. . . Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. (1 Cor. 15:3-4)

Easter reminds us that God is holy and righteous.  At the root of God sending Jesus to die on the cross is His holiness.  “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).  Because of sin, not only did physical death become a reality but also eternal, spiritual death … separation from God. 

Why? – Because He is a holy and righteous God who cannot stand in the presence of sin.  Hebrews 12:14 says “without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

The sin problem must be taken care of in order for a holy and righteous God to enter into a relationship with people.  That’s what happened at Easter. 

Jesus died and took our sin upon Him so that we could be made pure.  When God looks at those who have accepted His Son, He no longer sees their sin but rather Jesus’ blood which covers them.

“But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight.” (Col. 1:22)

“And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”  (Heb. 10:10)

So, what does Easter teach us about holiness & righteousness?

1. Easter reinforces that keeping God’s laws cannot make us holy. “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin” (Rom. 3:20).  As verse 27 says, “Where, then, is boasting?”
2. Easter reminds us that we are all in the same lost condition and all in the same need of a Savior.  “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:22-23).  To think we gain God’s favor over someone else because we are “better” than them is pure foolishness.  Apart from Jesus, we would all get F’s on the test, even if someone seemed to do better than another.
3. Easter emphasizes that apart from a work of God in our lives to impute that holiness on us, we will always miss the mark.  “There is no one righteous, not even one … This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. . . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:11-23).  How absurd for us to think we can ever live up to the just demands of a holy God in and of ourselves. 

When we trust in the work Jesus did on the cross, we stand righteous and holy in Him. We are thus called to “to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace” (2 Tim. 1:9).    The state of our lives does not always match our standing.  What will it take for us to be holy as He is holy?  Perhaps Colossians 3:12 provides a clue:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  (Col. 3:12)

Notice the phrase “clothe yourselves.”  The idea in these phrases is that we are putting on something that is not a natural part of us.  The garmet of righteousness we put on is His. The key to being holy, then, begins with realizing our need for Him to work in and through us.

. . . Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. (1 Cor. 15:3-4)

From creation to the cross, God’s wisdom is exhibited for all to see, leaving us without excuse. At the root of God sending Jesus to die on the cross is God’s wisdom.  Easter displays God’s wisdom, contrasting it with the wisdom of the world.  

“We preach Christ crucified … Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:23-24, 30). … Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”
(Col. 2:3).

So, what does Easter teach us about wisdom?

1. Easter teaches us that wisdom involves preparation.  Beginning at the fall of man in Genesis 3 we see God laying the groundwork for his plan of redemption through Jesus.
2. Easter reminds us that God not only uses wisdom in the preparation stages but also throughout the process.  Redemption is not just the end result of God’s wisdom but is enveloped in His wisdom from start to finish.  When God does something, He does it right.  “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding” (Eph. 1:7-8).
3. Easter shows God’s wisdom in getting to the root of man’s problem and addressing that problem with the best solution. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).
4. Easter let’s us know that wisdom is needed in the application of grace.   In redemption, the riches of God’s grace are “lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding” (Eph. 1:8).

Yes, let’s think about wisdom at Easter.  This same wisdom of God that brings us salvation is available to us in our everyday living if we will just take the time to learn from Him.  Here are two articles about walking in this same wisdom:

Who Doesn’t Need Wisdom?

Walking in Wisdom Makes Sense

Easter points to the wisdom of God, giving us cause to worship Him.  Romans 11 lets us know that the rejection of Jesus by the Jews of His day opened the door for the Gentiles to “receive mercy as a result of their disobedience.”  What seemed like a closed door actually opened the door for His mercy to extend to even more people.  Then begins the doxology:  “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” (Rom. 11:33)

Remember, if it wasn’t for the unsearchable wisdom of God, there wouldn’t even be an Easter.

Did the events of Easter recorded in Scripture really happen?  Rather than question the veracity of the Easter phenomenon, perhaps we would be better helped by asking “what if?” … what if it hadn’t happened that way? 

In my personal time with the Lord I was reading through the Gospel of Matthew and came to the Garden of Gethsemane scene in Matthew 26:36-56.  As I was studying the passage, I began to ask myself, “What if?”  What if these events hadn’t happened?

• What if Jesus had taken this a bit more casually?
• What if Jesus had not followed the Father’s will?
• What if the disciples had reacted differently?
• What if Judas had changed his mind at the last minute?
• What if Jesus had let the disciples fight with swords?

How different things would be if it hadn’t happened the way Scripture records it.  As I thought through the implications of these “What If” questions, I became more energized and appreciative of all Jesus went through for me.  I enjoyed this study so much, I had to pass it on to others and so you will now find the “What Ifs” from the Garden of Gethsemane Discussion Guides in the MinTools.com store.

As I continued on through Matthew, I kept asking the questions.  Here are some more “what ifs”:

• What if they had arrested Jesus publicly?
• What if Peter had not denied Jesus?
• What if Jesus had a fair trial?
• What if Pilate had released Jesus instead of Barabbas?
• What if Jesus had come down from the cross?
• What if no phenomenon had occurred when Jesus breathed His last?
• What if the women hadn’t watched Jesus’ death and burial?
• What if Jesus hadn’t stayed in the grave for three days?
• What if Jesus hadn’t risen at all?
• What if Jesus hadn’t appeared to anyone after His resurrection, or perhaps to just the inner core of disciples?

Lord willing, perhaps these “what ifs” will be turned into future discussion guides.  For now, I hope you take some time to think through these questions.  Perhaps it will help encourage you to see that Easter had to happen the way Scripture tells the story or things would be quite different for you and I today.