God is Love but he is also Just; therefore, He must punish sin. We have all sinned (Romans 3:23). Jesus lived a sinless life and did not deserve to die; but in His love for us, He took our punishment as our Substitute that we may go free. Through His death, redemption is available to us all, but only if we choose to receive it. Those who refuse it face eternal darkness and separation from God.

It's incredible to think about the intense suffering and mistreatment that Jesus experienced from the moment Judas betrayed Him to the moment that He died. It is even more unfathomable to think that He knew what He would endure, and yet He willingly subjected Himself to it. He also knew what would be accomplished by His death: salvation comes through the blood and broken body of Jesus; His death was necessary for the redemption of mankind. He paid the price for our sins, and He paid it in full. All you have to do is believe it and accept Him as your Lord and Savior. Ask Him to forgive you your sins and invite Him into your life to be your Savior and Lord. He will change you and transform your life—making a much better job of it than you.

When He went to the cross, He knew that He would be raised back to life. Easter is the celebration of His resurrection. His bodily resurrection is a fact and at the very heart of Christianity. It is not an allegory, or hybrid: He rose in spirit but not in body, or some similar nonsense. He rose in body and was touched by His disciples who ate and drank with Him. He even cooked them breakfast!

But why is His resurrection worth celebrating? 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17 - If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty… and if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!

His resurrection proves His victory on the cross. It proves that he died sinless. If He had died with the least sin to His account, death would have held Him down; but death could not hold Him. Jesus is unique in rising from the dead, just as He said He would, and as Scripture had promised.

His bodily resurrection is both a central doctrinal belief of the faith and the primary evidence for its truths and the hope of heaven (1 Peter 1:3-5). Without the resurrection, there would be no Christianity. The apostles went out and preached Christ risen bodily from the dead. The resurrection was the central belief and driving force of the whole movement, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus conquered the grave because He is God, and in Him is no darkness. He is the light of the world. You can entrust your life to Him. He is utterly trustworthy.