Happy Easter/Resurrection Sunday! For Christians worldwide, Resurrection Sunday, or Easter Sunday, is the culmination of Holy Week. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event of the Christian faith. The very foundation of all Christian doctrine hinges on the truth of this account. Christians around the world will gather together with family, friends, and their congregations to celebrate Jesus’s physical, bodily resurrection, which is a pillar of the Christian faith. This is a time of praising and acknowledging Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, and His glorious assurances of eternal life for all who believe in Him.
Chaplain Shawn Lawrimore with Cooper’s Pastoral Care Department shared this additional insight into the meaning and celebration of this religious observance:
“The meaning of Easter/Resurrection Sunday is Jesus Christ’s victory over death. Jesus Christ’s resurrection symbolizes the eternal life that is granted to all who believe in Him, and Easter/Resurrection Sunday is a reflection of what Jesus Christ did on the cross. The Friday before Easter Sunday is known as Good Friday, when Christians commemorate the passion, suffering, and death on the cross of Jesus Christ. Many Christians spend Good Friday in fasting, prayer, repentance, and meditation on the agony and suffering of Christ.”
“In Christianity, God is holy and humans are sinful; holiness is incompatible with sin, so humanity’s sin separates us from God. The punishment for sin is eternal death. But human death and animal sacrifices are insufficient to atone for sin. Atonement requires a perfect, spotless sacrifice, and Jesus was that sacrifice. Christians believe that Jesus Christ was the one and only perfect God-man, and his death provided the perfect atoning sacrifice for sin and that through Jesus, our own sins can be forgiven. Consequently, when we accept Jesus Christ’s payment for sin, he washes away our sin and restores our right standing with God; God’s mercy and grace make salvation possible and we receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. These beliefs explain why the date of Jesus’ crucifixion is considered a ‘Good’ Friday. Good Friday is the most difficult day of Passion Week. On Good Friday, Christians focus on Jesus Christ’s death.”
Thank you, Chaplain Shawn, for sharing your faith with us. To all those celebrating, happy Easter!