Welcome to Family Life Church this Easter Sunday morning! You are not alone in coming to church today. According to conservative estimates, there are 2.1 billion Christians around the world. That means that, today, millions and millions of people (like you and me) are sitting in crowded churches, beside family, friends and even strangers, singing songs, praying, and listening to sermons. But why do people do this? What is the big deal about Easter, anyway?
The big deal is this — Christianity rests on the certainty of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection as an actual event in history; one that changed the world forever! Paul said that without the resurrection, our faith is pointless: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (I Corinthians 15:16 NIV).
Paul even regarded the Resurrection as proof that the Gospel message about Jesus as Savior and Lord is true. “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31 NIV).
Jesus said to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26 NIV) It’s really that simple — believing that Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for my sins and trusting Him with my life. It’s what the Resurrection is all about. It’s the most important decision one can ever make! Yes, the Resurrection IS a big deal!
(by Beth Jones with excerpts taken from “What Easter Means to Me,” by Rev. H. Neely Gaston)