The life of Jesus is real in time and nature, and at the same time, his every act sends a message. He was born, lived as a baby, worked a job, ministered for three years, and died and rose again. These things aren't myth or fiction. They happened.
Christ was also the Logos, the Word, the message of God. Messages aren't limited to words; some say actions speak louder than words. Possibly a cliché, but the whole of Jesus's life, not simply the religious parts, told the truth of God to the world.
For example, Jesus healed a blind man. A man was indeed blind, and Jesus healed him of that infirmity. But that action also spoke about who God is as a healer, Jehovah Raffa, and how he loves us enough to heal our physical and spiritual infirmities. God helps a blind man to see, but he also opens the eyes of our souls and minds to receive spiritual revelation of eternal truth.
During Easter, we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus. These things happened in history, complete with witnesses, but they also speak across time and space to us today. They tell us about the character of God. Among the multitude of messages within Easter is this—He is a God who makes and keeps his promises.
What promises? Here are seven powerful promises of Easter.
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Through Jesus's death and resurrection, we are granted a fresh start, a spiritual rebirth that brings transformation and renewal. This promise of new life is at the heart of the Christian faith, offering hope and redemption to all who embrace it.
The promise of new life is beautifully illustrated in 2 Corinthians 5:17, which states, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" This verse highlights the transformative power of Easter, where those who are united with Christ are made new, free from the burdens of sin and death.
Also, in Romans 6:4, "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Through baptism, believers symbolically participate in Christ's death and resurrection, signaling their commitment to a life of obedience and faithfulness.
Easter embodies the promise of new life, offering forgiveness, transformation, and the hope of eternal life to all who trust in Jesus Christ. This promise is grounded in the truths of Christ's resurrection and his victory over sin and death, providing believers with the ultimate source of hope and redemption.
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Easter heralds the promise of forgiveness, a central theme stemming from Jesus's sacrificial death and resurrection. This promise extends to all who accept Christ's atoning sacrifice, offering liberation from the guilt and consequences of sin.
Scripture abounds with references to God's forgiveness made possible through Christ. Ephesians 1:7 says, "In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." We have sinned, each of us, and deserve punishment and death, both physical and eternal. But God, through his love, paved the way for us to repent and receive absolute forgiveness and cleansing of all unrighteousness.
Our sin made us citizens of darkness, but the blood of Jesus rescues us from this, too. "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13-14) Through Christ's death and resurrection, believers are rescued from sin's power and reconciled to God, experiencing the fullness of his forgiveness.
This great and complete forgiveness expresses God's amazing love. As Romans 5:8 proclaims, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This sacrificial love embodies the depth of God's forgiveness, offering reconciliation and restoration to all who repent and believe in him.
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In our sin, we had no hope, no future. Now, through Christ, we have a secure and sure hope.
Easter proclaims the promise of secure, eternal hope for all who place their faith in Jesus Christ. This hope transcends earthly circumstances and is grounded in the assurance of Christ’s resurrection and the promise of everlasting life.
Scripture offers numerous references to the secure hope provided by Easter. 1 Peter 1:3 affirms this: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Through Christ’s resurrection, believers are born into a living hope—a vibrant, enduring, and certain hope.
Hebrews 6:19-20 describes this hope as an anchor for the soul, stating, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.” Just as an anchor secures a ship amidst turbulent waters, so too does the hope found in Christ anchor believers amidst the storms of life, providing stability and assurance. The inner sanctuary of the verse speaks of the Holy of Holies behind the veil, where only the High Priest could enter once a year or receive death. Now, the court of God in heaven is open to us through the blood. This anchors our belief in his promises and love for us.
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With sin, death entered the picture. God’s forgiveness through Christ not only forgives us but also deals with the consequences of sin: spiritual and physical death. Easter represents the ultimate promise of victory over death, a cornerstone of our faith, demonstrated through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This victory offers assurance that death has been conquered, and eternal life awaits those who trust Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:54-55 proclaims, “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” We celebrate the triumph of Christ’s resurrection over death, rendering it powerless and conquered, an eloquent “in your face!” of death and sin.
Also, Romans 6:9 declares, “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.” Other resurrected people (like Lazarus) died again. Jesus did not. Through Christ’s resurrection, death has been decisively defeated, and believers share in his victory, no longer bound by the fear or finality of death.
Christ defeated death because no one can kill the resurrection, eternal life himself. Jesus says at the grave of Lazarus in John 11:25-26, “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.” This promise assures us of eternal life beyond physical death and the abundant life found in Christ here and now.
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The world is full of war, conflict, and division, as many of us will see firsthand through the coming election season in America. Even when we supposedly rest, it’s situational, and we can’t find peace.
Easter promises peace in this life and the life to come through the victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death. This peace transcends earthly circumstances and offers believers a profound sense of assurance, security, and reconciliation with God.
The peace offered to us transcends every situation because it comes from heaven and the King of all. In John 14:27, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.” This assurance of peace comes directly from the person of Jesus, who promises to bestow his peace upon his followers, a peace that surpasses understanding and is not dependent on external conditions.
Moreover, Romans 5:1 declares, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection, we are reconciled to God, no longer estranged or at enmity with Him. This peace with God forms the foundation for peace in every aspect of life.
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Jesus didn’t die for me or you alone. He died for the world, and as I am one with Christ, God also made us into a family with brothers and sisters across time and national boundaries.
Easter promises the gift of community and spiritual family for all who believe in Jesus Christ. This promise is rooted in the Church as the body of Christ, where believers are united in faith, love, and fellowship.
Scripture affirms the importance of community and spiritual family in the Christian faith. In Acts 2:42-47, the early believers are described as devoted to fellowship, breaking bread together, and praying with one another. This illustrates the vibrant community that characterized the early Church, where believers shared their lives and resources in unity and love.
Hebrews 10:24-25 encourages believers to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” We must remember the importance of gathering together as a community of faith to encourage and support one another in the journey of discipleship.
We can’t live this abundant Kingdom life alone, without God and each other. We need one another (1 Corinthians 12:21). As members of the body of Christ, believers are called to love one another, bear each other’s burdens, and grow together in faith and fellowship.
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Easter embodies the promise of eternal life and boundless joy for all who believe in Jesus Christ. This promise is the culmination of Christ’s victory over sin and death, assuring believers of life beyond the grave and unending joy in his presence.
In John 3:16, Jesus says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This verse encapsulates the essence of Easter, emphasizing God’s sacrificial love and the gift of eternal life bestowed upon those who place their faith in Jesus Christ.
Through Christ, we live in eternal life now and will continue beyond this life, a promise of abundance. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10). Easter offers believers eternal life and abundant joy and fulfillment in Christ.
The promise of eternal life and joy in Easter is further affirmed in Revelation 21:4, which describes the future reality of God’s kingdom, stating, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” This vision of the new heaven and new earth assures us of the eternal joy and peace that awaits them in the presence of God.
In the Old Testament, God promised to send a Messiah to lead Israel and all humanity into a New Covenant. He fulfilled all that prophecy by sending his Son. Jesus promised to rise again after his crucifixion, which he did.
God fulfills his promises. Just as he did what he said, rising from the dead, let this Easter be a reminder of his sure promises. He has done them and will fulfill them eternally.
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