The True Meaning of Easter

People who are not churchgoers always think that Easter is all about the Easter Bunny, vacation, bonding time, and rest. However, for us Catholics, Easter has an intimate meaning. It is a reminder of Jesus’ victory through His death, which freed us from the grip and the judgment of sin. Easter is the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Messiah who would be persecuted, die for our sins, and rise on the third day (Isaiah 53).

Recalling Jesus’ resurrection helps us to maintain the everyday confidence that we can overcome sin. Although the resurrection of Jesus happened in the past, it also happens now. It is an event that must pervade all time and change every aspect of our lives. When Jesus rose from the dead, it was much different than a simple return to life. He did not simply come back to the life He lived before He died. Instead, His resurrected state was a new beginning. He was now different. He was transformed. His body would now never age; it could not die.

In so doing, the resurrection of Jesus indicates that everyone who believes in Him will be promised eternal life. As a result, the goal of Easter is to fully affirm all that Jesus taught and preached during His three-year mission. He would have been regarded as just another teacher or prophet if He had not risen from the grave or just died and not been raised. And Saint Paul states that if Christ is not resurrected from the grave, our teaching and hope are futile. (1 Cor. 15:14). Without the resurrection, there would certainly be no Christian preaching or faith.

Thus, we celebrate Easter because it acknowledges that we may die in our old way of life and be resurrected into our new life with Christ. Christianity does necessitate self-death. However, the spiritual resurrection we have experienced and the bodily resurrection we are yet to experience provide abundant cause for rejoicing. We celebrate Easter because God lived the life we deserved to live and died the death we deserved to suffer in order for us to live. What a beautiful reason to rejoice that we can share in His resurrection.