Welcome to Somali Christian Ministries. Today we would like to say to you – Happy Easter!
Easter is a day in the Christian calendar where Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. As we all know – Jesus Christ died on a cross. Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross and died there. He was taken down from the cross and buried. After 3 days Jesus rose from the dead. This is called the Resurrection. The day Christians celebrate the Resurrection is called Easter.
Let’s read what the Bible says about where and how Jesus was buried after He died:
“As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.” – Matthew 27:57-61
“Goortay casarkii ahayd waxaa yimid nin reer Arimataya oo hodan ah oo Yuusuf la odhan jiray, oo isaguna Ciise xertiisa ahaa. Kaasu wuxuu u tegey Bilaatos oo ka baryay Ciise meydkiisii. Markaasaa Bilaatos amray in loo dhiibo. Yuusuf goortuu meydkii qaaday ayuu kafan nadiif ah ku duudduubay, oo wuxuu geliyey xabaashiisii cusbayd, tan uu dhagax ka qoday, oo xabaashii afkeedii wuxuu ku soo giringiriyey dhagax weyn, wuuna ka tegey. Oo halkaas waxaa joogay Maryantii reer Magdala iyo Maryantii kale, oo waxay fadhiyeen meel xabaashii ka soo hor jeedda.” – Matayos 27:57-61
So we see that Jesus died and was buried. No one buries a person who is alive; only people who died are buried.
Jesus was nailed to a cross on a Friday and then was buried; and after 3 days He rose from the dead. The day that Jesus rose from the dead was a Sunday. And this is called Resurrection Day – and is called Easter in our calendars.
The reason why people say “Happy Easter” is because Easter Sunday is a happy day. It is a happy day because on this day Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Jesus was dead; and then He became alive again.
What does the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead mean for us?
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead means that those of us who believe in Jesus Christ are also raised from the dead in our spirits. Before we accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we were dead in our sins. But when we accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior then God by His Holy Spirit filled us brought us to life in Jesus Christ. We were born again. We were dead to God but when we were born again we were born of God.
Let’s read what the Bible says about the resurrection in our lives:
“And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” – Romans 6:4
“ sidii Masiixa kuwii dhintay loogaga sara kiciyey ammaanta Aabbaha, aan innaguna sidaas oo kale cusaybka nolosha ku dhex soconno.” – Rooma 6:4
Anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is now alive to God. We have been born again by the Holy Spirit of God. We have become children of God born by the Spirit of God.
Here is what the Bible teaches us about the resurrection:
“When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”
Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”
“Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. – John 11:17-26
“Haddaba markuu Ciise yimid wuxuu ogaaday inuu afar maalmood xabaasha ku jiray. Haddana Beytaniya waa u dhowayd Yeruusaalem, oo waxay u jirtay qiyaas shan iyo toban istaadiyon. Yuhuud badan waxay u yimaadeen Maarta iyo Maryan inay walaalkood uga tacsiyeeyaan.
Maarta haddaba markay maqashay in Ciise imanayo, ayay ka hor tagtay, Maryanse gurigay iska fadhiday. Markaasaa Maarta waxay Ciise ku tidhi, Sayidow, haddaad halkan joogtid, walaalkay ma uu dhinteen. Hadda waxaan garanayaa in wax alla waxaad Ilaah weyddiisatid uu ku siinayo. Markaasaa Ciise wuxuu ku yidhi, Walaalkaa waa sara kici doonaa. Maartaa ku tidhi, Waan garanayaa inuu kici doono wakhtiga sarakicidda ee maalinta u dambaysa. Ciise ayaa ku yidhi, Anigu waxaan ahay sarakicidda iyo nolosha. Kii i rumaystaa, in kastoo uu dhinto, wuu noolaan doonaa. Kii kasta oo nool oo i rumaystaa weligii ma dhiman doono.” – John 11:17-26
Do we Somalis know what it means to have a new life in Christ? Do we Somalis know what it means to be born again? Of all the people on the face of the earth we Somalis need to be born again. We need to confess our sins before a Holy God and ask Him to forgive us of our sins. We need to ask God to forgive us of our sins and to change us so that we behave in a way the Bible tells us to live.
We Somalis need Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior. If we had Jesus as our Savior and Lord then we would be a different nation. We would not be at war with one another; we would not be fighting other clans; we would not be killing our own people. To be a Christian means that we belong to the family of God and everyone is made in the image of God; and everyone is my brother and sister.
There is no longer any clans in Christ. There is no longer any Darod, or Isaaq, or Majeerteen. Christ died for all; and in Christ we are all one. Jesus Christ removed the wall of anger and hatred and revenge from our souls so that we are now free to love and forgive everyone. We are all one in Christ.
“You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.” – Ephesians 2:12-16
“idinkoo aan rajo lahayn, oo aan dunida Ilaah ku lahayn. Laakiinse kuwiinna mar hore fogaa, haatan waxaad ku jirtaan Ciise Masiix, oo waxaa laydinku soo dhoweeyey dhiigga Masiixa. Waayo, isagu waa nabaddeenna, oo waa kan labada mid ka dhigay, oo dumiyey qoqobkii derbiga dhexe, isagoo jidhkiisii ku buriyey cadownimadii taas oo ah sharciga amarrada ku jira qaynuunnada, inuu isaga qudhiisu labadii isugu abuuro nin cusub, isagoo saas nabad ku samaynaya, iyo inuu labadooda oo isku jidh ah Ilaah kula heshiisiiyo xagga iskutallaabta, isagoo halkaas ku dilay cadownimada.” – Ephesians 2:12-16
My dear brother Somalis around the world. Join those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and who have be reconciled and joined to God and accepted by God as His children. And as God’s children we are no longer at war with anyone. Every Somali is our brother and every Somali is our sister. We are one. We all belong to the same family. And as one family we care for one another; we help one another; we belong to one another; and we all belong to Christ.
Without Jesus Christ we cannot love one another as we should. We cannot put down the arms of hatred and oppression without Christ. We cannot put down the anger in our hearts against others. We need the blood of Christ to wash away our sins and make us a new creation in Christ. We need the power of God by His Holy Spirit to come into our lives and change us forever. We need the power of the resurrection from the dead to come into our spirit and make us alive to God through Jesus Christ.
My dear fellow Somalis; please consider and think about what I have told you from the Bible. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world; Jesus Christ is the Savior of all Somalis. If you put your trust in Jesus Christ you will be born again and you will receive eternal life.
Let us pray….O God. I pray that I could be born again through the power of the Holy Spirit in my life. I ask you God to forgive my sins and let the blood of Jesus Christ wash away my sins and forgive me for all the bad things that I have done. I want to live a life for God I want to be forgiven. Oh Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – forgive me of my sins and adopt me into the family of God. Amen.