Resurrection Day

I watched the line of people winding as they walked down the dirt path headed towards the small collection of water about two kilometers away where the baptisms were about to take place. It reminded me of Bible times, and I wondered if people used to walk like that to see Jesus. 

"Are you going to walk or ride?" the other missionaries asked as they walked to the car. I looked back at the throng of people steadily marching in the other direction, their colorful clothes and head wraps, their sandals lifting the dirt, the children running alongside their mothers. 

Despite the heat, the glaring sun, and the rugged terrain, I said, "I'm going to walk with them." 

As I walked, I prayed. For the baptisms that were about to happen. For the people who would watch. For the faith of the believers to increase. For the curiosity of the unbelievers to increase. For the church to rise up as a light in their community of darkness. For Jesus to be made famous among the nations. 

As I walked, I praised God for the dirt paths that Jesus walked long ago during his time on earth. I praised him for the paths that many crowds walked just to see him and hear his teaching. And I praised him for the path that he has given me to walk. I want to walk alongside people as we seek Jesus together. 

There were 47 people baptized in that village alone this Easter Sunday. What better way to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus than with the resurrection we experience in baptism. 

After the service, everyone - more than three hundred people who had gathered from all the surrounding villages - reassembled under a hangar to sing and celebrate. They asked Geoffrey and I to share a message or word of encouragement. Geoffrey first shared about the hope of the resurrection from 1 Corinthians 15, and I encouraged the listeners with the message of 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Those who are in Christ are a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come! 

"What are these old things that have passed?" I asked. "In Christ, the old confidence that we placed in idols and fetishes is dead, and we have a new confidence that is placed in Jesus Christ." 

"Our old selves died and we have a new life in Jesus. Despair dies and we are raised with hope. Fear and worry dies and God raised us with peace. Sadness is buried and we are raised with joy. Darkness dies and we are raised in light!" 

I recounted the story of my own baptism, which I still celebrate today like it is a birthday. It is, really. It's our real birthday. Most people in the village don't even know their own birthday, so this was a perfect opportunity to tell them that this day is their new birthday. 

"Today is not the end. It is just the beginning of a new life, a new relationship, and a new experience with God. I saw this to be true in my life; my baptism was just the start. One year later, I trusted God more and loved him more than before. Two years after, I trusted and loved him even more still. Even today, I can say that I trust and love Jesus more today than yesterday." 

The crowd laughed and applauded, so I paused to share their joy before finishing with a final encouragement to seek the same thing. "Seek to love him and trust him more and more each day. Seek to follow and obey him more and more each day." 

That's the hope we have because of the resurrection. We can know God and be close to him. Because of his resurrection, we can be resurrected, too.