Why Today Matters
"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” — I Corinthians 15:3-4
Many people look at Easter as an occasion for buying new clothes and going to church, but it’s not just a day to celebrate the empty tomb and move on as if nothing has changed. We didn’t witness the risen Christ after His burial, so imagining the first Easter morning is difficult. Not only that, but our familiarity with the story can make it easy to overlook the stunning magnitude of what transpired. If Jesus hadn’t been raised, our celebrations would be a lie and our faith would be worthless. We would still bear the guilt of our sin, with no hope of forgiveness, salvation, or eternal life. If Jesus hadn’t been raised, His death would have accomplished nothing. That's why Easter is a wonderful reason for celebration. Jesus died in our place to satisfy the requirement of our atonement, a price too high for us to pay. The resurrection proves that God was satisfied with the Savior’s sacrifice and counted it sufficient for the forgiveness of all our sins. Because of Christ’s victory over death, we too will be resurrected and receive an imperishable inheritance reserved for us in heaven. This hope enables us to rejoice every day.
