To the Reader

If Christ has not been raised, The Lutheran Witness has no value. It has nothing to offer, nothing to which your faith can cling, nothing that can tell of you of Christ’s humiliation and death on your behalf.

But if Christ has been raised, if Satan has lost and his head has been bruised, if Mary Magdalene talked to the risen Lord, if Thomas placed his fingers into His wounds, if the disciples on the way to Emmaus recognized Him, if “Christ indeed from death is risen, Our new life obtaining” (LSB 460:2), if all of that is true, that changes everything.

And it is true . . . because Jesus lives. You can read this April issue of The Lutheran Witness with triumphant gladness and take comfort in what you read, learning from articles that focus on just that: the eternal joy that is yours . . . because Jesus lives.

In “Myths about Death: Why Easter Matters,” Rev. Jared Melius answers common questions about what happens upon death, why the body matters, and why Easter is at the heart of a Christian burial. Jeanette Dart discusses the consolation Christ’s resurrection gives to the suffering in “God’s Foster Child,” holding God to His Word that His peace and joy are yours too.

The regular columns reflect the joy of Easter as well. Dr. Robert Rosin takes the focus off of mankind in “Indispensable!” and puts it squarely on Christ, who has put death to death. Rev. Terry Cripe explains what the resurrection of Christ’s body means for your body in “His Resurrection Means Your Resurrection.” And Rev. Steve Wenk helps families learn how to discuss what Jesus’ life and death means for their salvation in “Spiritual but Not Religious?”

Because Jesus lives, you are reconciled to the Father. Your sins are forgiven. Your salvation is assured. You are righteous. You are holy. You are made new . . . because Jesus lives.

—

About the Author: Adriane Dorr is Managing Editor of The Lutheran Witness.