Easter: ALIVE!

Introduction
Today, people all around the world are celebrating. Kids search for brightly colored eggs (or potatoes???) tucked away in tall grass or behind living room furniture. Chocolate bunnies are being gnawed down to the ears, baskets are overflowing, and kitchens are busy with the aroma of ham, casseroles, and sweet rolls being prepared for the big family gathering. It’s a joyful day, no doubt about that.

While all of that can be a fun and meaningful part of the day—gathering with loved ones, celebrating together—we know there’s something even deeper, more powerful, and truly life-changing at the heart of Easter.

For us as followers of Jesus, Easter isn’t just about springtime festivities or spending time with family, though both can be beautiful blessings. Easter, at its core, is a day when we pause to remember and rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It’s the most significant day on our calendar, the turning point of history, and the foundation of our faith.

If you grew up in a traditional church setting, you might remember how Easter morning begins—not with eggs or chocolate, but with a special greeting. The pastor proclaims, “He is risen!” And the congregation joyfully responds, “He is risen indeed!”

What a powerful declaration. It’s not just a ritual or a catchy phrase. It’s the very heart of the Gospel.

Luke 24:1-12

The Center of Our Faith
Easter is the culmination of God’s redemptive plan, which He has been unfolding since the very beginning. Jesus's death and resurrection are not side notes to our faith—they’re the center. The cross and the empty tomb are the hinges on which the door of salvation swings.

That’s why the season of Lent—those 40 days leading up to today—is traditionally set aside as a time of reflection and preparation. Many people fast or give something up during Lent to realign their hearts with God. While fasting is good, the danger is forgetting why. Some folks break their fast today without considering what it was all about in the first place. But we’re not here to break a diet. We’re here to celebrate a Savior who broke the power of sin and death.

For many people—maybe even some of you sitting here today—Easter doesn’t carry much spiritual significance. It might just be a time to gather with family, take a few pictures, and enjoy the day. And hey, spending time with loved ones is a good thing. But if Easter is just bunnies and brunch, we’ve missed the point.

For the unbeliever, the idea of the resurrection might seem like a sweet story at best—or a wild conspiracy at worst. Some see it as a myth or religious propaganda used to manipulate people. But for those of us who believe, for those of us who have staked our very lives on Jesus, Easter isn’t a nice idea—it’s everything. It’s the anchor for our souls.

When we declare “He is risen indeed,” we’re not reciting a cute Easter slogan. We are proclaiming the Gospel—the greatest news the world has ever known. We’re declaring that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death, and rose again in victory. And that changes everything.

The Cross Comes First
Let’s take a moment to look at 1 Corinthians 2:1 - 5.
Paul had a lot of knowledge. He was an intellectual, a trained Pharisee, a brilliant man. But when he showed up to preach, he stripped it down to one simple, powerful message: Jesus Christ, who was crucified.

The cross of Calvary is central to our faith. Without it, there is no forgiveness, no atonement for sin, and no salvation. Without it, we are still lost and separated from God.

Now here’s the thing—we talk about the cross a lot. We wear it on necklaces, we display it in our homes, we see it on steeples and bumper stickers. But if we’re not careful, it can start to feel common. Familiar. We lose the weight of it.

Let me remind you—the cross was brutal. Jesus didn’t just die; He suffered. He was mocked, beaten, nailed to a piece of wood, and left to die in public shame. And He did it for you. For me. For a world caught in the grip of sin.

Why such a horrific death? Because sin is serious. Romans 3:23 says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard."

That means you, me, your sweet grandma—everyone. And the consequence of sin is separation from God, which ultimately leads to death.

You might think, “Okay, I’ve messed up—but I’m not that bad. I try to be a good person. I go to church. I say my prayers.” And listen, that’s all fine and good—but the reality is, none of us can earn our way back to God. Not with good behavior. Not with church attendance. Not even with the best intentions.

But here’s the good news--the best news. God didn’t leave us in our sin. He loved us so much that He sent His Son to take our place. As John 3:16 says, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

This is the Gospel.

The Empty Tomb
But here’s the truth—if the story ended with Jesus dying on the cross, it would not be good news. It would be just another tragedy. Another martyr. Another broken dream.

But Easter tells us the story didn’t end at the cross. Three days after His death, Jesus rose from the dead. He didn’t rise as a ghost or a symbol—He rose physically. He stood up and walked out of the grave. He appeared to both Marys and to His disciples. He ate with them. He showed them the scars in His hands and feet.

Jesus is alive.

And this changes everything.

Paul puts it plainly in 1 Corinthians 15:14: “And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.”

In other words, if the resurrection didn’t happen, we’re all wasting our time. If Jesus is still dead, then our faith is dead too. But if He is alive—and I believe with everything in me that He is—then our faith is built on something real, something powerful, and something eternal.
So, why is the Resurrection so important to our faith?  Below are five reasons…
​
5 Reasons the Resurrection is Imperative to Our Faith

1.  It Confirms Our Justification
   “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”
   --Romans 4:25
   
   Jesus’ resurrection isn’t just an epic finale—it’s confirmation from God that the price for sin has been paid in full. The cross was where the payment was made, but the resurrection is where the receipt gets stamped “PAID.” Without the resurrection, we’d still be wondering if the cross worked. But because Jesus rose, we know His sacrifice was more than enough, and now we are justified—declared righteous—before God.
   
   Think about that: Jesus’ resurrection means that God looks at you and sees you as clean, whole, accepted, and loved. Not because you’ve got it all together, but because Jesus does. That’s the heart of justification. It’s not about what you’ve done for God—it’s about what Jesus has done for you, and the resurrection is the proof that it’s finished.
   
   
2. It Completes the Gospel
   A dead Savior can’t save anyone.
   
   If Jesus had stayed in the tomb, the cross would’ve been nothing more than a tragic story of a good man who was misunderstood. But because He rose from the grave, the cross becomes the place of victory, not defeat. It becomes the place where sin died, where mercy triumphed, and where eternal life begins.
   
   The resurrection completes the Gospel. Without it, the good news becomes no news at all. The resurrection is the exclamation point on the Gospel message. Jesus didn’t just die for you—He lives with you, and in you.
   
   
3. It Gives Faith Meaning
   "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
   1 Corinthians 15:14
   
   Without the resurrection, faith is nothing more than a hopeful illusion—a nice idea that gives comfort but no real power. But because Jesus lives, our faith is rooted in reality. It’s grounded in a historical, flesh-and-blood event. The tomb was empty. Death was defeated. Jesus is alive.
   
   This changes everything. Your faith isn’t built on wishful thinking but on the rock-solid truth of the risen Christ. When you pray, you're not talking into the void—you’re speaking to a living Savior, to God himself. When you struggle, you're not struggling alone—you're walking with someone who overcame death itself. Our faith has meaning because Jesus gives it meaning.
   
   
4. It Enables New Birth
   “In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
   --1 Peter 1:3
   
   The resurrection doesn’t just give us hope for the future—it gives new life right now. You aren’t just forgiven because of the resurrection—you’re made new. You’ve been born again into a living hope. That’s not just religious talk—that’s transformation.
   
   This isn’t about trying harder or pretending to be better. This is about resurrection power living in you. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is the Spirit that now dwells in every believer (Romans 8:11), which means you’re not stuck in who you were. You’re being made into who you were always meant to be— fully alive in Christ.
   
   
5. It Secures Our Future Resurrection
   “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”
   1 Corinthians 15:22
   
   Here’s the hope that keeps us going: because Jesus rose, we will rise too. Death doesn’t get the final word. It’s not the end—it’s just the beginning. For every person who belongs to Christ, the grave is not the end of the road. It’s a doorway into eternal life.
   
   This promise isn’t vague or symbolic—it’s personal and guaranteed. Jesus' resurrection was the firstfruits of what's coming. One day, you and I will be raised in glory, given new bodies, and welcomed into an eternal Kingdom where sin, sickness, sorrow, and death are gone forever. This is why Easter matters. It’s not just a day to celebrate a past event but to declare our future hope.
   
   

So, What Do We Do With This?
We live like it’s true, we worship like it’s true, and we hope like it’s true.
Because of the resurrection:

• You don’t have to live in guilt—you’re justified.
• You don’t have to wonder if God loves you—the Gospel shows us He does.
• You don’t have to fake it—your faith is real.
• You don’t have to stay the same—you’ve been made new.
• You don’t have to fear death—because you have life and life in abundance.

That’s why we can say with full hearts and lifted voices:
He is risen!
He is risen indeed!

---