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“The best news of the Christian gospel is that the supremely glorious Creator of the universe has acted in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection to remove every obstacle between us and himself so that we may find everlasting joy in seeing and savoring his infinite beauty.” – John Piper,
Nothing in all of history is as significant as the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That’s why Easter is so important to Christians. Easter provides a special opportunity to worship Jesus more fully. We should approach the holiday with all the reverence, wonder, and gratitude it deserves. With Easter nine days away, we should prepare our hearts for Easter by turning our thoughts to Jesus, His sacrifice, His love, and His victory. The key to making the most of Easter is to prepare so Easter weekend doesn’t get overlooked, buried in your busy spring schedule, or filled with activities that don’t allow space for Jesus. The goal is not to underappreciate Easter.
Take a moment and read through the accounts of Jesus’ life on earth in the Gospels. When you read the gospels, you will walk alongside Jesus and His disciples as He begins His public ministry. You will be in awe as He heals the sick and performs miracles. You will see His compassion and love as you listen to His teachings. You will be emotionally devastated with His followers as He is hung on a cross. You will be filled with joy when the stone is rolled away on that third day. And you’ll be in awe of how God planned and orchestrated every detail and how the Bible is one story of God’s love for humanity and His plan to rescue them.
The temptation is to treat Easter as an ending. But there is no ending. Easter was a revolution, and nothing would ever be the same again. When a man who claims to be God rises from the dead, “business as usual” goes by the wayside. Easter isn’t just a time to pause and reflect on some pleasant truths we tend to forget about the rest of the year. It is the very foundation of our faith. The cross, the empty grave, and the resurrected Jesus not only give us a reason to hope for change, but they also give us the power to change. Rather than us trying to change from our efforts, the resurrection changes us. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul tells us, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
As Christians, we are more blessed than we could ever comprehend, and there is nothing we can do to repay our Savior for this sacrifice. But this Easter, let’s try to do just that. We can take the time to thank God for His presence with us and express gratitude for the salvation we have in Christ through worship and prayer.
“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-6).
Discussion Questions:
- What can you do to prepare for Easter?