Local Pastors Share the Meaning of Easter

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

HOUSTON COUNTY – As much as we all love the bunnies and chocolates, The Messenger thought it only right to ask a few of our local pastors to help explain the true meaning of Easter.

“Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Why that’s important is because you have all kinds of supposed deities within our world. And not all of them died and none of them were resurrected. Jesus, through his resurrection, demonstrates his power over death, over hell, over the grave and allows us to know that we have a new life in him. One of these days, we will face the resurrection just like He did and we will be resurrected to a new body and a new place – resurrected into glory.”

Shane Sibley, Central Baptist Church Crockett

“Easter is the proof God gave us that Jesus is who He claimed to be. He is Emmanuel, ‘God with us.’ He is our Savior and he has become our Lord, through the resurrection and through all that God has done for us. Jesus died on Good Friday for all of our sins, the Scripture says, and on Easter Sunday, three days later, He rose up from the dead. When He rose up, He showed the whole world that Jesus was truly more than a man. He was a man but more than a man. He was ‘God with us’ and it’s a blessing to serve him today because we have hope of new life. We have hope of our own resurrection. And we have God and the Lord Jesus to look after us and take care of all of his people.”

Vance Drum, Sunset Christian Church Grapeland

“Easter is all about the stone being rolled away. The fact that the tomb was empty, as Paul says, if there is no resurrection – if Jesus was not raised from the dead then we of all people are most miserable – because this life is all there is to it. But Easter celebrates the fact that the stone was rolled away. The tomb was empty. Jesus rose from the dead. Because if He lives, then that means if I have faith in Him, I can live again. I love the candy and easter eggs but that stone being rolled away is Easter to me.”

David Franklin, First Congregational Methodist Church Elkhart

“It is really about the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And that’s it. That’s the main thing and what it means to me, personally. It’s a reminder of how much God loves us and what He was willing to sacrifice in order to pay the penalty for our sins, through His death on the cross, and through His resurrection, purchases a place in heaven that He has prepared for those that love and follow Him.”

Josh Currie, First Baptist Church Kennard