Why Is Easter Celebrated? Power And Hope Behind Jesus' Death and Resurrection
Easter Sunday is one of only two times in the year that church attendance spikes drastically all across various congregations. All Christians- practicing or non-practicing- know that Easter is important to the Christian faith. Maybe you know it's important because your parents said so or because the pastor or priest said so, but do we know why?
The central message of Easter Sunday has very little to do with bunnies and eggs. It has to do with the resurrection of Christ, which is the most hopeful message of all time. Knowing and coming into terms with the power of Christ's resurrection is crucial to the Christian faith.
Why?
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Paul once said in 1 Corinthians 15:13-14, "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." Paul basically is saying here that if there was no resurrection, then there is no hope. For anyone. At all. None.
Why is the resurrection so important?
One foundational truth we must know about the resurrection of Christ is that it was not a gamble. It was part of God's redemptive plan that He had set in place centuries before crucifixion was even invented. In Matthew 12:40 Jesus once said, "For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
Jesus knew that He would die and be raised from the dead because that was the one mission He had on earth. Sure He healed a few sick people and multiplied a few fish and loaves, but His main plan was to go to the cross to die and be raised from the dead after three days.
The greatest miracle
Christ's death and resurrection is not just another random miracle. It was the miracle that brought about a way for us all to experience life to the full here on earth and for all eternity. The resurrection was the sealed stamp over that finished work. It was our receipt that declared that our price for sin was paid. It was our sealed deed that established that we are now God's and no longer this world's.
If there was no resurrection, we would have no full assurance of the hope we have. But the great news is that we do. Jesus rose on the third day and showed himself to the disciples proving once and for all that He is the Son of God sent down to be our way, truth and life.
We celebrate Easter because it's a reminder that the hope we hold on to is not in vain but that it's a glorious promise now fulfilled through Jesus Christ. The resurrection is the stamped claim to all blessing, to salvation and to life to be lived freely in the presence of God.
