Easter: "It is Finished" Was Just the BeginningSample

Day Eight

Greater Things Are Yet to Come

In 2006, Tim Hughes wrote the song “Happy Day,” which describes Jesus’ resurrection as, “The greatest day in history, death is beaten, You have rescued me. Sing it out, Jesus is alive! The empty cross, the empty grave, life eternal, You have won the day.”

Truly, this was the greatest day in history. From Adam and Eve until the day Jesus rose from the dead, death held us ransom. But on the cross, sin had been rendered powerless. Paul points out, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14 NIV).

Jesus’ resurrection changed everything for mankind, as when we are in Christ, we are now free, restored, redeemed, and reconciled back to God. We’ve been given the free gift of eternal life. Jesus told Martha that those who believe in Him “shall never die” (John 11:26 NKJV) and He also said to Nicodemus that those who believe in Him “should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV).

You see, when Adam and Eve fell, we became spiritually dead—empty shells, lacking in the image of God. Humanity was incomplete until the arrival of Jesus Christ, who was and is the true image and likeness of God. By rising on the third day, Jesus created a way for the original image of God in man to be restored.

“It is finished” was not the end. It was just the beginning, for greater things were yet to come! Jesus said, “I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised” (Luke 24:49 NLT), who “will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26 NIV) and “convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8 NKJV). At Pentecost, Jesus’ promise was fulfilled as the Holy Spirit descended upon believers.

The fire Jesus started began to spread around the world. God’s redemptive work continued with the coming of the Holy Spirit, through His Church—the bearers of the new covenant. The Book of Acts is the continuing story of Jesus set into the hearts, thoughts, and actions of the apostles and early believers. And though the acts of the apostles may have come to a close with their deaths, the acts of the Holy Spirit continues to this day through us—Jesus’ followers!

God “has given us the ministry of reconciliation . . . and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:18–20 NKJV). We are all part of God’s work, part of His story of redemption, and He has entrusted us to carry His message of salvation to the entire world!

For the Kids

Easter is a special day, and not because of egg hunts or lots of candy. Today, we get to celebrate the greatest day in history. Do you know why Easter is so important? On this day, over 2,000 years ago, Jesus came back to life after being dead for three days! It seemed like the end of His story, but it was actually just the beginning—and Jesus wants us to be a part of it.

Jesus’ resurrection changed everything for us. Now, we can ask Jesus into our hearts and know that even when we make mistakes He’ll forgive us because our relationship has been restored—that means we get to spend eternity in heaven with Him! Jesus loves us so much, and He wants us to be part of His story by sharing His love with others that might not know about Him.

Reflecting on the Promise 

“On the third day He will restore us, that we may live in His presence” (Hosea 6:2 NIV). The resurrection of Jesus fulfilled this prophecy by giving us the opportunity to be restored to God, having a close, personal relationship with Him.

As you celebrate Easter today, remember that God’s still writing redemption on the hearts of man through His people by the Holy Spirit! Spend some time reflecting on how God is using you to write redemption on the hearts of the people around you.