I had lunch with a friend last week who asked a very honest question: “Why Easter”? The need for Jesus’ death is clear, but was it just as necessary for Him to be resurrected? There are lots of theological answers to this question…here are a few:
The resurrection is God’s validation of Christ’s identity. It is God’s authentication of Christ’s authority. It is God’s confirmation of Christ’s preeminence over all things. It proves that Jesus is exactly and staggeringly who he says he is. It says he is precisely and astonishingly who the Scriptures declare him to be.
I don’t disagree with any of that, but it doesn’t answer the question for me. Why was Easter necessary for Tom Houser? I ‘accidently’ read some passages from Romans this morning that helped answer that question for me.
For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Romans 6:4-11 (NLT)
Because of Easter I can have a new life with God right now!
Because of Easter I can be sure that I too will be resurrected to live with God for eternity!
I do not serve a Savior that is dead and buried, but one that has been raised from the dead! That makes me free to worship You God. You are awesome, holy, merciful, beautiful, wonderful, powerful, wise, protecting, humbling, exalted, gentle, patient, persistent, loving, true, everlasting, unchanging, worthy, healing, caring, forgiving, everywhere, evident, gracious and kind.
Because of Easter, I know that You are most definitely ALIVE!
2 comments
Bob J says:
April 12, 2009 at 8:41 am (UTC -5 )
Man, this was well written……..by Paul(and you too Tom). Thanks for the good reminder of the importance of today to share to our kids!
Michael Blankenship says:
April 12, 2009 at 8:02 am (UTC -5 )
Tom, Thank you for sharing this. I think most of us think of the death and the rising of Christ to be one event. I, for one, have not separated out the two events that happened for us – Christ died for the forgiveness of our sins and Christ has risen so that we may live a new life, in Christ.
Thanks again – Happy Easter!