Easter: a funeral gone wrong

Verse
Acts 26:18
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Message
It's Easter again, and as usual, many people all over the world are going to be celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As a result, it would be typical to hear people screaming out loud, "He is risen" or "Jesus is alive." Many Christians have got the Easter story at their finger tips (after watching 'Jesus movies' on the television every Easter who wouldn't?) We all know that Jesus rose up from the grave three days after He was buried: one of the pillars of our faith. But the question is, do we really understand the significance of the resurrection? 

"He died and rose from the grave, because God used Him as a sacrifice for my sins; I am a sinner deserving eternal damnation and Jesus took my place," people say. We all have memories of some of our past sins, and therefore hearing that someone died in our place so that we don't end up in hell after this life, helps to soothe our religious fears. This brings me to my second question: what proof do we have that He has taken our place, and that we have been cleansed of our sins? You see, it's easy to shout "He's risen" and not take full advantage of the power behind His resurrection. Think about it, why would God come to this earth in the form of man (after years of prophecy) only to die for our sins? Yes, yes, there is a lot more to His death and resurrection.

Starting from Ephesians 2:1 to verse 10 , Paul the Apostle writing to a group of saved people said:

1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:1-10)

Jesus didn't die and rise up after three days, to prove a point; or to perform a "magic trick" that would lead to the birth of a religion and His rise to stardom. He (Jesus) conquered sin, so that we would also be able to conquer it (sin) as well: He made His grace freely available to anyone who yearns to be saved from the hands of sin. He died, rose up and said "all power in Heaven and earth has been given unto me...(Matthew 28:18)" Imagine being a clone of Jesus (a child of God). Imagine having the power to look at temptation and every snare of the enemy in the eye, and say 'no' with authority like Jesus did. It's all a part of the resurrection package: forgiveness and power over the enemy in this life, and much more in the world to come.

Easter is not about religion, it's about salvation. "Saved from what?" people ask. From the prince of the power of the air that used to work within us (See Eph 2:2, Romans 7:18-20).

Amen.