The Meaning
of Easter
By Dennis Stoneman, Pastor
Valencia Hills Community Church.
The World Uses Duct Tape to Fix Everything, God Used Nails!
I learned early on that two tools every tool box should have is a roll of duct tape and a hammer.
Everyone knows that duct tape is the universal tool. It will fix what is broken, but it is only a
temporary fix. For the long lasting, permanent solution – you’ll need a hammer. God understands
that. The world uses duct tape to fix everything, God used nails.
Easter is all about the intervention of God into our days. Afflicted with the disease of sin, God waded
into the middle of our muddle – and Jesus, Immanuel, (which simply means God with us), was nailed
to the cross for our sin. He became a permanent solution to the sin disease we are all afflicted with.
Those nails were not a temporary tonic for our trouble. They were God’s answer to our deepest
need. Of course Jesus didn’t stay dead. The reason we celebrate Easter is: He is ALIVE!
On that first Easter morning as Jesus’ friends, some women who were followers of Christ, arrived to
anoint his beat up, dead and broken body, they were greeted by an angel who said, “Why do you
look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” Luke 24:5-6. Later, in the bible
book of 1 Corinthians, a Christ Follower named Paul would write it this way: “Death has been
swallowed up in victory. Death where is your victory? Grave where is your sting? …Thanks be to
God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 15:54-55. Easter is about life!
Easter is about victory – the victory we share in Christ over death, over the grave and over sin.
Why does it matter? Because in this dog-eat-dog world, where we are just trying to make it to the
end of the week – we need hope and we need help. God, you see, wasn’t content to pluck at us
with majestic fingers from Heaven’s celestial shore, no, he wanted to get up-close and personal,
show us that he cares and then do something supernatural to transport us from dead in our sins,
broken and hopeless to victoriously, vibrantly and vitally alive in Him.
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