Ancient Egyptian culture practiced mummifying their pharaohs after death in hopes of resurrection. It was expected that their souls would come back into their mummified bodies and be resurrected, but this practice in history has not yet been confirmed. However, there was a time when resurrection from the dead occurred. Jesus resurrected Lazarus from the dead, which became a foreshadow of the resurrection for us, His Children. The resurrection of Jesus is the blessing and hope for all mankind.

Easter has a significant connection to resurrection because it marks a new beginning, not the end of the death of a Christian. Our bodies inevitably face the end of life, but the Lord’s resurrection promises life after death – which is the end of the old life and the beginning of a new one.

Resurrection means a spiritual birth in which the old self is cast off and a new self is born. Easter is not just about having fun with Easter egg hunts and eating delicious food, but it provides us an opportunity to share the hope of resurrection by advocating the gospel to all non-believers. Easter challenges us to release everything that binds us – to return to a state of freedom, including the freedom that our neighbors need. God pours out the opportunity of Easter as a blessing to be set free from all burdens and renew our lives with His grace.

In recent months, God’s work has been witnessed all around the world. God awakens our faith by anointing us with the power of the Holy Spirit, the grace of repentance, and restoration in our lives. Asbury University started becoming the epicenter of grace, having thousands of their college students, church members, and members of Christian institutions yearn for God’s grace and hope for the restoration of the church. They visited Asbury to experience this fresh and powerful grace, and there is much talk about the testimonies that happened of the experience of the Holy Spirit spreading to surrounding campuses and communities.

God is continuously at work in this generation. He is diligently working with World Mission University. I ask that we have faith in Him and join the wave of grace for Easter 2023!