Easter is often associated with brightly colored eggs and bunnies. But it’s much more than that. Easter is a Christian holiday that dates back 2000 years, with much older Jewish origins, yet its significance is still very much relevant today.
The background story of Easter
Jesus encountered a great deal of opposition while He was on the earth. primarily from Jewish religious authorities who denied that He was the Son of God. In fact, they convinced the Roman authorities that Jesus ought to be killed and accused Him of blasphemy. Jesus Christ died on a cross outside Jerusalem’s city walls, shortly before the Jewish holiday of Passover.
The manner in which His body was interred is described in the Gospel of Mark: “And upon hearing from the centurion that He had passed away, he [Pileus, the Roman official] authorized Joseph of Arimathea to receive the corpse.” Following his purchase of a linen shroud, Joseph took him down, covered Him in the shroud, and placed Him in a tomb he had had carved out of the rock. And he rolled a stone up to the tomb’s entrance. Mary Magdalene and Joses’s mother Mary saw the place of His burial (Mark 15:45–47).
What happened at Easter?
Mark doesn’t end his Gospel here. It goes on in chapter 16:1-7, “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb? And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back – it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.”
Many witnesses
That was the Easter event. [Christ Jesus rose from the grave].
In addition to Mark’s narrative, this event is described in several additional Gospels and New Testament texts. Angels declared that Jesus had risen from the dead, and the tomb was found empty. After His resurrection, Jesus was seen by numerous eyewitnesses. He appeared to one or more of his followers at different times. Jesus Himself ultimately persuaded them to believe that He had risen, even though they had a hard time accepting it at first. He gave them an explanation, saying, “Thus it is written, that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem, and that the Christ should suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.” You are here to witness these events.Luke
Easter is something to celebrate!
Not only is the resurrection of Jesus a historical event. It has far-reaching effects on every Christian. In 1 Corinthians 15:17–21, Paul discussed this and said, “Your faith is futile and you are still in your sins if Christ has not been raised.” Then, those who have slept off in Christ have likewise passed away. We are the most deserving of sympathy of all individuals if our only hope for this life is found in Christ. In actuality, however, Christ has risen from the grave, becoming the firstfruits of those who have passed away. Because just as man brought about death, he also brought about the dead’s resurrection.
Therefore, the foundation of the Christian faith concerning [sin forgiveness] and eternal life is Jesus’ resurrection. There would have been no hope at all if Jesus had not died. However, there is a strong hope that exists beyond death since He has truly risen. As stated in 1 Corinthians 15:22, “in Christ shall all be made alive,” demonstrating His victory over sin and death. That is definitely cause for celebration!
