It's Still Easter!
- Richard Selke
- Apr 2, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 23
April 23, 2025
LISTEN TO AUDIO
It’s still Easter! Did you know that? You’re probably thinking that Easter was last Sunday. And it was. Easter Sunday is the most important day of the Christian year. Easter Sunday is the day that we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord, the day Jesus conquered death for our sake - to give each of us forgiveness of our sins and the promise of eternal life now and in heaven with Him.
So, isn’t Easter over until next year? Well, no, no it’s not. Easter is more than just one day. Easter is about life and death and resurrection, which are intricately interwoven and which happen continuously every second of every minute, of every hour, of every day. Easter happens every moment of our lives and in all aspects of our lives.
After he raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44), “Jesus said to [Martha], ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” John 11:25-26, NIV. Jesus is speaking in the present tense. He is the Resurrection and He gives eternal life right now. Eternal life is not only something that we hope to receive when we die – eternal life, life with an entirely new quality, is a present reality. Right now, forever and ever, Jesus is eternal life.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is at the very core of our Christian faith. Without the Resurrection, there would be no Christianity.
Lazarus is called from the grave. Even though dead, he is given new life in Jesus Christ. He is a changed man. He is called to be the man God made him to be.
Our God is a God of Life who is at work in all the details of our world. If we look close enough, we can see the beauty of the Resurrection in all of life. We all deal daily with little deaths of one kind or another – trouble, disappointment, sickness, suffering, whatever. Death imposes itself in all areas of life as if to convince us that it – not life – is the ultimate truth. But the Resurrection says: “Life is the ultimate Truth!!!” This is what Jesus is saying to Martha and to us – not only about her brother, Lazarus, but about the resurrection present in every aspect of every day.
In every circumstance of life there is resurrection. Ben Witherington, a New Testament scholar, says, “God’s ‘yes’ to life is louder than death’s ‘no.’ Though death may put a comma in your existence, it cannot put a period where God has put an exclamation point, saying ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’”
Easter begins for us and in us when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord of our life. The word “life” takes on new dimensions when Christ becomes our Lord. Through the Resurrection of Christ we have eternal life both now as we continue to live our life in this world, and always, forever, even after we die to our physical bodies. Right now and forever, Jesus is eternal life.
Every time a person dies to himself or herself and accepts Christ, God is glorified, because we attain eternal life now. Every time a Christian believer dies, God is glorified because, through Christ’s resurrection, we are given eternal life, and his power of life over death is demonstrated one more time.
In 1 Corinthians 13:12 as interpreted in The Message, Paul says, “We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!” It’s like there is a veil between this world and the next that we can’t see through. But at some point, that veil will open and we will see into eternity.
We all experience a wide range of emotions at the death of our loved ones. We weep because we mourn and grieve our loss. And we are joyful and we celebrate because we know that, as Christian believers, they have gone on to eternal life and have passed through that veil – and stand in the presence of God in heaven.
Jesus is speaking to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Jesus asks each one of us the same question. Do you believe that right now Jesus is the resurrection? Do you believe that right now Jesus is the life? Do you believe that if you believe in him, even though you die, you will live, and that if you live and believe in Him, you will never die?
"Do you believe this?”
As Christians, we are Easter people. We are Resurrection people. The Resurrection is in every moment of our lives and throughout creation, both now and in eternity.
It’s still Easter! Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!
REMEMBER & BELIEVE
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
In the meantime, it's still Easter!
QUESTION
Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life." Do you believe this?
PRAYER
Dear Lord Jesus, we believe that You are the Resurrection and the Life. We thank You Father God, that You love us so much that You gave Your one and only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, so that through our belief in Him, our sins are forgiven and we have eternal life now and forever. We are thankful that You are a God of Life and that we are Your Easter people.
Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil and the evil one. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (NRSV)
God bless you!
Richard
Christ Worshipper | Disciple Maker | Hope Giver
Welcome to In the Meantime. I'm glad you're here! We are living in the time between Christ's ascension into heaven and His promised return to earth. In the Meantime is a collection of stories about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and His presence, love, mercy and grace in my life. In the Meantime, Jesus is Lord! Hallelujah!
Comments