The Hope of Easter
Christ is risen! He is the reason we celebrate Easter every year. On the cross He sealed our pardon, paid the debt, and made us free. Three days later, up from the grave He arose. As a result of the Resurrection, those who have trusted in Christ for eternal life have hope in Christ’s power, hope in Christ’s promises, and hope in Christ’s presence.
1. Hope in Christ’s Power
Because Jesus defeated death when he arose on the first Resurrection Sunday, we can have the same power to defeat eternal death by trusting in Him for the forgiveness of our sins. What is significant about Jesus resurrection is that He is the first, and only, person to ever predict His death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21), resurrect Himself (Matthew Luke 24:6–7), and then never die again (Revelation 1:18).
Christ’s death defeating power is seen in Matthew 28 when he rose from the dead.
Matthew 28:6 — He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
This same power that raised Jesus from the dead and brought Him to life is given to all who follow Christ that they also might be saved and raised to eternal life.
Romans 10:13 — For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
The moment a person calls on the name of the Lord and puts his or her full trust in God for eternal salvation, the resurrection power of Christ is given to that person.
2. Hope in Christ’s Promises
Throughout His time on earth, Jesus made many promises. One of the promises that He made was that He would rise from the dead. He first mentioned this very early in His ministry here on earth. In the second chapter of John, while Jesus is speaking to the Jews, he prophesied that He would raise Himself from the dead.
John 2:19, 21–22 — Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
This is just one of several times that Jesus foretells what will happen after He would die. Three days after He was crucified, He arose from the dead just as He promised He would do. In Matthew 28, we see the
Matthew 28:6 — He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
He arose as He said He would. The fact that Jesus fulfilled this promise means that He will fulfill His other promises that He made including His promise to be present in the lives of those who trust in Him.
3. Hope in Christ’s Presence
Jesus fulfilled His promise to rise from the dead. Because He arose, we can know that He will fulfill His other promises. One of the most comforting promises for the follower of Christ is that Jesus will send the Holy Spirit into the life of all who call upon Him. Jesus promises this in John 14 as He was speaking to His followers and to extension those who follow Him today.
John 14:16–17 — And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
Jesus promises that once He return to Heaven, the Holy Spirit will be sent to dwell in those who follow Him. This is also seen at the end of Matthew 28 as Jesus is about to ascend to Heaven.
Matthew 28:18–20 — And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Jesus is always with the believer through power of the Holy Spirit. This gives hope to the Believer, as Jesus has sent a Helper to guide the Believer through his or her time on this earth and He will do this until this world ends.
By trusting in Christ for your eternal salvation, you can have the hope that the resurrection of Christ provides. Hope in Christ’s power, hope in Christ’s promises, and hope in Christ’s presence are all available for those who have called upon the name of the Lord.
