Last week I read a brief report about the horrible bombings that took place in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. The report described Easter Sunday as "one of the busiest and most important days for Christians worldwide." That description has stuck with me. It's definitely not inaccurate, and it's typical language for a news service to use. But all I could think when I read that was "No no no no no. Easter is the most important day for Christians." There's no comparison. This isn't up for debate. I get that Easter can't really be separated from Christmas and Good Friday (and, for that matter, Ascension Day and Pentecost), but Easter is the reason we're Christians. Jesus' disciples truly started believing Jesus is the Son of God was because God raised Jesus from the dead. The Christians went out and started preaching the good news to the whole world because Jesus is alive.
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul argues that Jesus' resurrection is the key to our faith. Without Jesus' resurrection, Christianity is meaningless. If God didn't raise Jesus from the dead, we don't have life. Death is the end for us. Easter means resurrection and life for all who belong to Jesus. And beyond that, Paul says that Jesus' resurrection points to Jesus' reign as king of the whole world. Easter is the sign that Jesus is setting right all that is wrong with the world, conquering all His enemies, making His creation the way He always intended it to be. Easter is Jesus' victory, and, because we belong to Jesus, Easter is our victory.
Now you may be thinking, "What about Good Friday? Isn't the cross the symbol of Christianity? Doesn't Paul often talk about the importance of the crucifixion?" That's right. Don't get me wrong. Jesus' death on the cross is absolutely necessary for us. Jesus pays the penalty for our sins through His death. (He also does other things through His death, but we'll save that for another time.) But Paul also says in 1 Corinthians 15 that there's no forgiveness for us without the resurrection. Jesus' resurrection confirms and puts into effect His work on the cross. What's more, despite what we may think, Christianity isn't ultimately about the forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness is a huge part of it, but Christianity is really about God completing His plans and redeeming all parts of His creation. God doesn't just forgive us, He also makes us new and gives us life. God isn't just saving humans, He's also repairing His world, making everything the way it's supposed to be. Easter, Jesus' triumph, the first day of a new creation, expresses that so much better than any other day of the Christian year. We don't gather for worship on Fridays. We worship on Sundays.
Brothers and sisters, let's make sure that no one doubts that Easter Sunday is the most important day of the Christian calendar. Let's make sure that we don't boil down the good news to simply "Jesus died for us." He absolutely did, but that's not the whole story. He also rose again and lives forever for us. He will also raise us again so that we may live forever. Jesus was dead. Now He lives for ever and ever. That's the good news we celebrate. That's what gives us hope. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Grace and peace,
BMH
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