From the Pulpit: 'He rose from the dead, conquered death so we can be free'

Easter week is upon us! This week the Church celebrates two important events: the death of Jesus and the resurrection of Jesus. Both are powerful and life-changing.

First, we celebrate Good Friday, which is the death of Jesus. We start with the last supper with his disciples, then the betrayal of Jesus, the trial, and finally the crucifixion of Jesus. This event is crucial to our faith because Jesus took the weight of our sins so we could be free.

Then, we celebrate Easter Sunday! This could be the biggest holiday in the Christian tradition! Easter Sunday represents that Jesus didn’t stay dead, that Satan doesn’t get the victory. God does.

In all four of the gospels, we can read the resurrection story of Jesus. Two ladies visited the tomb where Jesus was buried but there was no body! That means Jesus rose from the dead and conquered death so we again can be free.

Each story points to freedom. Even further, each story points to us being reconciled to our Heavenly Father.  John 14:6 says “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” This scripture says that Jesus “bridged the gap” for us to reach our Heavenly Father. And that’s the end goal, to be in eternity with our Heavenly Father.

As we celebrate Easter this year, let’s remember what Jesus did for us. Let’s remember that he conquered death so we could be free from sin, depression, stress, hurt, and so much more. But never forget that Jesus came to this earth so we could be reconciled with our Heavenly Father. When we have a right relationship, we inherit eternity with Him.  

This Easter, I pray that you are reconciled with our Heavenly Father so we can spend eternity with Him.