Why does Easter matter?

1 Corinthians 15:16-18, 20, John 11:24-26

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Why does Easter matter? Or to put it another way, what would be missing without Easter? I’m sure we’d miss to some degree the change of seasons that we see in our local grocery stores to the pastel colors. We probably miss to some degree, some of our traditions of decorating eggs or hiding baskets. We maybe miss the excuse to eat peeps or black jellybeans, but I think we could get over those sorts of things. What else would we be missing?

We know that the Christian Church celebrates Easter as the day on which Jesus rose to life from the dead. So what if that didn’t happen? What would be missing? Sad to say, there are many people today, even some so-called Christians, that say Jesus didn’t rise to life from the dead on Easter. They’d say that’s scientifically impossible. Nobody can rise to life from the dead. When you’re dead, you’re dead. And that’s it. So what if that was the case? Well, the Apostle Paul kind of takes us down that rabbit hole in first Corinthians chapter 15 when he says this.

For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then it also follows that those who fell asleep in Christ perished. (1 Corinthians 15:16-18)

What the Apostle Paul is saying here is that if it’s impossible for anyone to rise to life from the dead, then Christ hasn’t risen to life from the dead. The result of that being that your faith is basically worthless, you’re still in your sins, and there is no hope for you when it comes to death. No hope for your loved ones as well. What is the point of Christianity if Christ himself was defeated by our greatest enemy death?

Well, there’d be only cause for despair to know that our sins still weigh heavy upon us. Still. We deserved the judgment for those sins. It would also lead to despair when it comes to our own death and the death of our loved ones to know that that’s it. That’s all. There’s no hope of reunion again. The Apostle Paul goes on to say this.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20)

He says with confidence Christ has been raised from the dead. Yes, he has come back to life again from the dead as the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep, as proof to us that because he has risen, we also shall rise. Christ’s resurrection assures us that what he said in his word concerning our sins is true, that his death on the cross did make satisfaction for our sins. It assures us as well that we have the hope of eternal life, that even though we die yet we shall live. We can have confidence in this because of Jesus who proclaimed it. The same one who promised it did it himself. The same one who told Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live even though he dies. (John 11:24-26) He himself died and brought himself back to life from the grave so we can be confident of this.

The entire Bible testifies to this truth, testifies to the resurrection that Jesus has risen from the grave. We see in the Bible, the empty tomb. We see in the Bible, 500 witnesses who saw him alive. We take to heart the words of what Scripture testifies concerning Jesus so that we too can have confidence. So what would be missing without Easter or why does Easter matter? Well, makes all the difference for us concerning our Christian faith, doesn’t it? It’s not just simply about eggs and candy and traditions. It’s about Jesus rising to life from the dead so that we can know because he has risen to life. So too, we shall rise. All of our sins are forgiven in him. We also shall be reunited one day with those who have died in the Lord. Amen.