Cleric to Christians: you can’t be defeated
Anglican Bishop of Lagos West, Rt. Rev. James Odedeji, has said the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the solution to sin and death. He spoke in an Easter
Anglican Bishop of Lagos West, Rt. Rev. James Odedeji, has said the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the solution to sin and death.
He spoke in an Easter message at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja. Speaking on: “The Empty Tomb,” Rev. Odedeji made references to the Bible, saying through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God ended man’s despair and misery.
“With His death, Jesus transformed our defeat into eternal victory,” he said. “His resurrection is God’s answer to sin and death.”
The bishop noted that Jesus’ death shifts human existence from natural to the supernatural for those who trust in Him.
He noted that Christians do not truly “die,” even when medically confirmed dead.
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“What happens to Christians is that they pass on; they don’t pass out. They pass on to continue life in another realm of glory,” Odedeji explained.
Drawing inferences from Scripture, Rev Odedeji noted that a believer’s victory lies in the fact that the tomb of Jesus was—and remains—empty.
“Jesus paid the price in full. The empty tomb is indication of our victory over guilt and the punishment of sin. All He is saying to us is to come to Him. His death and resurrection give us victory over the devil and demonic forces.”
He said as believers are “in Christ,” they have power to resist the devil. “We fight in victory, not for victory, because Jesus won the battle for us. We cannot be defeated,” he added.
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Odedeji urged Christians not to live in hopelessness, insisting resurrection is antidote to despair. “We are envoys of the conquered grave,” he said.
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Earlier, the bishop addressed historical validity of the resurrection, noting no argument in over 2,000 years has debunked the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. He cited biblical accounts of Jesus appearing to His disciples and others.
He challenged sceptic, saying: “For those who bribed the soldiers at the tomb to lie and say His body was stolen, the question remains: how could the disciples have rolled away the stone and then folded His burial cloths inside the tomb?”
Rev Odedeji also emphasized that those who seek to please God must have faith, noting that “the empty tomb shows we walk by faith, not by sight. If you want to touch what is inside the television because of your curiosity you will break it.”
He reasoned that a believer’s faith would be meaningless if Christ had not risen. “The empty tomb is the cornerstone of our faith. The most important date in Christianity is the day Jesus rose from the dead.
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“His resurrection proved that love is stronger than hate, light is stronger than darkness, and life is stronger than death.”
The service which spanned about three hours was attended by hundreds of faithful who came to share in the joy of the resurrected Christ.
They include the Registrar of the diocese, Prince Bambo Adesanya; wife of Bishop Odedeji, Dr Lydia Odedeji, Former Chairman, International Chamber of Commerce, Nigeria, Olusegun Osunkeye, Legal Secretary of the Diocese, Pheola Caulcrick and a host of others
