04/06/2026
Easter, like most holidays, is a time many look forward to. Whether it's the anticipation of good food, the time spent with family and friends, Easter egg hunts and fun Easter baskets for the kids, or getting dressed up for a church service, it is a Holiday where traditions are formed and memories are made.
But what happens after? What kind of effect does Easter have on our lives? If Easter is primarily about Jesus it affects everything in our lives. A good sermon and church service preached from the book of truth (the Bible) will convey both our greatest problem and our greatest solution. It will show us that we have real responsibility and real consequences for the free-will decisions we have made (it will S.O.S-show us our sin, chief sinner right here!) God tells us in the Bible that the wages of sin are death and that all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. Since everyone has sinned, and the payment for sin is death, we have a serious problem. A sound theological sermon will show us the truth of our sin and the payment due for it.
A good sermon will also show us the solution (S.O.S-show us our Savior!) Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life in CHRIST JESUS our Lord." Romans 3: 23-25 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished- he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."
C.S. Lewis once said, "Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." There are no serious historians who deny Jesus was a real person and was crucified on a Roman cross. The resurrection is extremely well documented with eyewitness testimony that would have been verified during the lifetime of those witnesses.
We are surrounded by lies and misinformation. Nearly every institution in our country that we once looked to for truth has slowly eroded that trust. It's hard to know what IS true anymore! However, in John 14: 6 Jesus makes tells us where to find truth. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” On Easter, and everyday, we get to share the Good News! Our sin payment has been made by works. Not by ours, but by Jesus. His passive and active obedience has justified us and washed our sins clean. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, resisting every temptation for us. He went to the cross and was not only brutally beaten and nailed to a cross until he bled out, but was also spiritually separated from the Father for the first time ever for us. And King Jesus rose again on the third Day as documented historically in the Bible for us defeating sin, death and the devil.
How does Easter affect our lives? Because of the price Jesus paid for us, we can be sure of being with the God who created us in perfect unity forever. Jesus came, died, and rose. Because of that, our motivations change. Because of the undeserved grace, we can live lives focused on serving and loving others. Therefore, we should work hard at everything we do. Colossians 3:23-24 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
Holidays are great! Family time is a blessing, great food is always awesome and the Easter baskets and hunts build memories for the kids. But it is Jesus' resurrection that makes this Holiday worth celebrating. Thank you, Jesus, for saving us. Thank you for another day to serve others and you.
Join us at Ascension for church this Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. EST! We are a Christ-centered, Biblically-rooted church in Sarasota, just off of Fruitville Road, at 800 McIntosh Road. You can also join us online at ascensionwels.org. See you on Sunday!
- Skyler Burke, Elder at Ascension Lutheran Church and School
Looking for a Lutheran church in Sarasota? Ascension is a Christ-centered church, focused on the Gospel of Jesus. Visit this Sunday! We are a WELS congregation.
