By Isabelle Ruff | Intern
It’s “He is risen,” not “He was risen.”
Christ’s sacrifice was for all people and for all time, so even though there is a day set aside to celebrate the resurrection, the reason for Easter never ends. Let the celebration continue!
It is easy to make Easter a holiday to celebrate spring with eggs and bunnies, but the true reason is the resurrection of Christ. This is the day that changed history forever, setting everyone free from the bonds of sin.
The Rev. Timothy Hayes, a Catholic priest in Granville, Ohio, reminds his congregation that the Lenten season — mimicking the 40 days Christ spent tempted in the wilderness, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday — all prepare for and celebrate Christ’s resurrection. Not only do the months preceding Easter focus on the resurrection, but every Sunday beyond it does too.
Every church service is ultimately centered around the belief in the resurrection. And if Christians believe this, their lives are no longer about falling short but rather about their freedom in Christ.
The Moody Bible Institute in Chicago says that by rising from the dead, Christ shows that He has removed our past guilt and continues to help us live well.
Freedom is something to be joyful about and celebrate. And if Christ set us all free, then Christians have a reason to rejoice every day. The stress of school, social life and everything else can take up our focus, but all these are fleeting. Christ’s freedom by grace is forever.
It is also just as important to remember the sacrifice that Christ made, dying on the cross and remaining in the tomb for three days. This amplifies the resurrection of Christ. He was dead, but now He is alive!
Christ left his followers with the command and encouragement to share His story all over the world, telling everyone about the grace they can embrace if they believe in Him. Christians are still called to share this truth worthy of celebration.
In my own life, living out the celebration of Christ’s life consists of reminding and recentering myself on Him. I still struggle with stress, failure and difficulty, but I can find comfort in the fact that those things don’t ultimately matter because Christ is alive! I am no longer defined by my shortcomings but rather by following Christ.
Christ’s resurrection provides eternal hope and freedom for all people. Christians should extend their joy beyond Easter, constantly celebrating and abiding in the living Christ.
