The Anglican Bishop of Lagos West, The Rt. Rev. James Olusola Odedeji, has stated that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the solution to humanity’s greatest enemies: sin and death.
He made this assertion while delivering a thought-provoking Easter message at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja, on Sunday, April 5.
Empty tomb
Speaking on the theme “The Empty Tomb,” Odedeji made copious references to the Bible, stating that through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has ended the despair and misery of the human race.
”With His death, Jesus transformed our ultimate defeat into eternal victory,” the Bishop said. “His resurrection is God’s answer to man’s greatest enemies—sin and death.”
According to the Bishop, Jesus’ death shifts human existence from the natural to the supernatural for those who trust in Him.
He noted that Christians do not truly “die,” even when confirmed dead from a human standpoint. “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 further inferences from Scripture, Odedeji emphasized 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 an 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.”
Believers fight in victory not for victory
He further explained that as believers are “in Christ,” they possess the power to resist the devil. “We fight in victory, not for victory, because Jesus already won the battle for us. We cannot be defeated,” he added.
Odedeji urged Christians not to live in hopelessness, insisting that the resurrection is the ultimate antidote to despair. “We are ambassadors of the conquered grave,” he stated.
Earlier in his message, the Bishop addressed the historical validity of the resurrection, noting that no argument in over 2,000 years has successfully debunked the fact that Jesus rose from the dead.
He cited several biblical accounts of Jesus appearing to His disciples and many others.
He challenged.skeptics.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 carefully folded His burial cloths inside the tomb?”
The need for faith
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.
“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
