THE MEANING OF EASTER

The Bible says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him”
(John 3:16-17).

God loves us and wants to be with us so much that He devised a plan to deal with the problem of sin. As we saw in the previous section, divine justice based God’s Law demands that all sin be punished, however, we ourselves could never survive our own deserved punishment. So instead of punishing us, God sent His Son Jesus to take upon Himself the punishment for our sins. As a result, justice was satisfied and now God was free to forgive us and reconcile us to Himself. The Apostle Paul writes that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3),” and that “we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son (Romans 5:1),” and that “in Jesus we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7).”

Divine justice demands that the penalty for sin be paid, and Jesus, like the Father, loves us so much that He willing paid the price on our behalf by dying on a cross. Jesus became our substitute and willingly took upon Himself our condemnation, and it is this sacrificial act of love that makes Him our Saviour. Amazingly, God announced all this to the people of Israel over 700 years beforehand through His Old Testament prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 53). A great many other things about Jesus' birth, life and death were also foretold by the ancient Jewish prophets of Israel.

As a result of what Jesus did on the cross, God can now offer us full forgiveness for our sins while at the same time maintaining perfect justice. This is the Good News of the Gospel — that through the sacrifice of Jesus, our sins are forgiven, we experience a new birth into a new spiritual life (we are born again), and we receive life everlasting in Heaven when our days on earth are done. Through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross we are forgiven our sins, born again into new life, and going to heaven.

Romans 3:25
God presented Him [Jesus] as a sacrifice of atonement,(the one who would turn aside his wrath, taking away sin) through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his patience he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.

Romans 5:9
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

Ephesians 1:7
In Him [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.

John 3:3
In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

1 Peter 1:23
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Philippians 3:20
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

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As well, God dealt with the problem of how He could associate with unholy, unrighteous humans beings without violating His own holiness. He did this by "imputing" or crediting the righteousness of Jesus to us. He took the perfect righteousness of Jesus and He applied it to us who believe, as if putting on us a pure and spotless outer robe - a robe of righteousness. God is able to receive us into His presence and relate to us without violating His holiness because now when He looks at us, He doesn't “see” our unholiness and unrighteousness, but rather He “sees” the righteousness of His own Son. There is a supernatural exchange that happens, Jesus takes on our sin on the cross and we take on His righteousness when we put our faith in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21
God made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Romans 4:24
but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness–for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

But the story doesn't end with Jesus’ death on the cross. There's more! Three days after He died and was buried in a nearby tomb, God raised Him back to life and now He is alive forevermore! Jesus conquered death once and for all, and He promises those who have faith in Him, that because He lives we too will live with Him in eternity. We can be free of our fear of death forever! Because of Jesus' resurrection, His true followers do not merely observe the ethical rules of a dead founder, but rather we have a vital, personal relationship with our living Lord. Jesus Christ lives today and faithfully blesses and enriches the lives of all those who trust and obey Him. Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and on the thrird day was raised back to life and thus conquered death forever. He appeared to many of His followers on numerous occasions.

1 Corinthians 15: 3-8
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

Matthew 28:7
Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee.

John 21:14
This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Acts 2:24
But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Romans 6:9
For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.

After His resurrection Jesus remained on earth for 40 days and appeared numerous times to his disciples and followers. He ate with them and taught them many things from the Bible about God's plan of salvation. He said that He would soon return to Heaven to be with His Father, but He promised that once He did return, He would send them a wonderful gift from the Father — the Holy Spirit — Who would come and live within each of them and would be their Counselor, Teacher, Comforter and Guide. Finally, on the 40th day, as His disciples looked on, He was taken up to Heaven where He is now seated at the right hand of the Father and prays on our behalf. Jesus spent 40 days with His followers, was taken up into Heaven, and sent them the promised Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.

Acts 1: 1-11
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

Jesus said,
“I and the Father are One”, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father”, and “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” At one point, His enemies were about to stone Him to death for blasphemy accusing Him by saying “you, a mere man, claim to be God.” John 10:30
Jesus said, “I and the Father are One...”

John 14:9
“He who has seen Me has seen the Father...”

John 14:6
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”

John 10:33
At one point, His enemies were about to stone Him to death for blasphemy saying to Him that “you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

The Apostle John’s Gospel in the Bible is the most comprehensive book ever written about Jesus, and it says this about Him:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made: without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life and that life was the light of men... The Word became flesh and dwelt among us for a time... full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-4, 14).

John tells us that before anything ever came into existence, Jesus, whom he calls the Word of God, already existed — that He was with God, and that He was God. John is saying that Jesus Christ is God.

John also tells us that all of creation was made through Him. Other Bible writers tell us the same thing. The Apostle Paul writes: “For by Him all things were created: things in Heaven and on earth, visible and invisible..., all things were created by Him and for Him.” (Colossians 1:16). The author of the book of Hebrews writes: “In these last days God has spoken to us by His Son..., through whom He made the universe.” (Hebrews 1:2).

John writes that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Jesus left His place in Heaven and came to earth by being born of a young Jewish virgin named Mary in the town of Bethlehem. This amazing event — called the “incarnation”, and its location, were both foretold by the prophets centuries prior. Seven-hundreds years beforehand, Isaiah propheised about Jesus’ virgin birth with the words: “Behold a virgin shall conceive and she shall give birth to a son, and he shall be called Immanuel’” (Isaiah 7:14), Immanuel means God with us. The prophet Micah foretold that Bethlehem would be the place of His birth. (Micah 5:2).

Jesus lived on the earth for about thirty-three years. He spent the last three years of His life in public ministry preaching the Gospel message of God’s love for humanity. During this time He travelled around the country doing good, teaching the people, loving them deeply and healing all those who were sick. He cleansed lepers, gave sight to the blind, made cripples walk, gave freedom to the demonically afflicted, and even raised the dead. He especially loved little children and blessed them wherever He went.

As evidence that God had sent Him, Jesus performed many amazing miracles. He walked upon the water of the Sea of Galilee, He calmed a raging storm just by commanding it to be still, he turned water into wine, he multiplied a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish to feed a crowd of 5,000, and as mentioned, He healed the sick and raised the dead. To a group of skeptics He once said, “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles.” (John 14:11).

He challenged the religous authourities of the day in several ways. He healed people on the Sabbath — which was forbidden, He associated and ate with known sinners and social outcasts, which was also forbidden, and He seemingly placed His own teachings above those of Moses, the founder of Judaism. He said things like, “you have heard it said, ‘love your neighbour and hate your enemy’ but I say to you ‘love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.’” (Matthew 5:43-44). He was especially critical of the religious leaders calling them “blind guides, hypocrites and false teachers” because they kept the letter of God’s Law but not the spirit of it, and because didn't love the people.

Finally, He pointed to Himself and called all people everywhere to believe in Him. The founders of the other great religions had always pointed to God and called people to believe in Him, but Jesus pointed to Himself and held Himself up as the worthy object of their faith. In fact, He said that there is only one way to get to God the Father, and that was through trusting and believing in God’s Son. The will of God, Jesus said, is that people should believe in His Son whom God had sent for their salvation.

. It is the will of God that all people believe in Jesus.

Mark 9:7
Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"

John 6:29
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

John 11:25
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;

John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

No one, then or now, could remain neutral to Jesus — one either accepted Him as the Son of God and the Saviour of the world, as He claimed to be, or rejected Him as a deceiver, a self-deluded lunatic, or worse.

If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus, for He came to reveal the Father.

The Resurrection of Jesus

1 Corinthians 15 1-34

1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

9For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

12But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?13If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

29Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? 30And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? 31I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,

“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

33Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 34Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.

- 1 Corinthians 15:1-34

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