This is my favorite day of the year. People gather at sunrise singing and rejoicing that Jesus has risen from the dead. The excitement is just as real today as it was 2,000 years ago. What must it have been like to see the empty tomb, the large stone that had sealed it, tossed aside? It all came together on that day. Everything Jesus had been teaching suddenly made sense. He had said He would rise again on the third day, and now He had. The angels in Heaven rejoiced and sang; the people on earth were in awe and full of excitement. For followers of Christ today, we celebrate the ultimate victory secured by our Savior. Jesus didn’t just defeat sin on the cross; He defeated death by rising again.
Just as the angel told Mary to go tell the disciples, the message still resonates today. This is truly the good news! The death of Christ paid for our forgiveness; His resurrection bought life eternal for all those who believe and follow Him. His death brought sorrow, His resurrection brings joy. Instead of a life that ends in death we can now look forward to healing. Our entire faith is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. By rising again, He provided the way for us to be born again. It was one thing for Him to sacrifice Himself for our sins, but by rising from the grave He defeated death and provide an escape for us as well. When Christ left this world He promised to go and prepare a place for us. Because of Him, we too will defeat death and spend eternity in His presence.
Today is a day to celebrate. For followers of Jesus, this day should kick off a season of renewed enthusiasm for, and commitment to, the mission of Jesus. He defeated death and returned to Heaven so that His Spirit might go with each of us in all we endeavor to do in His name. When we feed the hungry and shelter the homeless, He is there. When we visit the sick and those in prison, He is there. Death could not hold the Son of God; that power is now available to each of us who follow Him. Don’t waste what has been given to you; in His strength, seize every opportunity to reflect the glory of God to everyone you meet. Take a genuine interest in their lives and be the hands and feet of Jesus. This is why He died, so that we might live a life that overflows with His love.
Don’t make the mistake of considering Easter just another holiday. Recognize the significance of what this day means; it is the single most pivotal day in the entire history of humanity. Satan was defeated and he no longer has any power over us. Jesus has overcome, and through Him, we too can surmount any obstacle. Nothing is bigger than death and death no longer poses a challenge. We are free to run and tell the world about His love and His mercy. Rejoice in His resurrection; rejoice in what He has done in your own life. Revel in the thought of spending eternity with Him.
This is the day that Jesus set himself apart from anyone else that ever lived. No one else ever raised themselves from the dead. No one who has ever died and come back to life has avoided death again at a later time. Only Jesus can claim either of these achievements. In so doing, He proved He was who He said He was – the only Son of God.