This morning’s text is found in Hosea 6:1 + 2: After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
	On this, the day we traditionally celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, it is very appropriate to consider one of the prophecies made concerning that glorious triumph. The prophet Hosea was addressing the Children of Israel, in speaking the word given to Him by God. He was telling them of the great Love of God to His people, despite their wantonness before Him. In everything mentioned, the Love of God was at the core and in the fore-front of what the Heart of God held in dealing with this chosen nation. Even in their adultery before God, He loved them and would make a way of salvation for them.
	This is what we have received in our Lord Jesus Christ. Even while we were yet lost in our sin and trespasses, He paid the price to bring us into His righteousness - His right-standing before God. Rom. 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Not just that, but in all the omnipotent power of God, Christ not only died for us, but He raised us up with Him in His resurrection.
	Here is the key to this day that we celebrate. Many are those who bemoan the death of Christ on the Cross. It is true, it was a tragedy of immense proportions in that the world put to death the perfect Son of God. Jesus of Nazareth, the pure and true light of the world, the Word of God made flesh, was deliberately and violently sacrificed by the power of this realm in an overt effort to eliminate the light of God from shining in this world. Rather than to seek after God because of the true testimony of Christ, the darkness of this age sought to exterminate the source of the perfect expression of the purity of God. Christ was nailed to that cross with all the malicious hatred and depravity which could be mustered against Him by this age. He was defiled, besmirched, spat upon, and ridiculed to His last breath. Then, to be certain of His exile from life, a huge stone was planted at the entrance of the sepulcher of His entombment, just in case. This world did everything it could to ensure that Jesus of Nazareth would no longer shine forth in the brilliance of the Love of God.
	It was for this defiled world that the Son of God gave up His position, took upon Himself the flesh of humanity, in His birth to a virgin, and dwelt among us. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. He came into the world for the expressed purpose of loving the world unto the Father. He is the sole means through Whom those, who receive Him into their hearts, will be given free access into the very heart of the Father. It matters not what has gone before. It matters not the depth of the depravity and sin in which we once wallowed. It was, after all, our sin that placed the burden on the Love of God to make a provision to redeem us from our death in iniquity and trespasses, to give us an avenue of life. That life in Christ, is what we are celebrating today.
	Without the cross, vile and despicable as that was, without the death of our Savior, Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the cross, there would be no resurrection life today. He suffered greatly in our stead. Oh the depths of what He suffered are beyond our comprehension. But, He suffered all of it for us, that in Him, we would receive eternal life. The world did its utmost to keep Him in that grave. For two days, all the powers of the netherworld were arrayed in the task of preventing that which was foretold, even in our Hosea passage. Why was there such ferocity in that effort? Because, when Christ arose, and praise God He arose in such glory and power, when He arose, He would not just wrench Himself from the steely grasp of death, but He brought forth all those, past, present and future, whose hearts would respond to God! Eph. 2: 5+6 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: His sacrifice was so powerful, so satisfying to the just requirements of the Law, that it worked on our behalf, even while we were still dead in our sins and trespasses. God, the Father, so loved us, that He made the provision to redeem us. Christ, the Son, so loved us, that He took us into His death and resurrection to the glory of God the Father. God, the Holy Spirit, so loves us, that He indwells us, and works on a moment by moment basis to shew forth the truth of the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. The full power of the Triune God is on triumphant display in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
	It completely shattered eveyr effort of the enemy and laid to waste every weapon in the arsenal of the vanquished foe. Jesus Christ could not be kept in death. His victory brought forth the words of Hosea in His life ...in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. It is in His sight that we live. It has nothing to do with anything that we have earned, or hope to earn. It is nothing based in any value in us. It is fully upon the Lord Jesus Christ, in the grace and the mercy of God. In that wonderful heart of God, opened unto us, we have eternal life, abundantly and freely. 
	How do we live that life? That is the course of our walk on this earth. We live by Jesus Christ! Our lives are no longer our own to do as we please, but belong to Him to do as He desires. Our life is before Him and before Him alone. We learn this as we are guided by the Holy Spirit, Who brings to life the Word of God. The whole of scripture, New and Old Testaments, are the story of God’s dealing through the Son, the Glory of Jesus Christ. It is His story! The plight of man is highlighted in separation from God. The Glory of God is victoriously evidenced in the Person of Jesus Christ, and the majesty of Christ is seen in the Church as we respond to the great love of God.
	We are the called of God. We are the partakers of the great and glorious plan of God to shew forth grace and mercy and truth to a realm which was lost in sin and depravity. Death reigned supremely in the darkness of the power of this age. Christ, our precious Lord Jesus Christ, came as the light of God and showed us the way, the only way. He manifested in Himself the Truth that God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son to recover that which was lost. He paid the full price on our behalf, and brought us, through death, into the life of His resurrection. 
	Let us praise God for the great Love with which He loved us. Let us glorify our Lord for the manifest grace and mercy which He is to us. And, let us glorify the Holy Spirit in the life that we now live in Him. Our lives must shew forth the glory of God by Whom we now live on this earth. It is Christ Whom we celebrate. It is the Father, to Whom we owe our beings. And, it is the Holy Spirit, by Whom we live each day on the sojourn through this earthly realm. Glorify God today and every day. Let our lives manifest the great Love of God to all with whom we have dealings, and let us never take the resurrection power of God for granted. It is the very life that we live now and evermore. 
	After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.