REJOICE!

His first word is the last word. The first public message of Christ after His resurrection was a single, pregnant word—“Rejoice!” (Matthew 28:9). It’s from the Greek verb “chairo.” Significantly, it’s the same root word used to express the joy or mood of the chief priests, Judas, and the soldiers (Mark 14:11; Matt 26:49; 27:29). The Enemy rejoiced that he finally got Christ—that Christ was finished, and that the huge stone, the Roman seal and security guards at the tomb would keep Him buried and out of sight forever. But, No! Against all odds, Christ arose! His enemies didn’t have the last word—or laugh! For a certainty, goodness will triumph over evil, truth over falsehood, principle over politics, & love over hatred. So, “rejoice!”—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim