Towards Excellence

Miracle: “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention…”

Have you experienced a miracle in your life? Surely, some of our readers will answer affirmatively with all conviction. Others may doubt whether they have experienced one or not, and others will certainly say, “Well…no!”

But then, what is a miracle? To explain it, let’s take the definition from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:  “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.” 

With this clear definition, the truth is that all human beings, I believe, could answer affirmatively if we stop for a moment and think about ourselves, about our birth, and if we analyze from the moment we were conceived. That extraordinary formation of each one of us in the womb of our mother and our arrival in this world is already a wonderful miracle. In fact, thinking about the formation of each creature in the maternal womb fills us with tenderness, but at the same time with magnificent amazement. Conception is the start of life and then a journey of 9 months of formation and growth before the great day of the birth of a little boy or girl. It is truly a tender and at the same time great miracle! And yes, a “miracle” because it goes beyond the tender creature that we can hold in our arms. That little creature has a spirit that connects it with his or her Creator, a soul that throughout his life will reflect his character, and a physical body through which that person will connect with his or her environment.

However, extraordinary as the miracle of life is, there is definitely an even more wonderful miracle. It happened one day, but its impact is eternal. In fact, this miracle is also related to life, but rather, to the “Author of life” – Jesus Christ.

A couple of days ago, the Christian world celebrated with great joy “Resurrection Sunday”. But this extraordinary event represents more than a day of celebration. It happened more than 2000 years ago. However, historians, anthropologists, scientists, and ordinary human beings continue to talk, analyze, debate, or simply accept in faith this extraordinary event.

Jesus, the Son of God, was “humanly” condemned to death and death on the cross; however, His death was part of the divine plan. In fact, Jesus himself said: “No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” (John 10:18 – NLT).

And the fundamental purpose of Jesus on this earth was to give His life in perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of humanity’s sin. The Scriptures say that “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10 – NIV); and that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23 – NIV). Therefore, all humanity was condemned to die because of sin. However, the everlasting love of God, the Creator, opened the way for our salvation. And that way was Jesus. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” says Jesus (John 14:6 – NIV).

As human beings, we are completely lost in our sins. Only in Christ and through Christ, if we accept in faith His perfect sacrifice on the Cross, is the only thing that saves us from the wickedness of our hearts. Because who among us could say… “I am free from sin” – no one, absolutely no one.

However, the work of the Cross would be incomplete if Christ had not risen. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:17 – NIV, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”

On the Cross, Christ carried the evil of the world, He carried our guilt; the Servant put His life in place of ours. The Righteous died for the unrighteous. However, Christ – the Author of life, rose triumphantly and victorious from the tomb on the third day. In the resurrection, Christ conquered death, demonstrating His Deity, His power, and His glory.

Are you amazed by the miracle of life, by your life? Well, I trust that you will be even more amazed by the miracle of the resurrection of Christ. He is no longer on a cross, His tomb is empty, He is alive, and Jesus has the power to bring you from death to life, from the darkness of this sin-filled world to a life full of His marvelous light, a life full of hope, a transformed life full of the very presence of the Giver of Life – Jesus Christ, who longs to guide and sustain you with deep love, step by step, minute by minute; like a Father who takes care of his son or daughter as no one else does.

Don’t wait any longer, the resurrected Christ is knocking at the door of your heart: “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13 – NIV). And if you accept this invitation, you too will be a participant in “the greatest miracle in the world” – “And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.” (1 Corinthians 15:19-20 – NLT)

Christ is risen indeed!