Happy Easter!

What are you celebrating today? The quick answer is: “Easter.” But really, what is your day filled with? What message are the children receiving about Easter? Does the Easter Bunny play a larger role in today's celebrations than Jesus? Are there more Easter egg hunts and chocolate bunnies than time spent remembering what Easter is really about?

Our culture has made Easter a celebration of spring. There is nothing wrong with celebrating spring. I live in Canada where winter can seem far too long at times. Yesterday most of the snow melted. That is worth celebrating! The problem occurs when the celebration of spring becomes more important, or more the focus, than the celebration of the risen Christ.

As the Apostle Paul reminds us, the cornerstone of the Christian faith is the resurrection of Christ.

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. or if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (1 (Co 15:12-22)

Without the good news of the resurrection of Jesus, there is no hope of heaven, there is no forgiveness of sins, there is no intimate relationship with God. If Jesus did not raise from the dead, then His word cannot be trusted, because He claimed He would rise. If Jesus did not raise from the dead, then He is no different than any other world leader who died for his/her people.

There are those who claim the name “Christian” that do not believe in the resurrection. Paul tells them in the above passage that “your faith is futile; you are still dead in your sins.” In humanistic terms, the resurrection doesn't make sense, and those who deny the resurrection while still calling themselves Christians are really humanists.

I come from a scientific background. Logic and facts are very important to me. I must confess, I would be somewhat like Thomas who wanted to see the nail scars in Jesus' hands and the hole in His side. Of course, I don't have that opportunity, but there is an overwhelming amount of evidence, and logic, that supports the resurrection.

I don't have time here to go into the evidence, but I will briefly mention a bit of the logic. Of the 12 Apostles, eleven were martyred for their belief in the resurrection of Jesus. John was imprisoned for that same belief. All of them could have been spared if they would simply deny that profession. They each claimed to see the risen Christ on more than one occasion. They died for that claim. All of us have lied at one time or another. It is usually to make us look better, to get something we shouldn't, or to avoid getting into trouble. If these men were lying, they were not personally benefiting from the lie – rather they died for their lie. That doesn't make any sense to me. These men firmly believed that Jesus did in fact rise from the dead, and they died horrible deaths because of that belief.

That probably isn't quite enough evidence for some of us, but in my own life, I have experienced a personal relationship with the risen Christ. Too many things in my life have been beyond coincidence. I have known “peace that passes understanding” through terrible trials. Once I heard His voice as plain as day. I have prayed for wisdom and received it. I have prayed for relief from depression and have received it. It is hard to explain to someone who doesn't know Jesus intimately what that is like. It has nothing to do with ceremonies, church attendance, or rituals. It is a relationship with someone who is very definitely alive and involved in my life.

I pray that today you may experience the risen Christ in your life.