“Paul,
a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel
of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy
Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according
to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection
from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord…” (Romans 1:1-4 NASB)
Easter is a celebration of the most significant event in human history –
the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The empty tomb stands as the center-piece
of the Christian faith. To say it this way, it is the hook upon which all of Christianity
hangs. According 1 Corinthians 15, if Christ is not raised then all preaching would
be a waste of time; preachers themselves would be liars. If Christ is not
raised then our faith would be futile because we believed a lie. If Christ is
not raised then we (and all believers) would still be dead in our sin. If
Christ is not raised, we would be hopeless and helpless with no chance of
spending eternity in heaven. Aren’t you glad the tomb was found empty on that
Easter morning?
As believers, the importance of Easter could not be overstated. In
fact, the opposite is often the case. As with Christmas, the meaning and
message of Easter can be overshadowed by the busyness, commercialization, and
influence of culture. Easter traditions such as chocolate bunnies, candy
baskets, and egg hunts are meant to serve as reminders of the important truths
of the resurrection. But, as with all things, we must strive to keep the main
thing the main thing.
That being said, I want to offer several important truths
that will help us keep Easter in proper perspective:
The resurrection is a daily reality, not a
one-day-a-year remembrance. We should constantly reflect upon the
glorious truth that Jesus died for us and rose victoriously from the grave.
The resurrection was bodily not spiritually.
Jesus physically died and was physically raised. This truth underscores the
hope of eternal life. Because Jesus was raised, the dead in Christ will one day
be raised as well. In Christ, the victory and sting of death has been defeated!
The resurrection proves that Jesus was God,
not simply a good, moral teacher. As Romans 1:4 says, Jesus was
declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead. Being
God, His death was sufficient for our sins and His resurrection was efficient
for our eternal life.
The resurrection makes holiness possible.
God has commanded us to be holy, to be set apart from the world in order to become
like Christ. Romans 1:4 says, “…according
to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord…” When Jesus rose again
and ascended to the Father, the Spirit came to dwell in us, empowering us to be
holy. Holiness is possible because the tomb is empty.
As we celebrate the empty tomb, let’s be reminded of God’s amazing love
for us and glorious grace toward us. The resurrection truly is the hook upon
which all of our faith hangs. Happy Easter!
In His Love,
Your Pastor
