The Story of Easter

By Grant Gaines

In 1682, German author Georg Franck von Frankenau published a book in which he described a rabbit bringing colorful, candy-filled eggs to the homes of Christians on Easter morning. From that point on, the legend of the Easter Bunny bloomed.

But somewhere along the way, like Santa Clause has become for Christmas, like Cupid has become for Valentine’s Day, and like leprechauns have become for St. Patrick’s Day, the Easter Bunny, painted eggs, and bright colors have become the story of Easter. But do you want to know the true story of Easter?

The true story of Easter begins in Genesis 1:1 (NIV) where, “…God created the heavens and the earth,” and completed His work in 6 days (Genesis 2:2). But only one short chapter later, we see the fall of mankind through the sin of Adam and Eve. And from the time of the first sin in Genesis 3:6 all the way until Matthew 27 we see the feeble attempts of sinful man trying to earn his way into a relationship with a perfect God.

But along the path of human shortcomings we also see glimpses of God’s redemption plan. We see God give man the Law (the 10 Commandments + rules for God’s people to follow) in Exodus 20 and the Book of Leviticus so that they might temporarily find forgiveness for their sins. We read prophecy after prophecy (333 in all) about the coming of a Messiah – a Savior – who would save God’s people from their sins. And we read about a “New Covenant” that would replace the “Old Covenant” (or the Law) and would feature an intimate relationship between God and His people.

But over the 38 books between Genesis and Matthew all we see are these glimpses of hope. However, starting in Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19, we see the finished product of God’s redemption plan for fallen mankind as we read of God’s perfect Son, Jesus, hanging on the cross as a payment for our sins. And it is on that cross that we learn the true story of Easter – “It is finished” (John 19:30, NIV).

These three words may seem insignificant to some, but the fate of all mankind rests on these three words and in them is the true story of Easter. You see, unlike every other religion known to man, we serve a God – the only true and living God – who does not sit in heaven with disgust towards His fallen followers demanding that we get our act together through our own efforts before we can approach Him. No, we serve a God who, when we couldn’t find a way to get to Him, said “I am the Way…” (John 14:6, NIV). We serve a God who looks down on us in our sin, in our shame, in our failures, and in our weakness and says, “It is finished, I’ve paid the price!”

No longer do we strive to make ourselves righteous through our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9). No longer do we have to follow the Law in order to earn God’s favor (Galatians 5:1-17). Our man-made attempts to reach up to God are, in the words of Christ, finished, done, paid for by the death of the Author of Life.

That’s the true story of Easter – that on the cross we see the full extent of God’s love, compassion, and mercy.  We serve a God who knew that mankind could never be good enough to earn their way to God so, “God demonstrated His own love for us in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NIV). We see the full extent of God’s judgment, justice, and intolerance towards sin as He punished, “…[Christ] who had no sin,[but] became sin for us so that through Him we may become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NIV).

But that’s not where the true story of Easter ends. You see, when Jesus said, “It is finished”, He was not only implying that men’s unsuccessful attempts to work their way into God’s favor were finished, but that every sin that once took us, “…captive to do [Satan’s] will” (2 Timothy 2:26, NIV) were now defeated as well.

Galatians 5:24 (NIV) promises that, “Those who belong to Christ have crucified their sinful nature along with its passions and desires.” We once were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:18). We once were prisoners to pride, perversion, people pleasing, and pitiful passions, but now we are willing prisoners of the Lord (Romans 6:22). We once were blind but now we see.

Have you personally experienced the true story of Easter? The true story of Easter has nothing to do with Peter Cotton Tail but with a God who loved you enough to send His only Son Jesus to pay the debt of your sins that you could never pay for. Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches that this salvation cannot be earned through good deeds or by the sweat of your brow but that it is a free gift from God. And Romans 10:9 (NIV) tells us that you can receive this free gift of eternal life by, “…declar[ing] with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believ[ing] in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, [and] you will be saved.” Have you made this decision to accept Christ and the promise of eternal salvation yet?

And if you have experienced the true story of Easter by receiving Jesus into your life, don’t ever let the message of Easter become so second nature to you that you aren’t overwhelmed with emotion every time you hear the Gospel!  David asked that God would, “restore to [him] the joy of [his] salvation…” in Psalms 51:12 (NIV).  When you forget the true story of Easter – that God died not only for the payment of our sins but also to give us freedom over our sins – we stop living in the joy and victory over sin that Easter promises.

And though the world will tell you that Easter is all about the Easter Bunny, candy, or bright colors, don’t ever forget the true story of Easter:

“That on that cross where Jesus died,

the wrath of God was satisfied

for every sin on Him was laid

   here in the death of Christ I live.[1]”

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©Grant Gaines 2013