Sunday, March 31: Easter

Historically speaking, the rise of Christianity was extremely unlikely.

Sure, Jesus had a reputation as a wonder worker. Sure, he was able to draw big crowds during his earthly ministry. But by his trial, he had been abandoned by both the crowds and most of his closest followers. Only a handful remained. Even Peter denied knowing him. By all historical accounts, the crucifixion of Jesus should have been the end of the Christian movement.

And yet, two thousand years later we still remember Jesus. Why?

Because of the events of the first Easter weekend.

Jesus was crucified on Friday, but by Sunday there were reports that his tomb was empty and he was alive. Jesus’s resurrection from the dead vindicated him—it proved he is the Christ, the Son of God. Further, because Jesus rose from the dead, we, too, have hope for resurrection from the dead.

Easter changed everything!

This weekend, we have two opportunities to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. First, there is our Good Friday service on Friday at 6:30 PM. This will be a special time of recognizing Jesus’s death on the cross. We want to answer the question “Why did Jesus suffer and die on the cross?” Often, we answer that question: “to pay for our sins.” What do we mean when we say that, and what difference does it make? This Friday we will unpack the meaning of the cross and its impact on every area of our life.

Then on Sunday, we have three Easter worship services: 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM, and 11:00 AM. On Good Friday we remember Jesus’s death, but on Easter Sunday we celebrate the resurrection! The rise of Christianity is unexplainable by any reason other than the resurrection. The tomb is empty and Jesus is alive!

Because of that, everything is different.

See you on Friday!

Good Friday service is at 6:30 p.m. There will be no live broadcast.
Easter Service times are at 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00. If you can’t make it in person, you can watch live at those times.