One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of Paul and Silas in prison. You can read the account in Acts 16:16-34, though I will do my best to give you a quick summary.
Paul and Silas were on the way to a place of prayer when they were met with a demon possessed slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her master telling fortunes. When the demon was casted out, it shattered her master’s hopes of getting rich. Upset, her master dragged Paul and Silas before the authorities claiming they were teaching customs that were illegal for Romans to practice. Mobs formed against Paul and Silas, so city officials ordered them to be stripped, beaten with wooden rods, and thrown into prison.
Around midnight Paul and Silas began praying and singing hymns to God. A massive earthquake occurred shaking the foundations of the prison, releasing their chains, and opening the prison doors. It was truly a miracle!
When the jailer saw the prison doors, he assumed the prisoners had escaped and drew his sword to kill himself. However, Paul shouted for him to stop. The jailer fell trembling before Paul and Silas and asked what he must do to be saved. Paul and Silas shared the word of the Lord with him and his family and everyone in his household believed in God.
I was speaking with my pastor about this story, and he shared something profound. He noted that many people think the miracle in this story was the massive earthquake shaking the foundations of the prison, releasing their chains, and opening the prison doors. He asserted the real miracle is the transformation of the man sitting in the jail cell.
You see, before his radical conversion and encounter with God on the road to Damascus, Paul (formerly known as Saul) believed Jesus’ execution was rightful given his claim to be God. He considered the attempts from Jesus’ followers to spread the Gospel as leading people astray and blaspheming about God. He not only persecuted Christians and put them in prisons, but also approved the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, for preaching the Gospel.
However, when he put his faith in Jesus, his life completely changed. Paul began sharing the Gospel publicly, becoming the most prominent leader in the first century church. His transformation was truly a miracle and a powerful testimony to the resurrection power of Christ.
Like Paul, I spent most of my life rejecting Christ for all kinds of weak reasons. But the day I had an encounter with God, it radically changed my life too. I never in a million years imagined that life with Christ would be so abundant and a lot more promising than the lies I exchanged for the Truth.
To me, this is the heart of Easter, and the reason I wrote the song. While “Alaska” focuses on catching glimpses of glory through creation, “Heart of Easter” is about finding beauty in the transformation of our own hearts. It is a reminder that life is a miracle. Therefore, next time you need to be amazed, look within. You are beautiful, a miracle and created in the image of God.
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