“The Resurrection” by Carl Heinrich Bloch (1834-1890) Public Domain
Easter Sunday is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
The good news of Easter is that on the morning of the third day following Jesus death, Jesus’ body was nowhere to be found: the tomb where his body had been laid was empty! Angels appeared to the women who went to the tomb saying, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” (Luke 24:5-6 NIV) According to these angels, Jesus was no longer dead since he had arisen from the dead! Like Jesus said about his own life and death in John 10:18 (NIV), “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
Later on the same day of his resurrection, Jesus appeared in the flesh to many of his disciples. He explained to them why it was necessary for him to die and be resurrected. “He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” “He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”” -Luke 24:44,46-47 NIV
By laying down his own life on the cross, Jesus paid the price for all our sin. By being raised up from the dead through His resurrection, He demonstrated His victory over death itself!
So what does all of this mean for the rest of us? The Bible explains that we all fall short of God’s holy standards and are therefore unworthy of receiving eternal life with Him. But because Jesus, who was sinless, paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross for us, the free gift of forgiveness for all of our sins is now available to all who are willing to receive it.
“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” -Romans 3:22-24
By putting our faith and trust in Jesus’ death as a payment for all our sins, we can receive this free gift of reconciliation with our Creator for all of eternity! Sounds like a pretty good deal, doesn’t it? The Apostle Paul said this about Jesus, “…I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.” -Acts 13:38 NIV
This is the good news of Easter proclaimed in the Bible and for all time!
Holy Week Reflections 