The Power of Christ's Resurrection

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (rf. 1 Pet. 1:3–5 NASB)

As we celebrate Easter, the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, this month, it gives us an opportunity to stop and review exactly why we set aside this day as a special holiday of celebration in the first place. Is it merely a tradition that affords us the chance to purchase new clothes and the venue in which to display them akin to the runway in the fashion world? Or have we, like the society around us, only added it to the list of days for the “kid’s benefit” so that we can have another excuse to load them down with toys, candy, etc.? In other words, what is our real purpose in celebrating Easter beyond the accoutrements of clothes and candy? Have our lives been thoroughly and totally impacted by its message as to compel us to want to join in with fellow believers around the globe in honor and glory and in remembrance of Christ’s work to make this day unique among all others? These are paramount questions we must ask ourselves.

The Apostle Peter reminds us in the passage above that the resurrection of Christ, the event that makes Easter distinct and exceptional, did not just “obtain (for us) an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled…ready to be revealed in the last time”. No, the resurrection of Christ gave to His followers a “living hope”; that is, the power of His resurrection in the life of the believer is to be fleshed out in this world, lived out in everyday life so that those around him/her will see by our lives the reality of this power flowing through us.

Peter is not just speaking of Christ’s resurrection as being the means of getting us into heaven. Au contraire, mon ami. He is encouraging believers in Christ to live in the hope of His resurrection power so that we literally may be the lights of hope to a world darkened and dead in sin. When we have been transformed by His power and our lives are no longer the same as they were before because of Jesus, then we have great reason to look forward to raising up the Name of Jesus in glory for what He did that Easter morning so long ago. When our lives reflect daily that “living hope” in Christ, Easter is a very special day of celebration, but we also walk in the spirit of Easter every day of the year.

So, please do not misread my intentions, here. New clothes are nice, but not necessary in order to celebrate Easter. Candy is sweet and chocolate is wonderful (how well I know), but is not required for an Easter celebration. Rather, an obligatory prerequisite would be for us to be committed to living out our faith by His resurrection power, moment by moment, so that, when Easter Day arrives, we can praise God for raising Jesus from the dead and, through Him, giving us new life as well. Then, with His power in us, we go forth truly changing our world for Christ, one life, one home, one community at a time.