jesus under.
went the worst that nature. and
human sin, can do. On the Cross
Jesus was murdered, for muir
der Il was, however illegal" Il
Was made 70 seem: and he
called down no miracle to save
himself.
But at the Resurrection Christ
rose above nature. Is natures
Lord. The early church preached
both Cross and Resurrection; and
It has never forgotten either one.
"As He Is, 50 are we j.. -"
THERE is another important truth
1 about the Cross and Resurrec.
ton. From the very beginning. the
church has refused to think Of these
events as concerned with Jesus
alone. The Christian who has begun
to work deeply into the meanings Of
his faith will see farther than the
child does. He vii! see both Cross
and Resurrection from the inside,
The church has long taught
that on the Cross God was do
ing Something for US, and that
through the Resurrection God
ID doing something In N. Paul
expresses the life Of Christian
- Of one who h dead with
Christ" and "risen with Christ"
The Christian HE II thought Of
- one which has undergone
both death and resurrection.
Death . sin; rising 70 new
kind Of life; death 70 . kind Of
existence In which We are slaves
to what ID worst In n; rising =
. kind Of life IN which We are
more than conquercrs."
Not all Christians have under.
stood this, to be sure. Perhaps the
greater number Of Christians think
Of their Life as one Of, simply try.
ing mot very harO to do the best
they can, and usually failing. But
the really hish-levsl Christians have
discovered something more pro
found: that the Christian actually
has access, by faith, to an inner
power which Is the very same tina,
raised Jesus from the dead. Every
Christian can share, now, in the
resurrection-life of Christ. And this
Is the secret of Easter.
Copyright 1881 by the Division Of
christian Education, National Council
States Of America. Released by WNu
features.)