In one of his books, Billy Graham wrote about visiting Russia several years ago. During that visit, he was told about a certain village. After the Communists took over the country in the revolution of 1917, a powerful Communist leader came to the village to inform the people of all the great virtues of Communism, and to argue against the church, religion and faith, because the Communist Party doesn’t believe in God.
Everyone in the village came together in a large hall. Two thousand people were in the room.
The Communist leader came up to the front, to the podium, and spoke to them. He lectured them for two hours about all the glories of Communism, and how foolish it is to believe in faith and the church.
After he was finally finished, he turned to the local Russian Orthodox priest and with utter contempt said, “Okay, now, I will give you five minutes to reply.”
The pastor said, “I don’t need five minutes, only five seconds.” He came to the platform and gave the ancient Easter greeting: “The Lord is risen!” And two thousand people stood up and thundered back, “He is risen indeed!” (“World Flame,” page 118)
I have good news for us. The greatest news ever. Sunday is coming and the rising of the Son changes everything. There is hope for our lives. The Lord is risen!