Matthew 28:6 “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
With Easter just a few weeks away, stores have filled their shelves with plastic eggs, stuffed bunnies and ducks, and lots of sugary candies. The truth of Easter, however, actually lies in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Through His atoning sacrifice on the cross and miraculous triumph over sin and death (evidenced by His resurrection), our lives have a God-given purpose and promise for now and the future. This Easter, rejoice in the truth: Jesus is ALIVE!
Jesus’ death and resurrection offers “a new and living way!” (Hebrews 10:20) through the precious gift of salvation that only He can offer. Here is what the God of all creation offers through His beloved Son.
God offers a way to reconcile every person to Him, our Creator.
- John 14:6 – “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
- Acts 4:12– “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
- Jesus gave us the opportunity to restore a relationship with God. In Jeremiah 31:3, God proclaims that He loves us with an everlasting love, and that love was manifested in the most unbelievable way when God the Father sacrificed His only Son, Jesus, on that Roman cross. It is only through the belief in Jesus Christ and the acceptance of His work on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins will we be reconciled to our Creator. There is nothing we can do to earn our way into heaven. Putting your faith in anything or anyone else… will fail. Jesus told us that He is the only way.
God offers liberty to all who accept Jesus as their personal Saviour.
- 2 Corinthians 3:17 – “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
- Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
- Christian liberty is not a license to sin. Instead, we have liberty or freedom from the penalty of sin by faith in Jesus Christ as stated in Romans 6:23. We are liberated from the bondage of sin. Second, Romans 6 reminds us that we “should not serve sin.” Sin is no longer our master. Instead, we serve a risen Saviour! Lastly, we also have liberty from the cultural opinions of man as to what is right and wrong. We are to walk “after the Spirit“, following the truths in God’s Word over the so-called truths of the world.
God offers a transformed life for us in Christ.
- Hebrews 10:20 – “By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;”
- Romans 12:2 – “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
- A relationship with Jesus changes how we think and act. We are transformed completely by the power of God! The Holy Spirit renews our minds, changing our carnal way of life for a spiritual way of living. We can thus live a God-centered life with a God-centered purpose, honoring Him in all we think, say, and do.
God offers empowerment in our daily lives through His Holy Spirit.
- Romans 8:11– “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
- 1 Corinthians 6:19 – “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
- When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, in addition to forgiveness of sin, we become recipients of the promise that He will never leave us (Matthew 28:20). To fulfill that promise, He gave us His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, making us His temple. No matter where we go or what we do, the Holy Spirit of God is with us – helping, guiding, convicting, providing ways to avoid sin, empowering us to witness and serve God and more… every moment of every day! The power of the Almighty God is within each person who has accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour!
God offers the way to have victory in our lives.
- 1 Corinthians 15:57 – “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
- Because of our relationship with Christ, we have the ability to live victorious lives in a sin-cursed world. Will we have troubles? Yes. Will we have times of discouragement, fear, and even doubt? Yes. This rather bleak list goes on, but we do not have to fear any of it because we have been promised the strength of Christ (Phil. 4:13), the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-18), and the security of our God to give us the victory (1 John 5:4) in any circumstance or situation. There is true and eternal victory through a personal relationship with Jesus!
God offers us everlasting life in heaven.
- John 14:1-3 – “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. I n my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
- John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
- We never need to fear dead or hell. With Jesus as our Saviour, we are promised a heavenly home! At this very moment, Jesus is preparing a place for us to live with Him forever. And He promised He would come again to receive us unto Him so that where Jesus is, we will also be!
O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.
(from “Victory in Jesus” by Eugene Bartlett)
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”- John 11:25
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How will you celebrate Easter this year?