Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today we gather together to celebrate Easter, a day that marks the resurrection of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. It is a day of joy and hope, a day that reminds us of the great love and
sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross.

As we read in the Gospel of John, chapter 3, verse 16: "For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." This
verse encapsulates the heart of Easter, the heart of the Christian faith - that God loved us so
much that he sent his Son to die for our sins, so that we might have eternal life through faith in
him.

And yet, even though we know this story so well, it is still astonishing to consider what Jesus did
for us. As we read in the book of Romans, chapter 5, verses 6-8: "You see, at just the right time,
when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a
righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God
demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

This passage reminds us that Jesus didn't die for us because we were good enough or righteous
enough or deserving enough. He died for us while we were still sinners, still far from God. He
died for us because of his great love for us, a love that surpasses all understanding.

But the story of Easter doesn't end with Jesus' death on the cross. As we read in the book of
Luke, chapter 24, verses 1-8: "On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the
women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled
away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While
they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood
beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men
said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!'"

These words - "He is not here; he has risen!" - are the heart of Easter. They remind us that Jesus
didn't stay in the grave, but rose again on the third day, conquering death and sin once and for
all. Through his resurrection, Jesus showed us that there is hope beyond death, that there is life
beyond the grave.

So today, as we celebrate Easter, let us remember the incredible love that Jesus showed us on the
cross, and the amazing power of his resurrection. Let us give thanks for the new life that we have
been given through faith in him, and let us live each day in the light of his love and grace.

As we read in the book of 1 Peter, chapter 1, verses 3-4: "Praise be to the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or
fade."

May this living hope fill our hearts today and always. Amen.