More than 8 billion people live worldwide today, and 95 countries have at least some form of Easter celebration. In the U.S., 91 billion chocolate bunnies are sold during the Easter season. Peeps®, the marshmallow treat made famous by the company of the same name, is consumed on average 1.5 billion times each Easter. A Brazilian chocolate company achieved a world record in 2017 with the largest chocolate rabbit ever recorded, weighing 9,359 lbs.
While Easter is predominantly a Christian holiday, aspects of the celebration have gained prominence around the world. Non-Christians are just as likely to participate in some form of Easter celebration as Christians, which provides an opportunity for Christians to reach out and share the true hope of Easter.
During Jesus’ ministry on earth, many people followed Him, listening to His words and wanting to see a miracle. The crowds were there when He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and when He was crucified on the Cross.
In that crowd at the Cross, watching as Jesus was crucified, were the respected masses—the passive bystanders who simply watched as it happened. The masses are like people today who know about Jesus, but He isn’t a part of their daily life.
Then, there were the religious leaders who mocked Jesus and cared more for the law than their relationship with the Lord (Matthew 15:1-11). They spoke about faith in God but didn’t have true faith in Him.
The Roman soldiers, who cursed and brutalized Jesus before they crucified Him, were also in the crowd that day (Matthew 27:27-30). Like the soldiers, many in our world today take the Lord’s Name in vain, not showing Him the honor He deserves, even though they are in desperate need of Him.
There were also the two thieves who were crucified next to Jesus. One who lived his life for sin and hardened his heart toward Jesus (Luke 23:39). And another who was a true illustration of salvation—a sinner who simply asked Jesus for forgiveness in his final moments (Luke 23:40-43).
People who were close to Jesus were also there that day, mourning the death of the One they had followed and loved. Our world today is filled with people who have different opinions of Christ, who don’t know Him at all, or who think they know Him well but don’t. Spend time today asking God to help you see the people around you who need Him, to remember this Easter that salvation is for all, and to be bold for Him in the midst of the crowds.
Easter Explained
Easter is not the most celebrated holiday in the world, but for those who do celebrate it, its significance can’t be overstated. It’s a day in history that changed the world for eternity.
A life given so others could live. A Resurrection so that death no longer had power. A message shared so the whole world would know.
Toward the end of his first letter to the Corinthian church, Paul clearly explains the Good News of the Gospel. He writes,
“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved…. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
As he writes, Paul recalls when he began to talk to the Corinthians about the important things of life and reminds them that the most important thing he communicated to them was the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It was first; it was foremost; it was the basic bedrock truth.
We start with the message of Jesus Christ.
We start with the Gospel.
No man can comprehend the truths about God and eternity and how He works in the affairs of men today until he has come to understand the Gospel.
The genius of the Gospel and what sets Jesus Christ apart from all others and what causes us to celebrate Easter is this—there is no tomb any place in the universe where the remains of Jesus can be found. The Bible says that the Gospel is that He died and was buried and rose again on the third day. The whole crux of the Gospel rests on the truth of Jesus Christ and His resurrection.
Later in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says, “If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” (verse 17) Without the Resurrection, there is no Good News, and without the Good News, we have no hope.
But we have hope because He is risen, and we have Good News to share with the world!
Easter is the Good News of the Gospel—Christ came, He dwelt among us, He died in our place, He rose from the dead, and He is coming again. We celebrate Easter because, without this Good News, there is no hope. We are lost in our sins and separated forever from our Creator. Because of Easter, we live, and that is worth celebrating and sharing.
Share the Good News of the Gospel this Easter and change a life for eternity.
Standing Against the Crowd
When we talk about the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, Pontius Pilate is not often mentioned. And if he is, it is only because of his role in deciding that Christ should die on the Cross. The Bible doesn’t tell us much more about him, but the most important thing we can learn from Pontius Pilate is to be his exact opposite.
Going against the grain is rarely easy, but in our modern culture, it can feel even harder.
Pontius Pilate, as the governor of Jerusalem, was bound by his duty to serve the city’s people, including the Jews. He often failed in this part of his duties and even persecuted the Jewish people of Jerusalem, disturbing their places of worship and antagonizing them. When it came time for him to decide the fate of the Savior, Pontius Pilate gave in to the whims of the masses who wanted Christ crucified. “He took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, ‘I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it’” (Matthew 27:24).
Despite his power and position, Pilate gave in to the pressures of the crowds as they demanded Jesus be crucified. Worst of all, he knew Jesus was innocent of the charges brought against Him. Pilate let his desire for personal acceptance get in the way of doing the right thing.
We might often find ourselves in the same situation—overwhelmed by societal pressures and the deceptions of the enemy. But we have to remember that we are not of this world! We may be in it, but we are not to conform to it or its pressures (Romans 12:2).
In these challenging days, our options are to trust in God and His ways or give up in defeat. In Him, we have all we need to not only survive but thrive. In Him, we have every bit of hope, courage, faith, and purpose we need to stand against the pressures of this world and live our lives as an active testimony to who He is, what He did, and what He can do!
Christ’s resurrection from death three days after his crucifixion is a miracle that changed not only those who witnessed it but the lives of everyone who would hear the story from that day forward. This Easter season, reflect on some of the daily, worldly pressures you face and pray that God will give you the strength and courage to do what is right.
*Adapted from Season of Hope by Dr. David Jeremiah. Copyright © 2024 David P. Jeremiah. Used by permission of David Jeremiah.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Bychykhin_Olexandr
