Easter is the celebration of all we are as believers! Easter celebrates the fact that the grave was empty, and we serve a risen Savior! Jesus came into this world to be our redeemer and our Savior; He came for this day we are celebrating today- His resurrection- His victory over sin and death. He paid the price for the sins of the world on the cross. And on the third day- He rose up in victory over death so that we all may celebrate that same victory when we believe in Him. The resurrection is for all people. The resurrection wasn’t only for the Jews, and it wasn’t only for the gentiles- non-Jewish people- Jesus came for all people. He didn’t come only for the people of Israel but the world! Easter makes us One; in faith and One in Christ.
The apostle Paul addressed this very thing in his letter to the Ephesians 2:14-16, “ For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. . . He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two roups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.”
Paul spells it out pretty well. He wants all believers to focus on the main thing- Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for them. As followers of Jesus we are now united with Christ. We’re not only one with other believers we are one with Jesus. We have been brought to Jesus through His blood that was shed on the cross. Jesus paid the price- Jesus took the weight of our sins on His back and took them to the cross. And because of His death and His resurrection we are clean in the eyes of God. We are pure, we are holy, and we are one with Christ. When we choose a relationship with Jesus His blood purifies us from all sin! And when God looks at us- He sees Jesus blood and cleansing- it’s a done deal. Jesus only had to die for us one time- He was the perfect sacrifice- without any sin- and was the only one that was able to become our perfect sacrifice, once and for all time!
We, as in the people of God- Christians everywhere, have an invisible bond. And even though you can’t physically see that bond- you can sense it anywhere you meet a group of believers. I love being around God’s people, in the airports, in other churches, in long lines, in other countries- even though they may look different or even worship differently, we are a family! We are one. That was the plan- That was always a part of the plan of God for the people He created. He desired that each one would truly follow Jesus and become a part of His family.
Jesus brought peace to us. Jesus united the Jews and Gentiles. Jesus united you and me, by breaking down the wall that separated us. When Jesus died and rose again he broke down the wall that separated us from God and He broke down the wall that separated people from one another. Jesus created a new people- believers in Christ- new men and women believing and following Him. We are the church!!! We are united in Christ- Being One in Christ has benefits and responsibilities for each believer:
1. Unity and harmony among brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. In Christ, we all have a seat at the table. No one is better or closer to God than the other. Does that mean we forget our unique differences and cultures? Absolutely not. But it does mean those differences have no power to separate us from God or each other if we live in the freedom of this truth.
2. Embrace our differences, even celebrate them, as long as we love with the Love of God, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. Relational unity in the church is the best witness to the reality of Jesus Christ and God to the world.
a. There is no room for Discrimination, prejudice, and racism in God’s family! God made human beings—the entire human race—in His image and likeness
b. Every form of condescension, partiality, and intolerance based on race, rank, and gender must be repented of and nailed to the cross because we are all one in Jesus Christ. Paul said, “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us” (Colossians 3:11, NLT).
3. Be united in passion, plan, and purpose. Christians are all redeemed by the same blood; we are all going to the same heaven; we have a shared aspiration, a shared enemy, and a shared hope and joy. When we get together, no matter where or how- our hearts will serve as one.
At the tomb on Resurrection morning- it was the women that received the message first- then it went to the disciples and then on Pentecost the message was proclaimed throughout Jerusalem. Jesus ended his earthly ministry with the mandate to the disciples-“go and make disciples of ALL the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
All are welcome at the cross. All are welcome in the faith- ALL brings us together in Jesus. Easter makes us ONE!
