Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death..."
When you think of Easter, you probably don't think of this verse. I never did. We tend to go straight to the one in the gospels that say "He is not here. He is risen!" Which is an awesome verse, I'm not trying to take anything away from it. However, I do think we tend to only go surface level with it. We think Easter and automatically think He is risen, which isn't wrong at all. But there is a side to the story I believe hardly anyone seems to pay attention to: the death side. Yes, Jesus rose, but why? How? Most people think of the simple, easy answer, "because God is able to make that happen" or "it shows how powerful God is." Which, again, is true. But there is an actual, practical and logical reason that Jesus rose. Back to Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death." In other words, because we are sinful, our consequence is the grave. Well, Jesus was holy, perfect, spotless and blameless. He had NO SIN. So he rose. But how? Get this: because the grave literally had no right to hold him! If the grave is for sinners then Jesus had no business staying there. Death failed to get a grip on him. THAT is why he rose. How awesome is that? It wasn't just another part of God's story that had to take place so he could check it off the list. There is actual meaning to Jesus rising from the dead. We' have gotten into such a habit of making this holiday strictly about belief. Let me shatter your hearts for just a second- there is a huge difference in believing and knowing. Anyone can believe in Jesus, but it takes much more to know him. So, don't just believe in these stories...KNOW them.
I would encourage all of you to focus on the "how" of Easter. It makes the story, and Christ himself, that much more powerful and worthy of our thankfulness towards his sacrifice. "He defeated the grave", a phrase we say all the time. But does that truly fill you with meaning? Or has that unknowingly become just as surface level as "He is risen!"? There is logic and reason in these stories, so don't believe in them just to believe in them. Find out why. It brings so much more purpose, not only to the story, but to your own life as well. Because after all, we were crucified with Christ and it is now him who lives in us. You play a bigger role in this story then you think. Do your research! Happy Easter!
