COVID-19 and Easter

I don’t know about you, but this Easter is going to be totally different than anything I’ve experienced.

I never dreamed that we would be experiencing what we are right now with the COVID-19 virus. I remember back in the day watching movies like Red Dawn and thinking, that scenario would never happen here. These films depicted a nation wide shut down for reasons like sickness, war and financial ruin and yet in 2020 we find ourselves in a nation wide quarantine.

In some ways, I’m still processing all that’s going on as this virus is serious and real. There are medical personnel who are on the front lines giving their lives for others to have a chance. People are passing away and fear is gripping the hearts of many. Furthermore, school has gone virtual and so has church. All of this is a massive learning curve that we’re navigating on a daily basis and with so much coming at us that we know and don’t know, fear is everywhere.

I think it’s important to remember that, fear comes to all of us; therefore, the decision we make when we’re afraid, determines our trajectory in faith and in life. It’s so easy to live in fear and make decisions out of it. It’s comfortable, non-combative and safe. Fear speaks to our insecurities and vulnerabilities of past experiences and the unknown of tomorrow. Through this, it’s easy to be paralyzed and encased into an invisible prison of fear.

Right now you may be feeling a plethora of emotions through fear, but God is with you. He’s not absent in our fear but rather, He’s present in it. He wants to take it because He overcame it Himself

“He prayed more fervently, and He was in such agony of spirit that His sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.”

Luke 22:44

Notice, His sweat turned to blood because of the agony He was in. This word agony has its root in the word, phobia or fear. Jesus was under such fear that His body responded and His sweat turned to blood. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been afraid in my life but never to the point of me sweating blood.

Jesus knows exactly what we’re feeling and why we are feeling it. He overcame His fear and obeyed the will of the Father and changed the world forever. He died for you and me.  He paid the price so that you and I could receive the reward. He took our place so we could be with Him in His place forever.

How awesome is that?

But, He didn’t stop there! He took our place on the cross and then He smacked death in the face and got up on the third day. This is why COVID-19 and Easter are connected because Jesus is alive to do something about it.

Even though COVID-19 is not mentioned by name in the Bible, we know it’s defeated because Jesus conquered death, hell and the grave through His resurrection. Any power the devil had over humanity, was stripped from him at the resurrection.

Now, Jesus has all authority and power in heaven and in the earth (Matthew 28:18). Therefore, when we receive Jesus in our lives, His authority and power is alive through us. This means, I can have His peace in the middle of chaos. I can have healing in the middle of sickness. I can have protection in the middle of danger and I can have His blessing in the middle of struggle.

This does not mean that we are better than anyone else, but rather it means the resurrected one is alive within us.

I don’t know why the COVID-19 virus is happening to our country and all over the world. I don’t know why people have passed away and I don’t know why we’re facing this. But what I do know, is that Jesus is alive and He can do anything for anyone at any time. COVID-19 is under the feet of Jesus in that, His resurrection has defeated every sickness and disease and even death has lost its power.

So even though this Easter will be spent in our homes instead of church, Jesus is with us.

In fact, we are the church, so right in your home God is there. His peace, His presence and His power will cover you and protect you wherever you are.

So, how do we receive this truth?

I encourage you to read over and over again, Philippians 4:6-7.

“6. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. 7. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7

I believe these two verses give us the antidote for receiving supernatural peace in times of crisis.

It’s vital that we take our fear, anxiety, overwhelming emotions, depression and more and go to God in prayer. We must turn off social media, the news and other distractions and give ourselves a chance to pray and be with God.

But when we pray we see in verse six what we should do. We should be specific and letting God know what we need. Meaning, communicate to Jesus exactly what’s going on in you and why you need Him. Then, we thank Him for what He’s done which requires us to remember the times He came through. When we remember, we should praise God and thank Him for it because from this we receive His peace.

His peace goes beyond our understanding, so it’s beyond our intellect or circumstance. His peace also guards our heart and mind, which is what we all need right now.

The good news is, all of us can have His peace but we must do our part to receive it. This is why we must practice Philippians 4:6-7 on a daily basis and maybe several times a day, so His peace reverberates through our spirit, soul and body. Don’t stop if His peace doesn’t come the first time you pray. Keep going, press in to Jesus and let Him do something in you.

After all, He did this for us!?

When He was overwhelmed by fear, when His sweat turned to blood, He prayed. Then He received help and He obeyed and set us free. He died and was resurrected so He could resurrect us in our struggle, in our mess and in our fear.

So what are you afraid of today?

Jesus understands exactly how you feel because He overcame His own fear. He has peace that will guard your heart and mind and it supersedes your intellect or circumstance. This peace is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus because He’s alive. His life gives us life. His life gives us peace. His life gives us hope. His life gives us healing. His life gives us protection. His life gives us eternity with Him.

So today, COVID-19 and Easter can be a story of redemption, provision, peace and healing as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It’s my hope this will be your story. It’s my hope that from this trouble, a miracle happens and you see the Good Hand of God on you. I pray peace in your mind, peace in your emotions, peace in your heart, peace in your home, peace in your relationships and peace in your body.

God is with you and God is for you. COVID-19 and Easter are going to give another story to reveal the mighty resurrection of Jesus and what He can do in your life, in my life, in our nation and around the world.

Happy Easter and the best is yet to come!

We love and believe in you,

PD