Easter is different.
Christians celebrate His birth – but everyone is born. A multitude of angels, some shepherds, even a few magi makes His different, but not all that different, really.
Christians celebrate His life – but many others have similar messages that bring good things to the lives of those who follow their precepts. That doesn’t make Him different.
Christians remember His death – but all men die. Some old and natural, some young and tragic. Even the method of His death was not different, He was only one of three on that hill.
Easter is the difference.
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. (Matthew 28:6 KJV)
But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. (Mark 14:28 KJV)
And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. (Mark 16:6 KJV)
He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, (Luke 24:6 KJV)
Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. (Luke 24:34 KJV)
When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. (John 2:22 KJV)
This is the base of Christianity. He is risen. That, and that alone, makes Easter different.
Paul wrote of what it would be like, if it were not so: But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. (1 Corinthians 15:13-14 KJV)
The choice is ours. Do we stand with those who loudly shout: he is risen, The Lord is risen indeed.
I have, I do, I will.
Thanks for your inspiration. The scripture citations were a special blessing to me at the beginning of a long day. I may whine and complain, but thinking of all that Jesus went through for us makes my petty problems trivial.
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