What is commonly known as Easter takes place this Sunday. I don’t particularly like calling the holiday, “Easter” because that is not really a Biblical term. But regardless of what it’s called, I appreciate that it is so widely recognized and celebrated as the day that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. A more accurate designation for the day might be “Resurrection Sunday”. But I doubt that society will change it at this point.
The angel’s declaration to the women at the tomb as recorded in the gospel of Matthew is probably the single most important statement ever made to mankind.
Matthew 28:6
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
Two thousand+ years later, our hearts still thrill at the sound, “HE IS RISEN”! Those words changed the world. They changed the course of history. And they changed us.
No other event in the history of mankind has ever had such a long lasting, life-changing impact as the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Think about it. Without the resurrection, there would be no Christians. There would be no hope for this world, and there would be no future for us. Without the resurrection, the adversary (the devil) would have free reign.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ redeemed man to God. The sacrifice that Jesus Christ made as the Passover lamb and his subsequent resurrection fulfilled all the legal requirements necessary to reconcile man back to God and free him from the clutches of the adversary once and for all. In fact, man’s redemption and salvation are so totally legal that they are above reproach. They are a done-deal!
To the non-Christian, the resurrection may seem of little consequence, however, nothing could be further from the truth! For those of us who are saved, the benefits of the resurrection are beyond comprehension. Could any of us imagine what our lives would be like without our salvation? Could we conceive of a lifestyle that didn’t include a relationship with our heavenly Father? Could we envision our despair if we didn’t know that we were going to heaven? All of these things and much more are ours because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Jesus Christ paid the price that unlocked the door so that we could enter into the throne room of God as His beloved children; and stand in His presence without any sense of sin, guilt, or shortcomings. We have all the rights and privileges that being a child of God affords. We have peace with God. We have joy and hope. We are loved. We are free. (And that is just scratching the surface!)
So, no matter how you observe the holiday this Sunday, let it be a day of praise and thanksgiving for the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made in laying down his life for us; and for what God wrought in Christ when He raised him from the dead and set him at His own right hand in the heavenlies (Ephesians 1:20). Our salvation is completely and absolutely complete. Because of our Savior’s resurrection, we are now children of God with Christ in us, the hope of glory, and nothing in this world can ever change that! And although this Sunday may be set apart as a special day of recognition, we know that all these things warrant our praise and thanksgiving every single day of our lives!
HE IS RISEN! Hallelujah!
John 8:36
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Note to my readers: Happy Resurrection Sunday!! Thanks for reading!