It's a bit chilly this fine day, but that doesn't bother me too much. Come and sit down on the porch here and grab some sweet tea. We got some time before Easter dinner.
You know, this is the day we set aside every year to celebrate something big: Christ's Resurrection.
I could use this space to complain about how commercialized the holiday has become, but even that would take our eyes from the focus of this day.
The reason we have hope beyond the grave is because of Christ's Resurrection. Our faith would be absolutely meaningless without Christ's Resurrection. Our souls would be tragically and hopelessly lost without Christ's Resurrection.
In fact, that's what it says in 1 Corinthians 15:
"Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept."
This is what it's all about. Jesus' sacrifice was the ONLY perfect sacrifice and atonement for our sins. He didn't even wait for us to say sorry first, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Christ's victory over the grave is the greatest victory ever to be won in all of humanity. We are bought with a price, paid in full, it is finished.
He is risen indeed. God bless y'all!
