It's Still Easter!
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It’s still Easter! Did you know that? You might be thinking, “Wait, didn’t Easter Sunday already happen this year?” Well yes, it did. But what many people don’t realize is that Easter isn’t just one day on the calendar.
Easter Sunday is the most important day of the Christian year because we celebrate the moment everything changed – the Resurrection of Jesus Christ – when He conquered sin and death for our sake. Through His victory, we’re offered the gift of forgiveness of our sins and the promise of eternal life now and in heaven with Him.
The good news is that Easter doesn’t end when the day is over.
Easter is not just a date, it’s a reality – a living, ongoing invitation. Easter is about life, death and resurrection, which are intricately interwoven and happen not just once, but over and over, in our hearts, our experiences, our loves, our struggles and our stories. Resurrection happens every moment of every day, when we allow God to breathe new life into places that feel lifeless.
After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44), He 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.
Jesus is speaking in the present tense: “I am …”. Not “I was” or “I will be.” Jesus is the Resurrection – right now! Eternal life isn’t just a future hope. It’s a present reality for those who believe. When we put our trust in Christ, we step into eternal life now. Life with a new quality and a new joy that death cannot destroy.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is at the very core of the Christian faith. Without it, there is no Gospel, there is no hope. But because Jesus lives, we have a living Hope.
Jesus didn’t just raise Lazarus physically – He called him to a new life. Lazarus was a changed man – the man God made him to be. That’s what Jesus does for each of us. He calls us out of our tombs – whatever they may be – into the life God created us to live.
God is constantly at work in the details of our daily lives. And, if we look close enough, we can glimpse the beauty of the Resurrection in ordinary things: a broken relationship that begins to heal; a heart that chooses forgiveness over bitterness; strength that rises in the middle of deep sorrow.
Yes, death is real – and we all face forms of it daily: grief, pain, loss, disappointment. Death imposes itself as if to convince us that it – not life – is the ultimate truth. But death doesn’t get the last word. Jesus does! The Resurrection says: “Life is the ultimate Truth.”
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.’”
The life Jesus offers isn’t just for someday in heaven – it’s right now and forever. When we say “yes” to Jesus, we begin living eternal life now. We receive His Spirit. We become part of His resurrection story. And one day, when our time in this world is done, that story will continue in heaven with God in the fullness of His glory.
We mourn when we lose someone we love, and that grief is real. But we do not grieve as those who have no hope. We believe that those who die in Christ have passed through a veil into eternity and now stand in the glorious presence of God.
As Paul writes, “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!” 1 Corinthians 3:12, The Message.
Jesus asked Martha: “Do you believe this?” And He asks each one of us the same question today:
· Do you believe that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life?
· Do you believe that even though you die, you will live?
· Do you believe that if you live and believe in Him, you will never die?
Whether you’ve followed Jesus for decades or are just beginning to wonder if He might be the real deal, the question at the center of it all is:
“Do you believe this?”
As Christians, we are not just people who remember Easter – we are Easter people. We are people of the Resurrection, believers, witnesses and proclaimers of a Hope that cannot die.
So yes, 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
Father God, thank You for loving us so much that You gave Your one and only Son, 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 that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24, ESV
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!
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