Easter

It’s a BIG deal!

There have been big moments in history, the American Revolution, the tearing down of the Berlin wall just to name a couple. Whether you are a Christian or not, you cannot honestly say that the life of Jesus hasn’t had a Big impact on the history of the world. If you follow today’s dating system, you acknowledge his impact. Every time you write a date, you’re using the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the focal point. And the reason for this impact, and I would argue the only reason is because of Easter Sunday.

When you look at the life of Jesus, he came from an unknown town, never held a political or religious tittle; on the contrary by trade he was a carpenter. His ministry on earth lasted only three years. He only traveled in approximately a twenty-five mile radius. His few followers were not that devoted; when he was arrested they all ran. His teachings were extreme and radical even for our times. So what is it that makes Jesus such an important historical figure? What makes Jesus the most important figure in history is one thing and one thing alone, the most important date in history, Easter Sunday.

Easter Sunday is the celebration of a man that claimed to have come from heaven, claimed to be God, and claimed to have the power over life and death. Jesus would say things like: ‘Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.’ (John 11:25). How can he prove such outrageous claims? Imagine if I told you, I come from heaven and I’m God; just believe in me and you will live even after dying. You would think that I’m a lunatic and that anyone who believed me would also be a lunatic. How would Jesus prove such a claim? Well, he continuously predicted that he would die, but that three days later he would resurrect.

Death

Some three years into his public ministry, Jesus was falsely arrested, went through six trials and was sentenced to death. After a night of beatings and mocking, after being crowned with painful thorns, Jesus was crucified. Crucifixion is probably the most brutal and torturous death penalty ever devised by men. His hands were stretched out wide and nailed to a cross. As the nails went through his flesh, they would strike the nerve that travels up the arm and cause excruciating pain. He was hung and left there to die in pain. After some time, just to make sure he was dead, the soldiers stuck a spear in his side, and water and blood poured out. It was finally done. This Jesus was not such a big deal after all; there he was dead on the cross just like any mere mortal.

Resurrection

His body was taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb (cave), The religious leaders worried that Jesus’ body might be stolen so they placed a giant stone in front of the cave and asked for Roman guards to be posted at the tomb. They feared that his followers might steal his body and claim that he had resurrected. Little did they know that even Jesus’ followers believed his death to be final. But just as Jesus predicted, three days later, he rose and walked out of that tomb and presented himself to more than five hundred witnesses. Once and for all his claim was validated.

It’s a BIG deal

Easter is a big deal, not because we celebrate that Jesus was a good religious leader or a great teacher. It’s a big deal because some two thousand years ago a man appeared and claimed to be God and he claimed to have power even over death. And on that first Easter Sunday proved once and for all, that there is a God, and that he loves us, and came to earth not to condemn us but to save us, not just temporarily, but even beyond death.
It’s a BIG deal!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
– Jesus (John 3:16)