Once again Easter, with its Good Friday services, resurrection sermons, and choir specials, has come and gone. Without the enormous buildup of seasons like Christmas or Thanksgiving, it tends to creep up on us and pass quickly. Traditionally, it is the highest-attended church service of the year. Even many who don’t typically attend church make time to drop in on Easter. But all too soon, the weekend is over and we forge ahead into the oncoming end-of-school and summer.
We instinctively understand that Easter is incredibly important for Christians, even if we tend to enjoy Christmas more. But perhaps we ought to linger over the Easter message a bit longer.
Here are a few truths about Easter that ought to dominate our thoughts every day of the year, not just on Easter Sunday:
1. Christians don’t need to fear death. Even though 100% of people will experience death, most live in denial that it will happen to them. The forces of evil understand that inflicting death on enemies is their most powerful and feared weapon. Funerals are often somber occasions, because they remind people that one day the service will be for them. Having attended the funerals of both my parents in the last two years, I am keenly aware of the profound sense of loss at such times.
Yet Easter stares death directly in the face and breaks its grip over people. Sure, our frail bodies are deteriorating and will eventually return to dust. But when they do, we will be more alive than we have ever been! We feel like we are alive now. But in heaven, in resurrected spiritual bodies that feel no hunger, thirst, or pain, we will finally experience wonderous freedom from every impediment and limitation we suffered in this life. We can thank Easter for that.
On the night Jesus was arrested, his twelve disciples fled in terror that they might be put to death by Roman soldiers. But after Easter, those same disciples faced death fearlessly and even rejoiced in the opportunity to glorify their Savior. Such was the power of Easter.
2. Christians can have victory over sin and guilt. While people may fear death above all else, sin is what causes the most harm. Sin separates people. It leads to pain, suffering, and death. It destroys marriages; it alienates children from parents; it divides churches; it produces shame and regret; it robs people of peace and joy. There is no human cure. No self-help book can free you from sin. No amount of regret or anguish can rid you of its effects.
But Easter changed all of that. Every sin was dealt with on the cross. There is no sin you will ever commit that is beyond Easter’s reach. No transgression is so evil that it makes God flinch. Even as a former blasphemer and murderer hung dying on a cross next to Jesus, he was assured that he would join Jesus in paradise that very day. Humanity knows nothing as powerful as God’s capacity to forgive sin. Easter can also remove any guilt or shame. Peter entered Easter filled with remorse for how he had behaved in a moment of crisis. But the resurrected Jesus made a point of loving, forgiving, and restoring him. Easter made short work of what Peter may have thought was an unforgivable sin, and Peter was a better man as a result. Such is the power of Easter.
3. Christians are promised victorious lives, not easy ones. Everyone loves Easter, but it is preceded by Good Friday. On that day, the most loving, pure, and kind person was heinously betrayed by a friend, forsaken by others, lied about, illegally arrested, cruelly beaten, and publicly murdered. If there has ever been a travesty of justice in history, this was it. How could a righteous, just God allow such a good person to be treated so shamefully? God had his reasons. And if God would allow his own Son to be treated so frightfully, we must never assume he intends for us to live a pain-free life. The resurrection would be meaningless if Jesus had not first been killed.
We shouldn’t measure our lives by time but by eternity. In this life, we may endure many injustices. Our health might be precarious. Our finances may be meager. Viewed before Easter, Jesus’ life may well have appeared painfully disappointing. But with Easter in view, his life was supremely successful. We must evaluate our circumstances the same way. In light of Easter, how do we measure our life? Have there been disappointments, pain, and injustice? Certainly. But has God walked with us in power, grace, and peace through those experiences? Has he brought healing and forgiveness? Will he one day usher us into our eternal, celestial home? Will everything turn out well in the end? Absolutely. Such is the consequence of Easter.
4. Evil will do its worst, but ultimately lose. Over the Easter weekend, we see both the worst evil can do and the unimaginable good God can produce. Both evil and good are active in our world. Evil often grabs headlines. It clings to positions of power. It exploits people. It dwells in the shadows. But it loses every single time.
On Easter weekend, evil relied on lies, greed, and deception. It counted on fear, intimidation, and gullibility. But any movement based on falsehood inevitably comes tumbling down. Darkness must eventually succumb to light. Fear gives way to faith. The Jewish religious leaders hated Jesus. They utilized any evil to destroy him. For a time, it appeared they had succeeded. But good ultimately prevailed.
We live in an age when evil is on the march. It has occupied many seats of power. It controls many of the cultural levers. It brazenly opposes good and defies God. In this regard, it is no different than in Jesus’ day. But, as in Jesus’ time, evil must sustain itself with lies and intimidation. It lacks God’s power. God’s people, though they may be harassed by evil forces, have full access to God’s mighty power.
The Jewish religious leaders mocked Jesus on the cross. But three days later, Jesus burst out of the tomb. The church exploded onto the scene. Eventually those leaders bowed before Jesus as he passed judgment on them for eternity. Evil may have its day, but that day will soon pass.
5. Easter proclaims hope. Easter doesn’t make everything better overnight. But it offers the ultimate hope that things will be better one day. After Easter, the Roman Empire still ruled Israel. The Jewish high priests still dominated the Sanhedrin. Persecution and martyrdom lay ahead for many. Yet everything had changed because the ending had changed. While current circumstances might be difficult, the future promises to be glorious. One reason depression and suicide are prevalent today is because many people have lost hope. The future doesn’t seem to be better than the present. Without the powerful love of God, the world appears to be enslaved to evil and injustice. People lose hope when they see no way for their lives to improve.
Easter changes that. Easter never minimizes our current suffering, but it always holds hope for a better tomorrow.
Never has the world been more desperate for the message of Easter. We serve an Easter Savior. Easter characterizes his rule forevermore. Because of Easter, evil will ultimately be vanquished. Because of Easter, every sin and its consequences will be redeemed. We may celebrate Easter only once a year, but praise God we can experience Easter every day.
