Job 19:25-27 25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; 26 … then in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another…
Easter is just around the corner. We will have traveled through 40 days of Lent, 6 Sunday Feast Days, and Holy Week. On Easter Sunday many will come to church either out of obligation because it is a traditional time to come to church or we will come to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. Yet what is Easter and what does it really mean to you?
There are many traditions that revolve around Easter. Easter is a time when families get together for dinner, for Easter egg hunts, and a time many dress up for the occasion and special hats are worn. For many, Easter has different meanings. For some it is another Christian Holy Day, it is a day we feel good about coming to Church. For many it is just a story of the resurrection, but it is so much more to those who have faith in God’s promises. It is the fulfilment of God’s promise to send a Savior, it is the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy and it is what God has done for us through Jesus. Easter is more than just a “spiritual” resurrection as some believe, it is the power of God manifested to redeem us and reconcile us for the forgiveness of our sins and the sins of the whole world.
Easter is the foundation of our Christian faith. Without the physical resurrection, there would be no Ascension; there would be no sending of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, there would just be another religion based on a belief in a higher power. It would not be based on faith.
Job not only believed but he had faith that one day he would see God. Belief and faith differ from each other. When I was young I was told that the moon was made out of green cheese and there was a man in the moon. There are many things that we can believe however faith is stronger than belief. As I grew up I learned that the moon was not made of green cheese and there was not a real man in the moon and my belief changed.
Faith however is something that is solidly entrenched. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that faith is a conviction, Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Easter is more than just a belief, it is faith in God’s promise, it is faith that what Jesus told His disciples was true, it is faith in the evidence of the resurrection, it is faith in the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Without faith in Christ’s resurrection then as the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Cor. 15:14 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. Without faith we will not know Christ and the power of his resurrection (Phil 3:10).
Easter is also about the transforming power of Christ in our lives. We walk through Lent which reveals God’s power in our lives and the awareness of His power. We celebrate and look to God for our strength. And now in Easter we celebrate the resurrection and the grace He provides us to be redeemed and invited into the family of God through our faith.
Let us be like the Apostles and give our testimony to the world of glorious resurrection and the love of God in Christ Jesus who came for us. Let not Easter be just a belief, let it be faith in God’s grace, love and mercy for us. Acts 4:33 With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all…
May you celebrate the joy of the resurrection, God’s redemptive love and the power of the Holy Spirit in your life.
The Rev. Dave Newhart 