(3-minute read)

Happy Easter! Today we celebrate the greatest event in the history of the world: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

It is impossible to overstate the significance of the resurrection. Without it, there is no hope. There is no Christianity. The Apostle Paul emphasizes this point when he writes, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Those, then, who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone” (1 Corinthians 15:17-19). We should be pitied because without the resurrection, our faith, preaching, and our very lives are in vain. If Christ himself did not rise from the dead, we are left only with a broken life in a broken world.

But Christ has been raised. We do have hope. And that hope is both future and present.  

Yes, every one of us will die. But those who follow Jesus Christ will be made alive to live in eternal and perfect joy in heaven.

But what about the present? 

The fruits of the resurrection are not limited to the next world. The resurrection changes us from people who should be “pitied more than anyone” to people who have more hope and joy than anyone…right now. This is because the resurrection of Jesus Christ ushered in the beginning of a new and better world—a world marked by love and community; a world without social barriers and oppressive power structures; a world of healing and restoration; a world that shines with unity that flows from our common identity as followers of Jesus Christ. 

In his excellent article “What is the Point of Celebrating Easter During a Pandemic?”, N.T. Wright describes how after the resurrection, Christianity grew because people were attracted to the lifestyles of Jesus’ followers. “They looked after each other, and anyone else within reach” Wright writes. “And they did away with the normal social and cultural barriers.” 

Wright also wisely notes that the secular world has attempted to create a similar society of multiculturalism and love that reaches across economic and racial boundaries. These attempts have failed, however, because while secular culture desires the benefits of the world that Jesus brought us, it doesn’t want Jesus himself. Wright quips, “Trying to recreate a society like that without Jesus leading the way is like trying to type with your fingers tied together.”

Of course, secular modernism is not the only guilty party. The church is called to represent and reflect the love of Jesus Christ to the world (Matthew 5:13-16). We Christians should be known by the love we have for others, by the way we build each other up, and by our unity (Ephesians 4:9-16; 1 Corinthians 12:12-26). Like the first Christians, the world should be attracted to our lifestyles because they reflect Jesus himself. It goes without saying, however, that we as the church have fallen short. Even a brief scan of Christian social media will reveal horrifying comments, attacks, and division. Our intense and misplaced focus on secondary and tertiary issues has drawn our attention and efforts away from those who need to hear about the resurrected Christ. We have spent our time vilifying each other while we ignore or even drive away people who are hurting and suffering in the very world to which we are supposed to bring hope and light. 

Praise the Lord that it is not too late. By the grace and power of Jesus Christ, the church can still love, serve, and bring hope to the world the way that Jesus intended us to. Today, we celebrate that our Savior is risen. For those who follow him, death has indeed lost its sting. The victory has been won. What better time than now to start living, loving, and serving as the redeemed people of God that we are? What better time than now to spread the hope that comes only from our resurrected Lord and Savior?