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wo recent polls (Barna & Gallup) reveal what Americans think of Easter:
67% see Easter as religious in nature… (which explains why church attendance is UP)
42% connect it to the event of Christ’s resurrection (spiritual literacy is declining quickly in US)
33% simply deny the resurrection as a fact (the number of agnostics & atheists is on the rise)
A few years ago, on Fox and Friends, Bill O’Reilly said: “No one knows if Jesus’ resurrection really happened.”
Why is Easter so important to Christians / church?
Why does this even matter? 1 Cor. 15:17… if Christ is not raised… you are still in sin. The entirety of our faith hinges on this… But if you flip Easter over and look again, you’ll see a different kind of proof. Not proof FOR The resurrection, but you’ll see that the resurrection IS proof! It is proof of God’s mighty POWER. It is proof of God’s incomprehensible LOVE. It is proof of God’s MERCY & grace – that our sins are not counted against us. It is proof that our debt – the debt of all our sin – has been PAID IN FULL… IT’S YOUR RECEIPT!!
This is important because – like 1 Cor 15:19 says… without the resurrection, we are without hope. But, in Christ, Hope Lives. The entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 15… is an explanation of the living hope…
Hope Lives… in this life!
– your faith is more than a crutch
– joy, truth, and grace are more than words – they are real
– God is totally and completely in control – even when I am not!
Hope Lives… for eternity!
– believers will rise again to new life
– we are free from the curse of sin & it’s consequences
– we have comfort to be able to endure tragic loss
– that fuels us to be faithful Christians