On Easter Sunday I whipped out my trusty handcuffs which are sold by Magic Dealers under the name 'Electronic Release'. These are by far the best and most convincing restraints in the business. Yet you are in and out of them within a flash. Even when people can see you escaping they are still baffled as to how you get out because it so fast.
This year I shared the story of a boy in Sunday School class who told the group proudly what Jesus said when he resurrected from the dead. He said "Ta Daa!"
I loved that story and invited the congregation to have a "Ta Da" moment with the resurrected Christ in their lives.
The handcuffs were used to tell the story of how even death can hold Jesus down and that even though he experienced all the worse things that life could throw at him - prejudice, loss, grief, injustice, pain. humiliation, torture and death - Jesus overcame. Death could not hold him (escape from handcuffs) and he gives everyone of us the hope and knowledge that we too can overcome whatever life throws at us.
I love the verse which says that the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is the same Spirit who lives in us who believe in him. We need to have that Ta Da encounter with the Risen Lord to experience the reality and joy of his presence in us.
The choir who were sat behind me and could see the whole escape are still trying to figure out how I escaped so fast.
Happy Easter!
