Easter, the new awakening! Have you ever thought of what those women who went to visit Jesus’ grave on the third day thought?  Just three days ago, their Lord was crucified and died on the cross.  Were they expecting to see the miracle of His resurrection or did they simply go to anoint His body with spices as was the custom.  Here is what the Gospel of John 20:11-15 says:

11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.  13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

One crucial understanding of Christianity and the foundation to our salvation as believers is the hope that we have in the Resurrection of Jesus.  That is why we titled this lesson as Easter, the new awakening. Through the resurrection we have power over death and the elimination of works as a prerequisite to salvation.  No longer do we need to worry about following the Law given by God to Moses.  Here is what Peter the Apostle says in Acts 15:10-11:

10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

Jesus didn’t simply die on the cross and was buried.  The power over death that we have through Jesus as a result of the resurrection means that all who place their trust in Jesus will be saved.  Salvation is achieved through Jesus.  Here is what Paul the Apostle says in Romans 10:9 :

9 If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Many Christians today live their lives as though Christ has simply died and the story has come to an end.  Jesus isn’t a prophet that came, communicated a message and left.  On the contrary, Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of God the Father.  He came to this earth, took a human form and became the one and only sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins.  He is the High Priest, the intermediary between God the Father and mankind.  So, why do so many Christians still live in despair, hopelessness and drowning in their sins?  If our Lord is alive then we must be filled with life in abundance that Jesus promised He came to give.  We also know that the New Covenant between God and man is that the Lord now dwells in us as a result of the Glorious Resurrection.  Jesus promised that he would send the Helper – the Holy Spirit to us after He ascended.  On the day of Pentecost, we received the Holy Spirit and every believer that accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior will receive the Spirit.

Do you believe that Jesus resurrected from the dead, then live in Jesus and He in you.  No matter what life throws your way, you must be ecstatic that our wretched sinful nature has been redeemed by our Lord Savior Jesus and has restored us to the Father.  That’s why Easter, the new awakening is a title that encapsulates the understanding of being a new man in Christ.  Through Christ we are saved.  If you haven’t yet accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, now is the time to do so.  If you believe that Jesus is Lord, He has risen and sits at the right hand of God, then you will be saved.  Some believe in an elaborate prayer to receive Jesus, if you like you can pray this prayer in your heart and begin your walk with the Lord.

Lord Jesus I know that I am a sinner and ask forgiveness for my sins.  I ask in Jesus mighty name that my sins be forgiven and separated from me as the east is from the west.  From this moment forward, I accept you Jesus as my Lord and Savior and ask you dwell in my heart.  Please save me from my sins and restore me to the Father.  I proclaim you as my Lord and ask that you write my name in your Book of Life.  All this I pray in Jesus might name.  AMEN

If you made the decision to receive Christ today, Illuminating Faith welcomes you to the family of God.