Today we celebrate the day Jesus rose from the dead after dying on the cross on Good Friday. Why did He have to suffer and die for us? The answer is simple: because He loves us and knew we could never repay the debt we owed. He knew He was the only one who could do it.
Jesus’ death paid our debt to God for our sins. His resurrection is our assurance. His death on the cross brought us forgiveness. It gave us right standing with God. And His resurrection gave us hope for the future.
What a wonderful thing it is to know that we are forgiven. All the wrong things we have done – all that once separated us from God – have been paid for by Jesus. His death covered our debt and purchased our forgiveness. We now stand forgiven before God the Father.
In addition, we have right standing with God –we are justified. God declares us justified – “not guilty” in His sight – despite our sinful nature. This is only possible because Jesus took the punishment on our behalf. There is nothing we can do to earn this – not through good works, not by living a moral life, and not by following the law. We are declared justified by faith alone, through accepting and believing in Jesus Christ.
Lastly, we have hope for the future. Hope is what we all need in a world that can often feel hopeless. It is the light at the end of the tunnel. We have this hope because Jesus promised to be with us through everything. And, when our time on earth ends, He promises to come and take us to be with Him – where there is no more pain or suffering, where He will wipe away every tear, and we will spend eternity in His presence.
So today, this Easter Sunday, let’s praise and thank our risen Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ – for forgiving our sins, for giving us right standing with God the Father, and for filling our lives with unshakable hope.
Deacon Ryan Loveday
