By Pauline Akello
A picture of the Gospel
Betrayal, death, loss, poverty, robbery, diseases, and so forth. How do you explain all these terrible things?
Are there any reasons to remain hopeful about the future or there is just one reason for hope in this tragic world?
To answer that, we have come to the understanding that Christian cognizance of suffering centers on the Cross of Jesus Christ.
At the Cross, Jesus fulfilled his Father’s will, rescued His Church, and ushered in the end of all suffering for all who believe.
We may suffer as we walk through this world, but we are on our way to glory.
A Christian life begins with pardon and reconciliation. The good news of the Gospel of Christ is embedded in His resurrection which leads to reconciliation and restoration of the relationship between mankind and God.
The resurrection of the body means we do not merely receive a consolation for the life we have lost, but a restoration of it as well.
We not only get back the lost bodies and lives we had, but also the bodies and lives we wished for, but had never received. This is the power of the resurrection.
Any Christian can comfortably say, “I have a personal relationship with my Heavenly Father as His child.”
In this reconciled relationship, we are now adopted as sons and daughters in the Heavenly Kingdom and co-heirs with Jesus Christ in the same Kingdom.
In the resurrection, we get everything back: The lost love, the beauty of life, but more importantly, life so new and unimaginable degree of glory, joy and renewed strength.
All men have been set free from the law of sin and death through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
The only responsibility we have in the restoration process is to acknowledge and receive the acquittal and exoneration.
For whosever the Son sets free, He is free indeed” (John 8:36). We ought to appreciate God for His immense love extended to us by sending us His only begotten Son as a Perfect Sacrifice for our sins once and for all.
Had He not sent Christ, we would still remain lost and separated from God for eternity.
“For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead for as in Adam all dies, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1Corinthians 15:21-22).
What the resurrection of Christ brings is not just hope, but equally fulfillment of God’s promise for reconciliation and restoration of the broken relationship with humanity.
The resurrection is a giant receipt, stamped across history that reads “Paid All” and indeed, Jesus paid it all at the Cross.
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a Divine Will to bring mankind as closer to God as ever before.
Most importantly, it gave us restoration and hope. It is this hope that keeps us still knowing He will provide when times are hard.
Nuwagaba’s experience
Gift Nuwagaba reflects on how God uses everything, even childbirth to teach us and grow our faith.
“For me, restoration began when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savour,” Nuwagaba says.
She says when bad things happen, they empower us to act and serve. Trials can open our eyes to those who are suffering.
The resurrection reverses the world’s false verdict that Jesus was an imposter King who must be stopped. It validates Jesus as the Son of God, promised Messiah, and exalted Lord who alone can save us.
After getting married, Nuwagaba thought Godly life would be easier, given that she was sure her husband was heaven sent by God.
“I thought it would be a smooth road, and when we found we were having a baby, it was pure joy, but little did we know the worst was awaiting us,” she says.
The birth of a baby is an incredibly significant event. It is a good thing that we have nine months to prepare for it.
Nuwagaba says she steadily started preparing to be a mother, but at eight months, she suffered a miscarriage and lost the baby.
“What I experienced was a renewal of my faith,” Nuwagaba says, adding that she found she was able to seek God more.
“He taught us that we were not in control—He was. And He showed us that He loved us, even during the most painful experiences,” she says.
The trap of the enemy is to cloud our minds and make us focus on the challenging circumstances. However, eventually God redeems us when we trust Him.
Childbirth from a Christian perspective is an experience that God can use to teach us and deepen our faith.
As Christians, we have the privilege of knowing the Author of childbirth.
It was a difficult experience, but she says God upheld them through that season.
Refining the path
In 2022, Nuwagaba conceive again. But during a pre-natal checkup, they discovered there were two embryos.
However, one was not growing. After a while, the sonogram indicated only one child.
She says it was not at all an easy birth. She was bedridden for three months.
“I could not keep any food down and only survived on water. I kept throwing up everything I tried to eat. From the look, you would say there was not much hope for me,” she explains.
Her one consistent profession was “God, you know my life. You know everything. You are a healer.”
Over time, her uterus got a tear and her doctor recommended a surgery.
Based on the medical assessment, her due date was December 15, 2022. But she gave birth five days later with normal delivery.
“I went into labour very clear-minded that God was with us every step of the way,” Nuwagaba says.
In that situation, she knew God would do everything. She knew He would make a way where there was no way.
Understand the pain
God does not promise us an easy life just because we are Christians. But He promises that He will always be with us and carry us through.
Our experiences can birth hope, knowing that God has promised a day when there will be no more crying or sickness, or pain – a day when all joy is restored.
When we get to live in the freedom that was purchased for us by Christ on the Cross.
The pain of life is different from any other pain because it is completely wrapped up in the joy of what is to follow.
As the Son of God was facing the pain of the Cross, He encouraged His disciples to remember the coming joy of resurrection:
“A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come, but when her baby is born, she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.
“So, with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy” (John 16:21–22).
There is a moment at the end of labour called transition—the last difficult crag to overcome before reaching the summit.
Many women at this point want to give up and go home. During the transition, Nuwagaba says she knew God was there—such was the intensity of those few moments. It gave her renewed strength during delivery.
Our hope
One clear message of the resurrection of Christ is: those who believe in Him will also experience restoration to life.
“And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you” (Romans 8:11).
This applies to whatever is “die-able” in our lives; be it conditions, circumstances, business, marriage, relationships, spirituality, and health, among others.
Life is full of ups and downs – vicissitudes. We are faced with challenges, which sometimes throw us off and cast us into despondency or loss of hope.
There are times we consider some areas and activities of our lives dead. But by the power of the resurrection, we can bounce back to life, come what may.
Happy Easter!
