“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 ESV

Check out this song: “Oh Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)”

The story of Easter doesn’t begin on Easter. Think back to Christmas – Jesus was born with a purpose, and that purpose was to die and rise from the dead. Why? For our salvation – yours and mine – so we can live with and worship God in heaven for eternity. Yup, not just for a little while, but forever.

Let’s use the chorus of “Oh Glorious Day” to walk through the story of Easter. And don’t just take my word for it – let’s read the story that Scripture tells.

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“Living He loved me”

• “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Abide in my love.” John 15:9 ESV
• “. . . And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 ESV
• “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 ESV

“Dying He saved me”

• “This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die” (John 18:32 ESV). The Jews did not support the practice of crucifixion – they would have stoned Jesus. Yet, Old Testament scripture points to crucifixion as the way the Messiah would die (Psalm 22). When animals were sacrificed, blood was shed. If Jesus was to be a sacrifice, blood would have to be shed, which would not have been as likely with stoning. So, even the way in which Jesus died was a means to save us from our sin.
• “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he sand, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30 ESV). The words “It is finished” were written on tax receipts as a way of saying “paid in full”.

“Buried He carried my sins far away”

• “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 ESV
• “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 ESV

“Rising He justified”

• “It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” Romans 4:24-25 ESV
• “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.” Romans 5:18 ESV

“One day He’s coming, oh glorious day!”

He’s coming back! (Matthew 24:27; 1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2)

But we don’t know when (Matthew 24:42).

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So what do we do while we wait? “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” Psalm 73:28 ESV

I think it’s so cool that God doesn’t tell the Easter story in one verse – it’s throughout Scripture, in both Old and New Testaments. It’s His way of telling us the truth of His love and His plan. So use this Easter as an opportunity to dive into what the Bible says about Easter, about God’s plan and Jesus’ sacrifice. Even if you’re not a follower of Jesus, why not investigate and give Him a try? What’s the worst thing that can happen? Better yet, what’s the best thing that can happen? 

What Scriptures will you meditate on to prepare yourself for Easter?

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 ESV