What is Easter all about?
We celebrate Easter every Spring. Have you ever wondered what the holiday is all about? It all started nearly 2000 years ago. A man was born with unusual circumstances in the small city of Bethlehem. He was born among farm animals and His first crib was a manger. This of course is the Christmas story. Look forward around thirty years, there is more to the story. Jesus Christ had gained a following as a teacher and miracle worker. His teaching did not always please the religious leaders of the time, but many people heard Him gladly. When He had been preaching for about three years, the religious leaders finally had a plan. They paid one of His disciples to betray Him so they could take Him by night, when there was no crowd. They arrested Him and put Him on trial. They hired people to testify falsely about Him and finally they found Him worthy of death. They were able to convince the Roman Governor to put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. Jesus died and was buried.
This may seem like the end of the story, but it is not. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead. Death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead in a changed body which would never die again and is currently in Heaven. This is what we celebrate at Easter. The stone was rolled away from the entrance of the tomb. The tomb was empty inside. It is the miracle of Easter.
All of Christianity rotates upon this fact of history. If the resurrection never happened, Jesus would be a footnote in history. Instead, many millions of people worship Him today. You may be asking how this effects you. Jesus’ rising from the dead shows that He was what He said He was. His claims are true. What then were His claims? He claimed to be God in several instances which the Jews of His day picked up on and tried to kill Him for. He claimed to be the only way to God. He said in John 14:6-7 that “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him” (ESV). Jesus provided the only way to God. There is no other way. You see, humanity has a problem. We have all broken God’s law and God must enact justice, but He loves us and wants to forgive. God would be just to send every human being to hell because of our sin. Yet He doesn’t. Paul wrote in Romans about this when he said, “It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26, ESV) God could not leave sin unpunished and still be just. Therefore, Jesus took upon Himself the punishment of sin. When He died upon the cross, sin was paid for. How does this become effective for you? You must trust Christ that He has paid for your sin. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV) Will you believe in Him and have eternal life?
I would like to invite you to some events at Bethel. On Easter Sunday at 7:00 am we will be having a Sunrise Service at the church with breakfast following. We will then have our Worship Service at 10:00 am. Will you join us?
Luke Wolford, Pastor, Bethel Baptist Church
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