Easter brings to mind pastel colors, Easter egg hunts, the Easter bunny and maybe even cute little chicks. Yet a lot of people don't know the meaning of Easter.
Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus assures us that we are accepted by God. The Bible tells us that Jesus "was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God" (Romans 4:25 NLT).
Sometimes we have the mindset that if we just live a life that is good enough, we will be pleasing to God. But being pleasing to God isn't the result of something we do; it's the result of what Jesus did. The Bible says that he has made us "accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:6 NKJV).
The resurrection of Jesus also assures us that we have all the power we need to live the Christian life. The apostle Paul wrote, "The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you" (Romans 8:11 NLT).
So if you're a Christian, you have no obligation to do whatever your sinful nature tells you to do. Yet some believers say, "Well, I've tried to live the Christian life, and it's hard."
Living the Christian life isn't hard; it's impossible – without the help of the Holy Spirit. Yet because Jesus Christ died on the cross, rose from the dead and has placed his Holy Spirit in our lives, we have all the power we need to overcome any addiction and any sinful lifestyle.
This is what the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead accomplished.
In addition, the resurrection assures us that as Christians, we will live forever in Heaven. This is the most important thing of all. Death died when Christ rose. And because Jesus rose, we too will rise. Because Jesus died, in one sense we never will die.
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Of course, I understand that Christians die every day. But I also understand what Jesus said: "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying" (John 11:25 NLT).
And writing to the Christians in Corinth, the apostle Paul made this statement: "When our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?'" (1 Corinthians 15:54–55 NLT)
A while back, I was walking on the beach with my wife, and I stepped on a bee. Yes, it hurt, but I knew that bee had stung its last person, because bees can only sting once.
Jesus took the sting of death on the cross of Calvary for each of us. For the Christian, the tomb is not the entrance to death but the entrance to life. The moment we take our last breath on Earth, we will take our first breath in Heaven.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ assures us that in Heaven, we each will have a new body just like his. If your body is starting to wear out a little, then you can appreciate this simple fact. The Bible tells us, "And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory" (Colossians 3:4 NLT).
This is the great promise of God to all of us who are Christians. But this is only true for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. Have you done that yet? Have you met Jesus? He can come and live inside of you.
Being a Christian is not about being religious. At the age of 17, I wanted a relationship with God, and Christ came and lived inside my heart because I invited him in. I was filled with doubt and thought it would never work for me, because I'm not the religious type.
The good news is that God is not looking for the religious type. Rather, he is looking for the sinner type like you and me. The Bible says that "everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard" (Romans 3:23 NLT). None of us ever will live a life that is good enough to earn God's pleasure.
Instead, we have to come to him, admit that we're sinners, turn from our sin, and put our faith in Jesus Christ, who died in the cross for our sins and rose from the dead.
Have you asked Jesus to come into your life?
You can know all about Jesus and not know him. Maybe you know about God, but do you know God? Do have a relationship with him? Do you have the absolute certainty today that if you were to die, you would go to Heaven?
The same Jesus who died on the cross and rose from the dead stands at the door of your life and knocks. He says that if you will hear his voice and open the door, he will come in (see Revelation 3:20). He will come and live in your heart, and you never will be alone in life again. Jesus will stand by you, guide you, help you, lead you, and empower you.
If you would like Jesus Christ to come into your life, if you would like to be forgiven of your sin, if you would like to know God in a personal way, then simply pray these words: "Jesus, I know I'm a sinner, but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose from the dead. I turn from my sin. I'm sorry for it. Forgive me. I choose to follow you from this moment forward. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen."
No one is beyond the reach of God. You no longer have to be under the power of sin. It's never too late to come to Jesus.
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