Why is Easter so important?

Some call it Easter, some call it Resurrection Sunday. Whatever you choose to call it is not as important as the event and the purpose of Jesus’ resurrection.

The timing of the crucifixion and His resurrection was no accident. It happened during "Passover" and during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. But Dave, why was “Passover” so important? It was important because it commemorated God's "passing over" the Hebrew's homes by the angel of death (Exodus 12:29). In the book of Exodus the Bible tells that God inflicted ten plagues upon the Egyptians before Pharaoh would release his Hebrew slaves, with the tenth plague being the killing of all of the firstborn, from the Pharaoh's son to the firstborn of the dungeon captive, to the firstborn of cattle. The Hebrew’s were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord passed over these homes, hence the term "passover".

When Pharaoh freed the Hebrews, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread to rise. In commemoration, for the duration of Passover, no leavened bread is eaten, for which reason it is called "The Festival of the Unleavened Bread". Matza (flat unleavened bread) is the primary symbol of the holiday. Together with Shavnot ("Pentecost") and Sukkot ("Tabernacles"), Passover is one of the 3 pilgrimage festivals during which the entire Jewish populace historically made a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. The Festival or Feast of Unleavened Bread begins with unleavened bread (bread made without yeast) and sacrificing an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. Jesus stood in as the final unblemished, sacrificial lamb (the lamb of God). He went to the cross for our sin. Yours and mine.

But the cross is only half of the miracle. Jesus died. No doubt about it. Jesus died on the cross. They buried Him, they closed the tomb and He was done. What makes this story so amazing is that Jesus rose from the grave. Paul emphasized the importance of the resurrection by saying this:

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures”.

Without Jesus returning from the grave every purpose of Christ would be unfulfilled and the foundation of Christianity would have fallen apart.

So Easter is important because it honors the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It honors God's provision for the perfect and final sacrifice for man's sins. With this provision, mankind has been given the opportunity for a new life of forgiveness and an escape from the bondage of sin.

Happy Easter everyone!

Thank you Jesus!!

dave