Why Do We Celebrate Easter?
Willow Creek | March 7, 2024
There is so much going on this season (with Easter Eggs, the Easter bunny, decorating Easter baskets), that you might stop yourself and ask, “Why do we celebrate Easter?” It’s easy for the true meaning of Easter to get hidden behind everything else. In short, we celebrate Easter as the day Jesus rose from the grave, conquering death and all of our sins.
Go to article —> Who was Jesus?
To go a little deeper, here’s a fuller answer as to why do we celebrate Easter?: from a global Christian perspective, Easter could be the most important day in history! This was the day that mattered. Jesus told everyone He was the Son of God, He had done many miracles, He was an amazing teacher, but on Good Friday, He was betrayed by Judas, arrested, condemned, and killed. If Jesus was truly who He said He was–the Son of God–how could He have died? Those who followed Him were completely shocked and broken by what had happened. Jesus was the one they had been waiting for–the one everyone had been waiting for. If He was dead, was any of what He said true?
So, why do we celebrate Easter? Because on the Sunday after Jesus’ death, He rose from the dead! He overcame death. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, as a sacrifice, but death couldn’t hold Him. Because Jesus rose again, we can truly trust in Him today. Jesus can forgive our sins and offer us eternal life with Him in Heaven (1 John 1:9). What a day to celebrate!
After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples (the disciples were Jesus’ closest friends and were dedicated to His teachings–John 20:19-31), Mary Magdalene (John 20:10-18), and over 500 others (1 Corinthians 15:3-6). After forty days, Jesus ascended into Heaven (Luke 24:50-53).
In the Bible, you can find the Easter story here: Luke chapter 24, John chapter 20
- Who was Judas?
- Why did Jesus Die?
- To view all of our Easter content, click here
Looking for more great Easter insight? Drop your email below, and we will send you a download with all our Easter articles:
Join us for Easter 2024
Multiple Willow Creek locations across Chicagoland and online will unpack the story of Jesus, showing the power of hope in the midst of uncertainty or unanswered questions.