He is not here; for He is risen. (Matthew 28:6a NKJV)

The Easter holiday evokes a lot of images when you think about it. Things like chocolate bunnies. Jelly beans. Egg hunts. The Easter Bunny. Fancy hats and dresses. While fun, those traditions have nothing to do with the reason Christians celebrate Easter.

To understand why Christians celebrate Easter, we need to rewind a little – back to December. In that month, we celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas. Jesus, who is God, took on human flesh and dwelt among His creation.

Then three days before Easter, we remember Jesus’ death on the cross on Good Friday. And on Easter, we celebrate His resurrection from the dead. He is risen! Good Friday is only good because Jesus is no longer in the tomb.

Not only that, but Jesus willingly gave His life for us. He didn’t have to do it, but He chose to, knowing He had the power to overcome our greatest enemy – death. Jesus said,

Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. (John 10:17–18 NKJV)

Jesus overcame death! Because of what Jesus did, our sins can be forgiven. We can have a relationship with God. All you need to do to be saved is to “confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead” (Romans 10:9 NKJV). As it says in Romans 10:10 (NKJV), “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

So, that’s why Christians celebrate Easter. If you haven’t accepted God’s free gift of salvation, I hope you will so you can celebrate with us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV).

And if you’ve already accepted that gift, take time to meditate on our awesome Savior as you prepare to celebrate Easter. Think about all He’s done for you and how powerful He is. Then praise Jesus for saving you as you walk by faith with Him.

Photo by Pisit Heng on Unsplash