Easter is, obviously, all about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But the celebration of Easter also provides the benefit of great hope to Christians.
A significant aspect of this hope is the belief that there is “something more”. There seems to be a desire wired into humans to know that our existence involves something more than just this life in the here and now. As you might imagine, I encounter this reality every time I officiate at a funeral.
Without the belief in something more—something beyond this life in the here and now—we are inclined toward hopelessness. The Apostle Paul writes, “And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”
In other words: If this life is all there is then we are hopeless.
It’s interesting to note that influential atheist thinkers agree with this idea. Believing that this life is all that there is, Bertrand Russell wrote, “Only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair can the soul’s habitation henceforth be safely built.” (Emphasis added)
Can you see why Russell was not invited to many Easter parties?
Again, it’s interesting to see an important atheist thinker come to the same conclusion as the Bible: If this brief life is the end and there is nothing else then it’s a pretty sad affair and, according to Russell, the very foundation of life would be despair.
The hope that Christians have in Easter is that we share in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because He lives, we can live. There is something more. This is what stirs true hope.
It is my sincere desire that all who read this will know the peace, comfort, and inner assurance of true hope!
Dan Marler
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