Celebration of Easter: The Gift of Sacrifice

This week, we celebrate Easter, the holiday that defines the crux of Christianity—the death and resurrection of Jesus. Newness of life. This celebration often takes the form of overcrowded sanctuaries filled with first-time visitors, baskets full of plastic grass, eggs, bunnies, and chocolate. Some may enjoy Italian Easter bread, braided challah, or other family traditions gracing the table. A few television specials on the life of Christ will likely be airing, depicting His death on the cross as realistically as ratings allow. These examples largely define how our Western culture embraces Easter. Yet, there is a verse that truly captures the purpose of Easter—Christ’s life, death, and resurrection for our lives, deaths, and resurrections. Found in Galatians 2:20: 

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” 

During the creation of the world, did God not know the trees that would become the cross? The rocks that would form the tomb to hold His only Son’s body? He did. And He formed them, knowing it was necessary. The revelation that Galatians 2:20 holds is that, in a sense, each person who chooses to follow Christ was nailed to the cross, died, and was resurrected. Not in actuality, of course, but every wrongdoing, shattered heart, shameful moment, poor decision–anything outside of the goodness of God—was nailed to that cross. Not only the sins we committed as Christians, but also the wounds inflicted upon us. Because of the cross, those deceptions are dead. Our value isn’t found in death, but in the resurrected life of Jesus, the Hope of Glory. 

The beauty of Easter is embracing the power that Christ “gave Himself” for each of us. We live, move, and exist in the gift of sacrifice and the freedom of grace. There is grace because of the sacrifice. There may be just one day on the calendar as a celebration, but our hearts are meant to “live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me…” daily. Our identity is found in the resurrected Christ; our life is hidden with Him. 

This Easter Sunday, as we come together with friends and family, remember to love them through the lens of Christ within us. Let us celebrate with joyful spirits, knowing that the way to forgiveness, freedom, and a life lived in victory was buried in the tomb and rose from the grave, for eternity. Death was defeated. He is risen, indeed! 

Jennifer Ham
Director of Communication and Public Relations
Toccoa Falls College