“For God so loved the world that He gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish, but might have eternal life.” John 3:16
Easter is the holiest and most blessed day of the year for Christians across the globe. It’s the day that Christ defeated death and in doing so, saved the world from sin and misery. We’ve heard the story preached a thousand different times, and it should never fail to remind us just what God sacrificed for humanity.
God sent His son to die to save a world that could never and would never be able to repay that sacrifice. He watched His son suffer for a world that continuously rejected Him, turned on Him, and proved over and over how unworthy we were of being saved. That’s the depth of God’s love for humanity. It’s a love we don’t always deserve and debt that, even though we are called daily to try, we can never fully repay.
The true miracle of Easter is the resurrection of Jesus. But in that miracle lies a sobering truth… it’s a miracle we don’t deserve. It’s a miracle we can never fully understand. It’s a miracle we can never truly know depth of. But that is what makes it the most important and enduring miracle of all! God knows all our flaws and loves us anyway, unconditionally in a way that’s deeper than the greatest love a parent has for a child. For what God gave us was more than life conquering death, it was also hope casting out darkness.
Easter, stripped down to its core is eternal hope. It is the ultimate desire for that which is good and right. And that hope is the only reason humanity can succeed. Hope is the whole reason we strive to be better and do better. Hope is the beacon lighting the way to the future. Hope is Christ, and it is the greatest gift humanity has ever been given. No, we don’t deserve it. But that’s what makes it truly miraculous. God gave it to us anyways knowing how we would fail. Knowing how we would fall short. Knowing how we might lose our way. He knew all this and still somehow said, “they’re worth it!” I often think, “are we?”
But, as much as it may not seem like it at times, we are worth it. Not because I say so or anyone else says so, but because God said so. To believe it, look no further than Jesus on the cross. Look no further than the empty tomb. Look no further than the light inside every Christian faithful who knows and believes. We may not deserve what we’ve been given, but we are worthy of it nonetheless. Remember that today of all days when sin and death were conquered with love and sacrifice. It’s the least we can do in humble and eternal gratitude for the salvation and hope we were all given on this day.
Happy and Blessed Easter to all!!!
“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.” – Pope John Paul II
Elizabeth Banak Books 