The coronavirus strikes and everything is different—including how you celebrate Easter.
Will you have a virtual Easter service from the comfort of your couch? Perhaps. A small Sunday dinner with only those in your household? Most likely. A yearning for familiar family traditions? A sense of sadness over the state of things? A realization that hunting for hope is at an all-time high? Yes. Yes. Yes.
You’re not alone. But even with all the challenges of change this season, one thing remains certain: the resurrection of Jesus Christ brings new life, new hope, and a new future!
New Life
Because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, you have access to new life. In his rich mercy, God invites you to let go of your troubles and walk with him. When you accept his gift of new life, God drives out fear with his love. He soothes pain with his peace. He brings you through your sorrows and into a place of joy. You can live abundantly in your new life thanks to God!
Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. —1 Peter 1:3 (GNT)
New Hope
Jesus’s display of unmatched love and sacrifice opened up the doors of heaven for you. It created hope you can enjoy today, right now, and hope you can take hold of tomorrow, too. You no longer have to be a slave to fear or worry. Ask God to open your mind to see his light and experience the hope he longs to give you.
“I ask that your minds may be opened to see his light, so that you will know what is the hope to which he has called you…” —Ephesians 1:18
New Future
In God’s great love, he created a way for you to be with him … forever. Jesus took the penalty of sin and death so that you wouldn’t have to. It doesn’t mean life doesn’t get really hard at times. It means that the struggles you face in this life won’t last forever. God is with you today, and he wants to be with you always.
For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. – John 3:16
Celebrating Easter
No matter how different Easter might be this year, the power of Jesus’s resurrection remains a constant. And through his resurrection, all things are made new—including your life, your hope, and your future!
So, let go of the troubles of yesterday and focus on living your new life today. Leave worry behind and take hold of your new hope each morning. Look beyond the struggles of life and look forward to your future, one that God has prepared especially for you.
Celebrate your risen Savior and be filled with joy this Easter!