FOR THREE DAYS, THE LIFELESS BODY OF JESUS LAY IN THE GRAVE.
With him lay the expectations of all who had followed him. This wonderful man whom his followers hoped would be the Messiah--the anticipated righteous King sent from God to rule their nation--was brutally seized, tried, tortured and left to die on a cross.
But on the third day, as Jesus had foretold, he arose to live, talk, and show himself again to hundreds of people (1 Corinthians 15:3-6). His resurrection was the ultimate proof of who he is and what he promised. He promises eternal life to all who believe in him (John 11:26).
Sharing that resurrection life with those who believe Jesus died for them conveys God's stamp of approval on what Jesus accomplished on the cross. The Bible says when Jesus Christ died and rose again, he delivered us "from the wrath to come" (1 Thessalonians 1:10). Christ has risen to prove that God's wrath was put on Jesus, our debt of sin has been fully paid, and the door of heaven has swung open!
The good news of Easter morning will speak throughout eternity. Our sin separates us from God, our Creator. But because of his love for us, God acted by providing the resolution for that dilemma--Jesus Christ's willing death to pay our sin-debt to God. Christ suffered once for sins, "the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18).
Today you can know the power of the resurrection in your own life by truly believing what the Bible says about knowing God:
RECOGNIZE that without Christ you are separated from God, now and forever. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
REALIZE that God loves you, and believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins. "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).
RECEIVE the risen Savior into your life by faith. "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).
You can experience a changed life made possible all because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God wants you to experience for yourself what Easter is all about!
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave to make a way for you to have eternal life in heaven, you may express your faith in him by praying this prayer:
Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son, and that he died on the cross to save me from my sin. I believe that he rose again to life and that he invites me to live forever with him in heaven as a part of your family. Because of what Jesus has done, I ask you to forgive me of my sin. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow him--help me to live in a way that pleases and honors you. Amen.
