For many families, Easter means egg hunts, chocolate bunnies, and spring dresses. There’s nothing wrong with those traditions — but somewhere between the pastel decorations and the ham dinner, it’s easy to lose sight of what this day is really about. And the real story? It’s far more powerful than any tradition could capture.
Easter marks the most significant event in human history: the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. If it’s true — and the historical evidence is compelling — it changes absolutely everything about life, death, and what comes after.
The story begins with betrayal, a rigged trial, and an innocent man sentenced to death. Jesus of Nazareth — who had healed the sick, fed thousands, and claimed to be the Son of God — was arrested, beaten, and crucified on a Roman cross.
For His followers, it was the worst day imaginable. Their teacher, their hope, their Messiah — dead. The dream was over. Or so they thought.
We don’t talk much about the day between. Saturday was silence. Grief. Confusion. The disciples hid behind locked doors, afraid they’d be next. Everything they’d believed seemed to have died with Jesus.
Sometimes our lives feel like Saturday — stuck between a painful past and an uncertain future. God feels absent. Hope feels foolish. But Saturday wasn’t the end of the story.
On the third day, women came to anoint Jesus’ body and found the tomb empty. An angel declared, “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said” (Matthew 28:6, NIV).
Over the next 40 days, the risen Jesus appeared to over 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:6). He ate with His disciples, showed His wounds, and commissioned them to share the news with the world.
If Jesus stayed dead, He was just another teacher. But rising from the dead? That confirms every claim He ever made — including being the Son of God and the only way to salvation (John 14:6).
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55, NIV). The resurrection means death is not the final word. For those who trust in Christ, death is a doorway, not a dead end.
Because Jesus rose, we will too. He promised, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19, NIV). Easter isn’t just about what happened 2,000 years ago — it’s about what will happen for eternity.
The resurrection doesn’t just affect the afterlife. It changes how we live now. If the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us (Romans 8:11), then no situation is hopeless, no person is beyond reach, and no darkness is too deep.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the cross and the empty tomb. Thank You that death could not hold You and that Your resurrection gives us hope that nothing in this world can take away. Help us to live in the power and promise of Easter — not just today, but every day. May the reality of Your resurrection transform how we see our struggles, our relationships, and our future. He is risen! Amen.
This Easter, may you experience the real story — not just as history, but as the most relevant truth for your life today. He is risen indeed.