Matthew 28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. (NIV)
At this time of year many are focused on Easter and that is a good thing even with some of the commercialization of Easter. At some point some child or even adult will ask or reflect on the true meaning of the Easter season and that will minister to their life even if they cannot fully understand it all. I applaud all of the businesses who closed or even modified their hours in acknowledgement of Easter. After all, every acknowledgement is one that acknowledges verse 6 in this passage that Jesus Christ is risen, as He said. It is at this moment that the entire world knows that He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior and the Son of God. Therefore even today in a world that attempts to play down any religious affiliation when dealing with the general public for there to be acknowledgements of both Good Friday and Easter Sunday is a positive sign of hope for our world and we as Christians ought to thank God for opening these doors to minister and share the gospel (good news) of Christ at this time of year.
The focal point of Resurrection (Easter) Sunday is not only that He is risen, but that He is risen as He said. This is most significant because of the credibility that one MUST give to Jesus who told His enemies and followers alike that He was going to do just that, “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). The reason I make this point is that not only was He who He said He was but He did what He said He was going to do just as He said He was going to do it. This is not only important and crucial to our faith as Christians but also in our everyday lives to know this very same thing; that not only is He who He says He is but He will do what He says He is going to do just as He says He is going to do it.
Too often we do not wholeheartedly believe this or accept this in blind faith to be 100% truth. Our doubt keeps us from being able to truly celebrate Him in every way and in every area of our lives. When we truly accept this then nothing shall be impossible to us because of our belief in Him and His Word. His words are so important because they are absolute truth and His resurrection proves that to all of us. It is crucial that we believe that He is able to do just what He says because when we do we exhibit faith that can move mountains and we open up the door of unlimited possibilities. Matthew 17:20 says it best: 20 And Jesus said unto them, “Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
How many things have we missed out on and how many times have we missed Him because of our unbelief? God wants us to put our faith in Him that He will do everything that He says HE is going to do and He exhibited that to the whole world by what He did for us through Christ. It was more than just forgiveness of sins, being the example of a sinless life, giving us the fulfillment of the law, teaching us how to love, being a sacrifice for the whole world and reconciling us back to and with God. God was showing us that His word is true and we can depend on it eternally. One of the many messages that is sometimes missed on Easter Sunday that should be received by us everyday is that God is true to His word; He will do just as He said He is going to do and will do it the way He said He would do it. Let us focus on God and His Word and enjoy seeing it come to pass just as He said it would. What has God told you He would do? Whatever it is it will come to pass just as He said, you can depend on it.
At this time of year many are focused on Easter and that is a good thing even with some of the commercialization of Easter. At some point some child or even adult will ask or reflect on the true meaning of the Easter season and that will minister to their life even if they cannot fully understand it all. I applaud all of the businesses who closed or even modified their hours in acknowledgement of Easter. After all, every acknowledgement is one that acknowledges verse 6 in this passage that Jesus Christ is risen, as He said. It is at this moment that the entire world knows that He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior and the Son of God. Therefore even today in a world that attempts to play down any religious affiliation when dealing with the general public for there to be acknowledgements of both Good Friday and Easter Sunday is a positive sign of hope for our world and we as Christians ought to thank God for opening these doors to minister and share the gospel (good news) of Christ at this time of year.