We celebrate many holidays throughout the year, but none is more important than the one we celebrate this weekend — the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter is a historical date unlike Christmas, which is a day chosen to remember His birth. We know that on Easter Sunday, we commemorate the actual day Jesus rose from the grave. Naturally, our thoughts go to the happiness and excitement of the resurrection and the hope it brings. But today, I want us to think about the why behind the resurrection.
The Reason
If you’re like me, and so many others, you can recite the why of the crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus died because our sin condemns us to death. God couldn’t leave it there because He loves us and doesn’t want us to be condemned. Instead, He sent His Son, who had no sin, to pay our debt — to die in our place so we can live with Him for eternity. Jesus hung on the cross and died, but God didn’t leave it there either. No, He raised Him from the dead, showing us that is what He’ll do for us as well.
A Lesson From Peter
While it is wonderful to focus on the resurrection, we must look at, and acknowledge, our overwhelming need for Jesus’ sacrifice. I can think of no better example than Peter of this need. Peter, one of the three closest disciples to Jesus. He declared he’d never leave Jesus and vowed that he would die with Him rather than disown Him. The same Peter that Jesus warned saying “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” To be fair, Peter fought for the Lord. When they arrested Jesus, Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of one of the high priest’s servants, but Jesus stopped the fighting and healed the man. It looked like Peter had meant what he said, and he was prepared to die for Jesus.
The Flesh is Weak
Within a short time, however, everything changed. After Jesus’ arrest, Peter, when confronted three times by people accusing him of being one of Jesus’ followers, denied the accusations saying, “I don’t know the man!” In Matthew’s gospel, he writes, “Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: ‘Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.” (Matthew 26:74b-75) Peter was filled with remorse for his denial of Jesus.
Peter is us. He believes in Jesus. He loves Jesus. He is determined to obey Jesus. And then, he denies Jesus. Peter was very close to Jesus, but he needed Jesus to sacrifice Himself for him too. No matter how hard Peter tried and how much he loved Jesus, he was weak, gave into his fear, and denied Jesus. The only way for Peter to be saved was for Jesus to die. We are Peter. We say we believe in Jesus and we are following Him, but we are weak. We fall down. We sin. We do the opposite of what we know to do and there is no way we can save ourselves. We need Jesus.
Gratitude
This Easter, thank God for the Resurrection but thank Him first for the sacrifice. Thank Him for accepting the death of Jesus in your place. Thank Him for making a way for you to heaven when there is no way you can get there on your own. And yes, thank Him for the glorious rising of Jesus from the dead and that someday, you’ll rise after death as well. And like Peter, understand what Jesus has done for you. Commit your life to following Him, obeying His commands, and sharing the Good News with everyone you meet. After all, God wants everyone to be saved, and He proved it when He sacrificed His Son.
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