Easter is a time of reflection, celebration, and renewal. It’s the moment we pause to remember Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross and His miraculous resurrection from the dead. But as we look at the cross, we should ask ourselves, “What do I see when I see the cross?” Do we see love, life, and a Savior who is calling us to follow Him and live differently? We can see these things because God’s sacrificial love, demonstrated through the death and resurrection of Jesus, is not just a historical event we remember once a year; it is a living, transformative reality that shapes how we live today.
God’s Sacrificial Love
In 1 John 4:7-10, we read, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
When we look at the cross, we don’t just see a symbol of suffering and death but the ultimate act of love. Jesus’ death on the cross is the greatest demonstration of sacrificial love the world has ever known. He didn’t die because we loved Him; He died because He loved us. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins through His death, making forgiveness and eternal life possible.
This love is not just a feeling; it’s an action. Jesus chose to lay down His life out of love for us. His resurrection on Easter Sunday proved that love conquers sin and life overcomes death. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we have hope—not only for the future but for today. God’s love is alive and continues to transform our lives.
Living in God’s Love
In 1 John 4:11-12, John challenges us, “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
The resurrection doesn’t just offer us eternal life; it invites us to live in God’s love today. Jesus' resurrection marks the moment when God’s love defeated death and sin forever. But it’s not just about what happened two thousand years ago—it’s about how God’s love transforms us today.
God’s love is not only something we receive; we are called to live out it. As believers, we are meant to reflect God’s love in how we love others. Jesus demonstrated perfect love on the cross, and through the resurrection, He empowers us to love sacrificially, just as He did.
The Easter Life isn’t about celebrating the resurrection once a year—it’s about living the resurrection life every day. Jesus’ love becomes complete in us when we live out that love in our relationships, communities, and the world.
Confidence in God’s Love
In 1 John 4:17-18, we read, “This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
The resurrection gives us confidence—we are no longer enslaved to fear. Before Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples were filled with fear and confusion. They had witnessed His death, and on Saturday, they were filled with uncertainty. But when Jesus rose from the dead, their fear turned to confidence. The resurrection proved that love overcomes fear, giving us the courage to live confidently in God’s promises.
Easter isn’t just about knowing a historical event; it’s about living without fear today. The resurrection life offers us freedom from the fear of death, punishment, and even failure. We can live boldly, knowing God’s perfect love drives out all fear.
God’s Invitation to Life
In 1 John 5:10-12, John writes, “Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
The cross and the resurrection testify to God’s love and the eternal life available to all who believe in Jesus. But this eternal life is not just a future hope but a present reality. Jesus didn’t come just to promise life after death but to offer us abundant life today. In John 10:10, Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Easter calls us to live fully in the resurrection life. We are fully forgiven, confident in God’s love, and called to love others. The resurrection life is not just about what happens after we die but about how we live for Christ today, knowing that His resurrection power enables us to live with purpose, love, and confidence.
Living the Resurrection Life
The resurrection life isn’t just for the future—it’s for the present. Through Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection, we are invited to live in God’s love every day. We are called to love one another, walk in the light, and live confidently because Jesus is alive in us.
Reflect on God's love displayed on the cross this Easter and remember that the resurrection gives us new life—life that starts today, not just after we die. The cross and the resurrection are not just events of the past; they are living realities that empower us to live boldly for Christ and share His love with the world.
God’s Sacrificial Love
In 1 John 4:7-10, we read, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
When we look at the cross, we don’t just see a symbol of suffering and death but the ultimate act of love. Jesus’ death on the cross is the greatest demonstration of sacrificial love the world has ever known. He didn’t die because we loved Him; He died because He loved us. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins through His death, making forgiveness and eternal life possible.
This love is not just a feeling; it’s an action. Jesus chose to lay down His life out of love for us. His resurrection on Easter Sunday proved that love conquers sin and life overcomes death. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we have hope—not only for the future but for today. God’s love is alive and continues to transform our lives.
Living in God’s Love
In 1 John 4:11-12, John challenges us, “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
The resurrection doesn’t just offer us eternal life; it invites us to live in God’s love today. Jesus' resurrection marks the moment when God’s love defeated death and sin forever. But it’s not just about what happened two thousand years ago—it’s about how God’s love transforms us today.
God’s love is not only something we receive; we are called to live out it. As believers, we are meant to reflect God’s love in how we love others. Jesus demonstrated perfect love on the cross, and through the resurrection, He empowers us to love sacrificially, just as He did.
The Easter Life isn’t about celebrating the resurrection once a year—it’s about living the resurrection life every day. Jesus’ love becomes complete in us when we live out that love in our relationships, communities, and the world.
Confidence in God’s Love
In 1 John 4:17-18, we read, “This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
The resurrection gives us confidence—we are no longer enslaved to fear. Before Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples were filled with fear and confusion. They had witnessed His death, and on Saturday, they were filled with uncertainty. But when Jesus rose from the dead, their fear turned to confidence. The resurrection proved that love overcomes fear, giving us the courage to live confidently in God’s promises.
Easter isn’t just about knowing a historical event; it’s about living without fear today. The resurrection life offers us freedom from the fear of death, punishment, and even failure. We can live boldly, knowing God’s perfect love drives out all fear.
God’s Invitation to Life
In 1 John 5:10-12, John writes, “Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
The cross and the resurrection testify to God’s love and the eternal life available to all who believe in Jesus. But this eternal life is not just a future hope but a present reality. Jesus didn’t come just to promise life after death but to offer us abundant life today. In John 10:10, Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Easter calls us to live fully in the resurrection life. We are fully forgiven, confident in God’s love, and called to love others. The resurrection life is not just about what happens after we die but about how we live for Christ today, knowing that His resurrection power enables us to live with purpose, love, and confidence.
Living the Resurrection Life
The resurrection life isn’t just for the future—it’s for the present. Through Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection, we are invited to live in God’s love every day. We are called to love one another, walk in the light, and live confidently because Jesus is alive in us.
Reflect on God's love displayed on the cross this Easter and remember that the resurrection gives us new life—life that starts today, not just after we die. The cross and the resurrection are not just events of the past; they are living realities that empower us to live boldly for Christ and share His love with the world.
Posted in Easter 2025