People celebrate Easter in many different ways. But hopefully you and I also stop and think about the real meaning of Easter.
Jesus died – but rose again!
Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, “Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:7-8 (NLT). The apostle John writes, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” 1 John 4:10 (NLT).
Why could death not hold Jesus Christ? This was, of course, the result of the life He lived while He was on earth. Jesus was born as a human being and received a body just like ours. Therefore, when He was tempted, it was a suffering for Him to never do His own will but only do the will of His Heavenly Father. The fact that God raised Him up on the third day was proof that He had never sinned. That day was a day of victory over death and the kingdom of death – the day that sin lost its power.
A new time for those who want to follow in Jesus' footsteps
Moses and the prophets had long before said that the Messiah would suffer and would be the first one to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike. (Acts 26:23.)
Jesus, who is now our High Priest in heaven, understands our weaknesses; He is a high priest who prays for us. We must therefore say No to sin in the temptations just as He did, instead of giving in to sin. In that way sin loses its power over us! (Read Hebrews 2:5-18!)
Oh, when we realise this! God loved us so much that He gave His only Son. (John 3:16.) See how much Jesus Christ has loved us! If this is revealed to us, then we get a deep and strong longing to also love the Father and Son with a burning love. Let us answer now to Jesus’ sacrifice and His faith by doing only His will and living to His honour every day of our lives.