Easter is the greatest celebration in the Christian calendar. Easter is when we remember the fulfillment of God’s rescue plan. It is our turning point and our hope.
Thousand-year prophecies are fulfilled at Easter. The ultimate sacrifice, the greatest act of love: Jesus Christ dying for our sins. The cross is our salvation. The empty tomb is our hope.
There are many beautiful glimpses in the Easter story. Jesus’ compassion in making provision for His mother while He hung dying on the cross. The faith of the criminal who hung beside Him, and the grace of Jesus’ words: “Today you will be with me in paradise.” The belief of the Roman centurion at the cross. The dedication of Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus, casting away their social concerns to honour Jesus in His death. The torn curtain ushering in a new and radical relationship dynamic between God and all believers.
The Easter story is dark and tragic, but there is beauty in it even before its triumphant ending.
This is a strange Easter. The coronavirus has cancelled most church services around the globe. We trust in God, and we believe that He will have the ultimate victory. We look to the day of His coming, when every wrong will be put right.
For now though, in our broken world, those glimpses of God’s love and mercy keep us going.