While vacationing in Maui, I had the opportunity to see a lot of animals in their natural environment.  Most of them swam underwater but occasionally rose to the surface only to dive below again.   On a snorkeling tour, we saw around 20 spinner dolphins swimming right near the boat.  There was even a baby who jumped playfully out of the water!  From a distance we saw a humpback whale breaching.   It was amazing! While snorkeling, a green sea turtle glided right near my elbow, then swam to the surface for a breath of air.  Another day, my friends and I went out paddle boarding in the crystal clear waters of the Pacific.  There we were shocked to see a hammer head shark swim about 10 feet below us.  I am happy to say he DID NOT swim to the surface.  Looking back at the dolphins, whales, and turtles, it wasn’t surprising to see them at the top of the water.   We knew that even though they swam in the deep, they would eventually rise to the surface.

That’s what happened so many years ago on the Sunday following Jesus crucifixion.  He arose!  Although the Pharisees thought they would keep Him down, there was already a plan in place for Jesus to be victorious.  Luke 24:6-7, “He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again.'”  With Jesus resurrection, everything changed.  A song from Hillsong says it best.   “Hallelujah, Jesus is alive; Death has lost its victory and the grave has been denied.  And Jesus lives forever, He’s alive!  He’s alive!”  Because Jesus conquered death, He gave us victory over all our trials too.  Hallelujah, He’s alive!