Words by Chad Hayes | Image by Ryan McGill
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 1 Corinthians 15:14-17 (ESV)
Two of my favorite days of the year occurred last week: the first two days of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. That’s right, March Madness! Thirty-two college basketball games jam-packed into 48 hours, complete with Cinderella stories, buzzer beaters, bracket busters, and much more. Can it get any better?
In college, my fraternity brothers and I used to camp out in our dorms watching games for 12 hours straight instead of going to class. That semi-vegetative dynamic has continued through the years (even last week, if you came by my house, you might have seen me watching three games at once on my TV, cell phone, and iPad).
But something happened this year as I was watching those games: I thought about what day of the year should be my favorite. My mind went to Easter and I was convicted.
Is Easter my favorite day of the whole year? Do I look forward to Easter more than my son’s birthday, Christmas, football season, or March Madness?
The honest answer is “usually not.”
Why is Easter the most important day of the year? Because it commemorates the most important event in human history, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was, literally, the best day ever.
Throughout Scripture, we find testimonies and authentications of this unsurpassed miracle. For instance, Jesus himself predicted His resurrection in the book of Matthew: “As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.’ And they were greatly distressed.” – Matthew 17:22-23 (ESV)
In the first sermon of the church, Peter proclaimed Christ’s resurrection: “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” – Acts 2:22-24 (NIV)
Further, Paul prioritized the resurrection of Christ. The church in Corinth had doubted that Christians who died would be resurrected one day. Paul writes the words of our main passage to remind them if no one is resurrected, Jesus was not resurrected either. Furthermore, if Jesus was not raised from the dead, then our faith is useless, and we are still stuck in our sins. Paul goes on to say, “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” – 1 Corinthians 15:19 (ESV)
Without Christ’s resurrection, there is no salvation, redemption, restoration, or eternal life. John MacArthur echoes this truth, “If Christ was not raised, then He did not bring forgiveness of sins or salvation or reconciliation or spiritual life, either for now or eternity.”
That is why Easter should be our favorite day of the entire year. Sure, egg hunts, family time, bunnies, new outfits, and church services are all wonderful, but the resurrection of Jesus is paramount. If His tomb is not empty, then everything else is useless and we are hopeless.
I would like to close by sharing a verse from Hebrews. “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21 (NIV)
I pray you have an amazing Easter and cherish the day as your favorite day of the year!
By His grace,
Chad
