Just a few days ago, we celebrated Easter, but have you ever thought much about what Easter is all about? Is it just about bunnies and finding hidden eggs? These things may be fun and cute (especially for children), but they are not what Easter is all about.
On Easter, we remember and celebrate the life and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Through His perfect obedience, His willful sacrifice on the cross, His burial in the tomb, and His triumphant victory over death through His resurrection, salvation has come to all who will place their trust in Him. What we could never do for ourselves, Christ has done for us, and His resurrection is the proof of His work.
The resurrection is so important for Christians that the apostle Paul said, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). This is because the resurrection vindicates Christ. If Jesus had stayed in the tomb, death would have won, and, ultimately, His claims of being the Son of God would have perished with Him in the grave.
But the good news is that Christ has been raised, and with that resurrection comes the reality that all Jesus said would come to pass, has and will, come to pass. Paul said that Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4). Through the power displayed in Christ and His resurrection, we can have full confidence that God will do all that He has promised to do through Him.
What a glorious comfort the resurrection is for the believer. We don’t worship a dead Rabbi, who is still buried in a tomb. We worship Jesus, the Son of God, who is reigning on high. He is risen, indeed!
– Shaun M. Hewlett