As spring arrives and trees begin to bud, we are reminded that God is continually at work, bringing new life. This is part of the meaning of Easter. As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we are reminded that our dead hearts are brought to life through His death and resurrection. While Jesus is the central figure in the resurrection story, the significance of the events surrounding His death and resurrection is intimately tied to what they mean for those who believe in Him.
In Romans 4:25, we read that Jesus, our Lord, “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” Easter celebrates the fact that Jesus addressed two critical issues: our trespasses (sins) and our justification. First, His death paid the penalty for our sins. Earlier in this letter, in Romans 3:23, Paul writes, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Because of our sins, we were under the penalty of God’s wrath. The message of Easter is that Jesus took our sins to the cross, paid the penalty by being the perfect, sinless sacrifice, and satisfied God’s wrath.
Second, we are justified in the eyes of God. The death and resurrection of Jesus are inseparable. His death dealt with our sins, and His resurrection confirms that God accepted His sacrificial death. This act satisfied God’s wrath and granted us a new legal standing before the throne—where we are now considered righteous. This news is a reason to rejoice!
The promise that God raised Jesus for our justification gives Easter its joyful message. It’s not just that Christ is raised from the dead; it’s also what this means for every believer who trusts in Him. Continuing his thought from the end of chapter 4, Paul writes in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Instead of hostility, we now have peace. Instead of being expelled from the garden, we now have access to the very throne room of heaven. God has replaced our estrangement from Him with the intimacy of adoption as children of the King.
This Easter, as you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and respond in worship with “He is risen, He is risen, He is risen indeed,” may you remember that He was raised for your justification so that you now have peace with God. May that peace reign in your life, a life renewed by the good news of the empty tomb.
