The Apostle Paul, who had an encounter with the resurrected, living Christ on the Damascus road that forever changed his life, summed up the gospel with this consequential statement, “For I delivered to you, as of first importance, what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that He was buried and that He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures” (I Corinthians 15:3, 4). That became a creed of the Church.

Was Easter a myth or a miracle – a supernatural event of God proportions? Christ’s resurrection was no secret. The council of the Jews knew it. They paid the Romans that guarded the tomb to say that while they slept, Jesus’ disciples came and stole the body. How preposterous that would be. Even if the disciples could somehow roll the huge stone away from the tomb without waking professional Roman soldiers, would they later suffer torture and a martyrs death for what they knew was a lie or hoax?

The Apostle Paul goes on to verify that after Jesus arose from the dead, that he was seen of James the half-brother of Jesus who was not a believer in Christ until after the resurrection, and that he was seen by about 500 people at one time, many of whom were still living at the writing of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. (See I Corinthians 15:4-19.) The historical truth of Christ’s victory over death affirms Jesus’ claim to be God. The resurrection establishes Christ’s authority and validates His teachings about the Bible and Himself. Paul, who had a face-to-face encounter with Jesus (Acts 9), is insistent, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are yet in your sins” (I Corinthians 15:14, 17).

Lee Strobel, who has a Master of Studies in Law from Yale, was an award-winning journalist at the “Chicago Tribunal”. What changed this former skeptic and atheist into a believer in Christ? He writes of that journey in his book A Case for Christ. As he witnessed the change and peace in his wife, he was challenged to do a critical investigative study of the evidence for Jesus. What he discovered brought his to faith in Christ. But perhaps the greatest evidence of the living Christ was what his daughter concluded, ‘Mommy, I want God to do for me what he’s done for Daddy.”

What is the significance of the miracle of Easter? To the world it means that the perfect plan of redemption has been provided. “But God commendeth His love toward us, that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

To God, the resurrection means that He is satisfied with the work of His Son on the cross. “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the spirit” (I Peter 3:18).

To the believer the resurrection is the promise of everlasting life. Jesus promises, “Because I live, you shall live also” (John 14:19). “He that heareth my word and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).

Is Easter only a myth to you or have you experienced the reality of the living Christ in your life? An old hymn of the church, “He Lives”, says, “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart”. Another hymn, “In the Garden”, gives this personal affirmation, “He walks with me and talks with me and tells me I am His own”. To me that is the miracle of Easter. Have you had that Easter miracle in your life?

To you the resurrection is a challenge to believe. Jesus claims, “I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).

“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).

You can know the true meaning of Easter in you life today and experience the miracle of a new life.

A - Admit you have sinned. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

B - Believe in Jesus. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

C - Confess and leave your sin. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)