There's a wonderful old hymn with the words: "Up from the grave He arose." In the Christian community we almost take that fact for granted. Of course He rose from the dead. Everyone knows that. And we move on without really being touched by the significance of such a statement.

Jesus Christ was crucified. That's why He came to earth in the first place. Jesus warned His disciples that He would be handed over to the Gentiles; He would be mocked and insulted and spat upon. He even warned them that He would be flogged and killed (see Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:22; Matthew 20:17-19). But He also gave them notice of the most unbelievable event to come - on the third day He would rise again.

Unfortunately, the disciples missed that part of the message. Peter even went so far as to argue with Jesus and Jesus warned Peter that he was setting his mind on human things and becoming a stumbling block. But who could blame Peter and the rest of the disciples? After all, what kind of victory is death? They were looking for someone to restore the throne of David and make Israel great again. They wanted a powerful leader, not a martyr for the cause.

Because they were so busy with thier own ideas, they missed the whole point. Three times Jesus told the disicples He would be raised on the third day but they missed it. Even when the women came with the news that the tomb was empty, the disicples didn't believe them. They couldn't imagine that this was possible because they hadn't listened to Jesus in the first place. They missed the importance of the plan.

We've heard the story of Easter over and over again. We've heard that Jesus died for our sins. We've heard that the tomb was empty on that first Easter morning and that people encountered the risen Jesus. But do we really grasp the significance, or is this just a story we gloss over every year that gives us an excuse for a long weekend?

Yes, Jesus died for our sins. There was nothing we could do to remedy the problem and we were condemned to be forever cut off from God, to suffer the eternal consequences of our disobedience. God is holy and just and therefore the penalty had to be paid. But God is also loving and He provided Himself as payment for our sins. The empty tomb and the risen Jesus are proof that He was victorious over sin and death and all manner of evil.

And here is the really important part. If we accept Jesus' sacrifice, if we confess our need for Him and invite Him into our lives, then the sacrifice becomes real for us. And so does His victory. We are lost in our sins without Jesus, but when we ask Him to forgive us and to take away our punishment, He does exactly that. The story of Easter can be just a story, with little significance for you today, or it can be the greatest event of all time, bringing forgiveness and eternal life.

If you'd like more proof that Jesus died and rose from the dead, I would recommend you read "The Case For Christ" by Lee Strobel.

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