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Easter's message is one of hope

Easter eggs … Easter bunnies … Easter baskets … Easter bonnets … We are inundated with Easter phrases this time every year.

With spring comes a sense of renewed hope and joyfulness and a consciousness of new beginnings. For Christians, this joyful weekend signifies the celebration of the physical resurrection of Christ.

That belief is essential because the belief in the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ is the substance of Christianity. If Jesus Christ had not risen from the dead, the plan God had to redeem humanity collapses. The plan God had to reach down to man becomes immaterial and irrelevant.

From a Christian perspective, Easter season is the celebration of the Resurrection Day when Jesus rose from the grave. At this time of year, I gratefully and reverently think first about the sacrifice Christ made on the cross.

The cross has great significance. For the Christian, it is during the Christmas that we contemplate Christ’s birth. Christ came to earth, born as a baby so he could live among us so we could know him. But without his resurrection, Christmas would mean nothing. If Christ were born as a man and died as a man, he would be as any other man. He would be no different than other good men who have lived but who have died. That is why Easter is all about Christ and his sacrifice on the cross.

The cross points to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. People accept that Jesus was an exemplary man. People are familiar with the Sermon on the Mount and the moral teachings that Jesus gave. Most people can quote at least one or two of the Ten Commandments. Many people readily cite “do unto others” as a Scripture verse. Some may recall stories from childhood days in Sunday school about Jesus walking on the water, healing the sick and advocating turning the other check. Many people at best believe that Jesus was a great historical figure.

But what about the cross? Why is the cross the most significant aspect for the Christian? Jesus died on the cross for the sins of mankind and his supreme sacrifice of love on the cross was the ultimate act that would forever bridge the gulf between God and man. He made a way for each person to know God personally.

Millions through the ages have come to know Jesus because of his sacrifice on the cross. The very testimony of that event over 2,000 years ago has endured through sophisticated communications, time and distance. That testimony of Jesus and the cross become real in the hearts of millions, no matter what culture or nationality, what level of income, or what stance in society. Both rich and poor call him Savior, both famous and infamous point to his saving grace, and both strong and feeble know of his comfort and peace.

Centuries ago, Job asked this question: “If a man die shall he live again?” Jesus answered that question: “I am the resurrection and the life, He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25)

Revelation 21:4 says that in heaven, “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Death, affliction and hurting will all be part of the way things used to be. A preacher once said that he thanked God there are no graves hollowed out the hillsides of heaven. That was all settled on the first Easter Sunday morning.

Ravi Zacharias said: “Outside of the cross of Jesus Christ, there is no hope in this world. That cross and resurrection at the core of the Gospel is the only hope for humanity.”

And he is so right. The message of Easter is that Jesus is alive. It is in his resurrection, and the certainty of eternal life, that we can all have hope. That is the significance of the cross. Therefore, rejoice in the cross and the resurrection of Jesus this weekend.

Judy Brandon writes about faith for The Eastern New Mexico News. Contact her at:

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