Why is Easter so important?
Beyond the pastels, candy, and eggs, why is Easter so important in the Christian faith? Easter serves as Christians’ annual celebration as the most important part of our faith: the resurrection of Jesus. While there are any number of key aspects of the Christian faith, the Bible presents the resurrection of Jesus as the central element of our faith. The Apostle Paul explained to one first-century church, “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14). Apart from the resurrection of Jesus, the Christian faith is worthless. In fact, Paul will go on to say, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile” (1 Corinthians 15:17).
In this same letter, Paul will go on to say that because Christ has been raised from the dead, we can live with hope. We have hope that the pain and brokenness of this world do not have the final say. We have hope that injustice and suffering will one day be made right. Jesus’s resurrection energizes that hope because his resurrection is the great turning point of history. We now look forward to the day when he returns and all those who trust in him will be raised just as he is to enjoy life with him. We look forward in hope to when the world, too, will be made new.
The hope of the resurrection animates our lives. In light of Jesus’s resurrection and our future resurrection, Paul writes, “Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Without the resurrection, even our faith is in vain. With the hope of the resurrection, all we do in this life will not be in vain.
We’d love for you to join us in worship on Easter Sunday (April 5) at 10AM at Viewmont Elementary School in Hickory, NC. Click here to learn more about Sundays at CTK.
You can prepare for Easter with this Holy Week Devotional.
