The Beauty of Easter

Good Friday. The darkest of all days. The day that Jesus sacrificially gave His life on the cross. The day He was beaten, mocked and ridiculed. The day all hope seemed lost…

Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus. She had seen Him perform miracles. She was a miracle herself, as Jesus had cast demons out of her. From that day on, she followed Him. She was there at the crucifixion. Can you imagine the hopelessness she felt that Friday? Her Savior, the One who had healed her and made her whole, was being crucified. And all hope seemed lost…

Thankfully, we know the story doesn’t end there. 3 days later, Jesus arose from the grave! His death had atoned for our sins and His resurrection defeated death once and for all! And who was among the first to hear about His resurrection? Mary Magdalene. And her hope was restored.

But Mary Magdalene wasn’t the only woman who found her hope in Jesus.

Jesus was hope for the woman at the well. He was hope for the woman caught in adultery and for the woman with an issue of blood. He was hope for Martha, who almost missed Him because she was too busy serving. And He was hope for Mary, who took the time to sit at His feet.

Today, He is hope for the woman who feels unloved and not good enough. He is hope for the woman who can’t conceive. He is hope for the woman who longs to be married and He is hope for the woman whose marriage is falling apart.

And He is hope for me. He is hope for me when my body aches and it’s hard to get out of bed. He is hope for me when I feel discouraged by the weight of sin. And He is hope for me on the good days, too.

His death on the cross and His resurrection is the foundation for everything. He paid the ultimate sacrifice for us, and He freely offers us this hope. This is why we celebrate. Without it, everything we do would be in vain. The beauty of Easter isn’t found in the pretty pastel colors, the family get-togethers, or the egg hunts.

The beauty of Easter is found in Jesus.

The beauty of Easter is found in the hope of the Gospel. 

In the busyness of this weekend, may we take time to sit at His feet and praise Him. May we take time to invite someone to church who doesn’t yet know of this hope. And on Monday morning, when Easter Sunday has come and gone, may we continue to celebrate this hope. Because Jesus is worth celebrating today, on Resurrection Sunday, and every day after!

Happy Easter, dear friends!