To understand the Christian meaning of Easter Sunday, let’s look back at Friday (and before).
Luke 24:1-8
“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.”’ Then they remembered his words.”
Why we need Easter?
These words of uplifting joy should tear away bonds of sorrow, grief, despair, and any hurt binding one’s heart in agony. For out of the grave, Jesus Christ Emmanuel came forth the divine torrent of unequaled joy for all who long for God.
Where are you today spiritually? Are you at the end of hope, strength, endurance? And have you lost your spiritual ambition and joy in and for the Savior? Do you feel as though it’s always Friday and will always be Friday? If your plight is to be stuck in a rut where it feels like the end of everything wonderful and purposeful, there is an awesome answer.
I once heard a preacher talking about people who looked around at life and saw nothing but horrible hopelessness. Maybe today all you see is evil! If you spend a lot of time watching the news and reading the paper rather than the Bible, you won’t see much that will lift you up.
In Jesus’ day, the scene was very similar. Taxes were very high; crime was common; religion was corrupt and unspiritual. The ordinary citizen felt like there was no place to turn for spiritual comfort or civil justice. Despair was natural and when the multitudes of Judah heard Jesus, they were longing for a word of encouragement and power to change their lives from hopelessness.
Then Jesus on that awful Friday was killed on the cross. Friday was the end of their hopes as they watched an innocent man put to death. The preacher I heard said the people probably thought evil would always triumph over good and there was nothing they could do about it. Then he said:
“It’s Friday!!… but Sunday’s comin’!!!”
Friday and Sunday
Isn’t life that way so often? We get burdened down under the heavy load of life and feel like we are carrying the weariness of the whole week of work every day. Every day feels like Friday. That’s what people felt like when Jesus was buried on Friday after the crucifixion. They were without a glimmer of light. You and I need to experience Easter Sunday morning when Jesus burst the unbreakable bonds of death and came out of the tomb. He appeared to a brokenhearted Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of Jesus. On Friday, they had thought sorrow was all life would ever be to them from that day forward. But Sunday came and Jesus once again gave them living hope.
from that day forward. But Sunday came and Jesus once again gave
them living hope.
Do you possess living, vibrant, life-changing, SUNDAY IS HERE hope? Jesus is greater than the death of your most precious hope. Jesus is greater than any need you could ever have. What do you need to do to receive this wonderful hope? Continually surrender to Jesus until you really have put all your hopes, dreams, desires, and possessions on the altar of sacrifice. When a person allows Jesus to become Lord and Master of life, that’s when life as a Christian becomes full of joy unspeakable. You can have Friday and be always weighed down with self-directed activity and sin. Or you can have Sunday with the resurrected Jesus as your good Shepherd.
your good Shepherd.
Have a blessed Easter because Jesus has risen and saves for all eternity!
© FJ Griffitts, Friendly Words, April 2006
Closing thought
I hope you understand better the Christian meaning of Easter and that you enjoy it in your life.
How do you feel about the Christian meaning of Easter?
For a more complete understanding of Easter, check out FJ’s “Hello, God!” about the meaning of Christmas.
Want to know more? Read “What is Easter?”, a more detailed explanation of the Christian Easter.
