Easter became the

event of the Christian faith, and it was so important that the early Christians changed their day of worship from the Jewish Sabbath of sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday to Sunday, the day of the resurrection.

It’s easy to practice “out-of-sight, out-of-mind,” so that, even with the best of intentions, life goes on and we can forget the

of this Easter event.

The early church celebrated the resurrection of Jesus every Sunday, so remembrance and knowledge could affect not just our memories but also bring hope and peace and joy to the

living of our lives

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.

They took Jesus down from the cross and put him in an empty tomb, offered by Joseph of Arimathea, but it was so late that the women preparing his body couldn’t finish before the

began at sundown on Friday, so they’d have to finish after the

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.

Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. —Mark 16:1 (NLT)
Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” —Mark 16:2-3 (NLT)

A common tomb style was a large round rock disk set on a track that sloped toward the far end of the tomb opening, with a stone that could easily weigh 1-2

.

But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. —Mark 16:4 (NLT)

When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.” —Mark 16:5-6 (NLT)

“Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” —Mark 16:7 (NLT)

WHY EASTER STILL MATTERS FOR US TODAY

1. I have
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   for my past, saving me from the
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   of sin.
   
   
   

   For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. —Romans 3:23 (NLT)
   For the wages of sin is death…. —Romans 6:23 (NLT)


Though we all deserve death, God
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us too much to not offer us a way to defeat death, just as Jesus did.




For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. —2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT)

We’re not doing something that earns us right standing with God – God imparts or

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us right standing as we believe and trust that Jesus’

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on the cross paid the price for our sins!

But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done. —1 John 1:9 (NCV)

1. I have

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   for living in the present, saving me today from the
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   of sin.
   

   This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! —2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
   It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.… —Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
   …And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. —2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

You were not created by accident—you are here because God loves you and created you for a
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, but you will never discover that purpose apart from Christ.


Jesus: I came so that you might have life and have it to the fullest! —John 10:10 (NIV)
…And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. —Romans 6:4 (NLT)

2. I have a future in

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   , eventually saving me from the
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   of sin.
   

   … “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” —1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)
   He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. —Revelation 21:4 (NLT)

Jesus rose from the dead, and he promises that
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future to all who put their faith and trust in him, who follow him.


Unfortunately, a lot of people think that the way we get to heaven is by being good
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.


There’s only one way we can get into heaven—somebody else (Jesus) has to
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for us.


…the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.… —Romans 6:23 (TEV)

We have to believe that the gift of salvation is offered, and we have to

it and live for it each day.

God’s gift of forgiveness must be appropriated: that is, it must be accepted on an individual basis. Although it is a universal offer, it has no effect on the sin debt of a man or a woman who has not personally put trust in Christ. It is like a paycheck that is never picked up; it is like a gift certificate that is not redeemed; it is like a lifeline that is ignored by a drowning person. —Dr. Charles Stanley
“Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” —Mark 16:7 (NLT)

What a surprise Peter must have experienced when the women told him that Jesus had told them to “tell his disciples, including

”. (emphasis added)

If you feel like somehow you’ve disqualified yourself from the Good News Jesus offers us through this Easter celebration, then remember that just as Jesus singled out Peter, who had failed Jesus, Jesus is singling

out, too, and telling you that his invitation is open to

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as much as anyone.

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