What is Easter All About?
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the core of the Christian gospel and the whole reason we celebrate Easter. Paul says that if Christ is not raised from the dead, then our preaching and hope are in vain (1 Cor. 15:14). For three days the lifeless body of Jesus lay in the grave and then on the third day, just as Jesus had foretold, He rose from the dead and showed Himself alive.
“The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” (Luke 9:22)
Certainly, without the resurrection, there would be no Christian preaching or faith and the apostles of Christ would have remained a disheartened group hiding in fear of the Jews. The resurrection of Jesus Christ shows us that He was not just a man, He is the Son of God.
Why Did Jesus Die?
At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ but the whole reason He came down from heaven into this world was to go to the cross at calvary and pay the price of our sins.
“…Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4)
God is a God of love but also a God who demands justice. As such the price for our sins has to be paid
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”(Rom 3:23)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 6:23)
The Easter message shows us how God’s love and justice are combined in Jesus Christ
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)
Can We Believe The Message?
Is the resurrection of Jesus Christ a historical event that really happened, or is it only a myth?
There are many reasons we can believe the Easter message that Jesus rose from the dead. Many people have set out to try and disprove this fact but those who examine all the evidence with an open mind come to the same conclusion – Jesus is Alive!
• The empty tomb – There was no dispute the tomb was empty, the guards even made up a story to cover it
• Changed lives – The fearful apostles now preached the gospel boldly and James, (half-brother of Jesus) became a believer
• Eyewitnesses – A large crowd of more than 500 eyewitnesses saw the risen Jesus Christ at the same time (1Co 15:6)
• Martyrs – most of the original apostles died as martyrs for Christ
How Can we Have Eternal Life?
• “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
• “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom 10:9)
• Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25)
Put your faith and trust in Jesus today.