Easter: God’s Powerful Invitation to Live in Unquenchable Hope

If you are celebrating Easter today with an emphasis on the resurrection of Christ, if the joy in your heart has more to do with an empty tomb than a full basket of chocolate eggs, if you can articulate the wonder of God the Son dying and then coming fully back to life, it’s probably because of something that happened in church history 1700 years ago.

In 325, the Council of Nicea met to put words of clarity around biblical truth, particularly around the nature and essence of Jesus. The outcome of that meeting, the Nicene Creed, has given us vocabulary to talk about the person of God the Son in orthodox terms that directly impact the significance of his resurrection in the life of the believer in 2025.

This year, the Nicene Creed celebrates its 1700th birthday.
Maybe you attend a church where the creed is recited every Sunday.
Or maybe, like me, you are part of a tradition that never refers to the historic creeds.
Whichever camp is yours, the Nicene Creed has impacted your faith, for it has operated behind the scenes to give shape to Christian doctrine. Although it is manmade, it provides words to express and protect what the Bible actually teaches.

This year, the #NiceneCreed celebrates its 1700th birthday. Although it is manmade, it provides words to express and protect what the Bible actually teaches.

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He is Risen, Indeed!

Today, when we affirm the glorious truth that “Jesus is risen! He is risen, indeed!” we rejoice because his resurrection is the “firstfruits” that ensure our own eventual resurrection. The Nicene Creed gathers in one place the reason behind our confidence:

I believe… in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only begotten Son of God,
begotten of his Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made…”

If Christ is not God, his resurrection is no more helpful to you and me than the raising of Lazarus or Jairus’s daughter. We had already seen resurrection happen in the New Testament, but what happened to Jesus in that dark tomb had never happened to anyone else. Jesus was raised never to die again. Then, he ascended and is now reigning and ruling.

Our gospel presentations often tie our salvation to the cross, but it’s the resurrection that actually accomplishes the defeat of sin and Satan. We need the substitutionary atonement, AND we need the truth of resurrection, not because it was a great party trick, but because God the Son defeated death on our behalf and emerged from the grave victorious.

Best of all, Jesus’s resurrection will not always be unique, for we who are in Christ will be raised to walk in newness of life. The firstfruit will be followed by the power of resurrection coming true in us, when he returns to bring life to our dead and broken bodies. Because Christ is “very God of very God,” his resurrection points toward future resurrection. It means that we, too, will experience our own victory over death.

Jesus’s resurrection will not always be unique, for we who are in Christ will be raised to walk in newness of life. The power of resurrection will come true in us when he returns to bring life to our dead and broken bodies.

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Celebrate Hope!

So put on your Easter dress, bake the ham, and go to church for a sunrise breakfast! Eat some chocolate or hide some eggs! Sing a loud hymn or say a quiet prayer, but don’t let Easter pass without some significant celebration.

• Because Jesus is risen, death comes with the promise of resurrection, and death itself will one day die.
• Because of Easter, we have permission to believe the unbelievable, to embrace the truth of a God-Man without diminishing either essence.
• Because Christ is alive, we are never beyond the reach of hope.

Easter is God’s reassurance that Christ’s scars will one day eradicate your scars. Christ’s death was not the end of a failed movement but the gateway to glory. His imperishable life is your invitation to live in unquenchable hope.

Holding You in the Light,

Easter is God’s reassurance that Christ’s scars will one day eradicate your scars. Christ’s death was not the end of a failed movement but the gateway to glory. His imperishable life is your invitation to live in unquenchable hope.

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Free Encouragement in Your Inbox!

On the third Thursday of every month, I send a newsletter with biblical encouragement straight to my subscribers’ email inboxes. Frequently, I share free resources, and the newsletter is where everything lands first.

CLICK HERE to read my most recent newsletter where you’ll be given the opportunity to subscribe. I’m committed to the truth that women can become confident followers of God and students of his Word, and I want to help you along that path.

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Looking for Challenging Devotional Reading that Encourages You to Seek Intimacy with God Every Day?

As you know, I’m committed to the truth that women can become confident followers of God and students of his Word, and it’s my goal to help you along that path. At Living Our Days, I provide biblical content and resources to encourage biblical literacy and faithful living, and now I’m sharing devotional content on the YouVersion app. Visit my profile page to get free access to the reading plans!

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Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash