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Dear friends,

In the last 8 years, only 4 times did the whole Christianity – meaning, the Western Christianity (April 1, 2018) and Eastern Christianity (April 8, 2018) – celebrated Easter or Resurrection Sunday on the same date. The last time was last year April 16, 2017. The next time that we will celebrate it together will be on 2025 and 2028.

Why is this so? It is because Western Christianity uses the Gregorian calendar, and Eastern Christianity uses the Julian calendar. Some would say that Christianity cannot even be united in celebrating Easter or even the name of the celebration – Easter or Resurrection Sunday. Just like some would say that evangelicals in Iloilo or Bacolod cannot even be united in celebrating Easter Sunrise Service in one venue. But this is not the point. The point is that we are one in celebrating Easter. We are one in celebrating the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ no matter what the date, no matter what the venue.

Paul wrote in Philippians 3:10 “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection.” The Greek word for “power” used by Paul is dunamis, the origin of the word of dynamite. The power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is more than that of dynamite. The Resurrection POWER is so powerful that it can make you:

P – Part ways with our past life. The power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ can transform a life, and the whole community.

O – Obey the commands of Jesus. The commands of Jesus Christ are very difficult to obey because it will lead us to deny ourselves, pick up our own cross and follow the leading of God. The power of the resurrection of Jesus will empower us to go on despite of the difficulties.

W – Walk in newness of life. When Jesus conquered death, it gives us the hope that with Jesus in our lives we can also conquer death, and death-like situations in the present. With Christ, we are living a regenerated life.

E – Enjoy the salvation. The salvation that we have received from God is a joy to behold. Christians ought to bring that joy of salvation wherever we go so that people will see that a life in Jesus Christ is not a life full of rules that enslave us but a life of freedom that gives us joy.

R – Release forgiveness. By our own, we cannot forgive others. Our nature is set to revenge. Our natural desire when somebody wronged us is to find a way to wrong them back. And it will become a never ending cycle. But with Jesus in our hearts, the power of the resurrection will lead us to a difficult yet not impossible desire — to forgive, and to love others.

May the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ be in us all!

Sincerely,

Rev. Francis Neil G. Jalando-on

Director
Office of Communications
Central Philippine University