Easter, the celebration of “New Life” !
John 12:24 – “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds”.
As Easter approaches, Christians look forward to celebrating all that it means to us and what it offers to non Christians. All people are born sinners. All of us are naturally drawn to sin. We can all look at our lives and see areas of rebellion against God. We don’t follow some of God’s commands because of the sacrifice involved. When we read God’s commands they are offensive to us. We don’t want to be told what we can and cannot do. We make excuses to justify sinful thoughts, words and deeds. God does not force obedience but warns that the penalty of our rejecting Him, through disobedience, is eternal death. We need a Savior!
In the verse above Jesus illustrates the miracle of how death brings life. Having lived a perfect life, Jesus could have gone to Heaven without dying and suffering the cross. Without his death, we would all die as payment for our sin. In God’s wisdom, He provided a way for sinful mankind to return to Him in righteousness. It required someone who was without sin to be willing to die in our place. “ For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:28. In this verse new covenant refers to newly revealed. It was always God’s plan to provide redemption through a Savior. In the Old Testament, God foretold in Isaiah 53: 5 “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our sins, the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed”. “7 He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And the LORD ]has laid on Him the sins of us all”.
11 “My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their sins”.
So Jesus’s death provides life to many by believing in Him. This is the reason we celebrate Easter. While Jesus did die and suffered death, God brought him back to life to signify that the payment for sin was accepted. For Christians who have trusted in Christ, death is now only a transition from mortality to immortality. 2 Corinthians 4:14 tells us “knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus” . Christians who have sincerely placed their faith in Jesus are now justified. This means their sins are removed and they are righteous in God’s sight by faith in Jesus and will be raised back to life just as he was. Christians share in Christ’s death in that they are putting their old sinful life to death. They are sharing in His resurrection by living a new life in obedience to Him. This new life is eternal. Yes, He died to bring new life for many, to all who will trust in Him.
You can have a new life too! Come!
Evangel Church PCA 423 Thompson Rd. Alabaster, Al evangelchurchpca.org
Sunday - SS 9 am - Worship 10:15 am