The Importance of Resurrection Day
Is Easter really all that important? How important is the commemoration of the resurrection of Christ? Without a doubt, it has got to be the most important day on the Christian calendar! Forget Christmas; nothing beats Resurrection Day. The Apostle Paul said that if the resurrection didn’t happen, then our whole Christian faith system is a waste of time!1 So, yeah, it’s that important.
For many of us Christians, Easter is one of those few days a year when we get to see and converse with a lot of family members that we don’t normally get to. We get a chance to catch up and hear about the good things and also about the problems they’re facing. You love to hear the good things, and of course, you care very much about their problems. But realize that you can do more than just empathize. You can actually help them get on the right track out of their problems.
You may be thinking that you don’t have all that much influence on people. Realize, however, that by observing the way you live your Godly life, they see powerful evidence of a real God that they never knew before. It shows them that God is more than just something in a textbook. He’s more than just empty words or a fantasy from a dream world. For example, when you suggest that your family member should forgive someone who’s done them wrong, it’s much more powerful because they know that you’ve already actually done the same thing in your life. That serves as a powerful example of the forgiving power of God. It also shows that it really is possible for a person to live God’s way.
Additionally, when you happen to mention that you went to church that morning, someone might incredulously say to you, “That’s nice, but why?!” What better time than that to share some of your faith? In particular, it’s a chance to share your faith in Christ’s resurrection – and I don’t mean “blind faith” either. Nobody is moved by that. By using the same principle as above, give them something they can actually believe in. I could try to sell you any kind of doctrine if I say you just have to believe it “on faith.” No, I mean to explain the faith you have because of the many firm truth claims in the scriptures and in other places as well. Show them concrete things like the affirmation of Biblical details by multiple ancient historians. Concrete things like the many archaeological findings that confirm numerous Biblical details, such as various cities, villages, kingdoms, political titles, and social customs. Concrete things like the numerous ancient handwritten Biblical manuscripts that were composed in a very close timeframe to when the events actually happened, and thus, eliminate the fear of myth or legend entering into their accounts. Give them something to believe in! Once they realize that the scriptures are actually something that can be trusted, their whole outlook on God will change dramatically.
This dramatic change will include their outlook on the resurrection of Christ. The resurrection is, after all, the absolute premier event in Christianity. The resurrection of Christ is when God the Father put His validating stamp of approval on the life and ministry of Jesus.2 It validates all that Jesus said and did while on the earth. It validates His teachings, truth claims, and the reasons for His death. If Christ has not risen from the dead, then we are all still in our sins. If He has not risen from the dead, then we have not been forgiven. If He has not risen, then there is no hope of us living with God for eternity. But He did rise. The resurrection did take place. Most importantly, Jesus paid the price for our sins and sicknesses so that we don’t have to. The holy justice of God demands that the penalty for sin be paid. We could have either paid it ourselves, or we could allow Christ to pay it for us. This might sound unbelievable to some at first, but when put into the context of the believability of the scriptures as we discussed above, many people finally realize just how much God loves them. So, celebrate Resurrection Day. What better reason is there to celebrate?!
