Easter is my favorite holiday! What better event to celebrate than when Jesus Christ walked out of the grave? His miraculous resurrection transformed a rag-tag group of disciples into bold and courageous men who proclaimed the gospel far and wide no matter what it cost them! But what does this incredible event from over two thousand years ago mean for you and me? Can it change us today like it changed the disciples back then? Yes! It can! The fact that Jesus is alive changes everything!
Because Jesus rose from the dead, victory is guaranteed.
The enemy came to steal, kill, and destroy but Jesus came to give us fullness of life (John 10:10). He died to pay the price for our sins, and He rose again to eternally defeat them. When we are saved, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered to be victorious. Sin and strongholds no longer have power over us. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us (Romans 8:11)!
Because Jesus rose from the dead, we are born again to a living hope. (1 Peter 1:3)
The opposite of hope is despair, and the world is full of it. Suffering and oppression are realities in this fallen world. If this life is all we have, what is the point? But because of Jesus’ resurrection, we can look forward to a wonderful eternal outcome. As Christ-followers, our best day on earth pales in comparison to every moment we will spend in eternity with God.
Because Jesus rose from the dead, we will, too.
It’s been said that nothing is guaranteed except death and taxes. From the day we are born, we begin the inevitable advancement towards physical death. But we were created in God’s image with an eternal soul in a temporary tent, and when we put our faith in Jesus for salvation, we receive an incredible promise of eternal significance. Our bodies will be buried in brokenness and raised in glory. They will be buried in weakness and raised in strength. They will be buried as natural bodies suited for earth, but raised as a spiritual bodies suited for heaven. We will live forever because death has lost its sting. (1 Corinthians 15:35-55)
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” – John 11:25 ESV
I love Easter, and I often wonder why we don’t celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ more than once a year. It was a moment in history with profound implications. Jesus is alive, and that changes everything!
Note: Jesus’ resurrection is a historical fact. The tomb is empty. Every attempt to explain it away falls short and countless people who have investigated it have been convinced and converted. If you have not yet put your faith in Jesus for salvation, what are you waiting for? Hope for eternity can only be found in Jesus Christ. (How can I be saved?)
