From brightly colored dresses and fancy hats to pastel-colored plastic eggs filled with candy, Easter arrives with the newness of spring bringing lots of lighthearted celebration along with it. As Christians, celebrating Easter in this fashion makes the holiday fun and entertaining, but too often, Easter diverts people who don’t know God personally away from the reason behind the celebration. Unfortunately, the amusements of Easter can take people farther away from God than closer to Him.
With plants and trees budding and blooming, spring and Easter both offer reminders of a new birth. After all, Easter celebrates new life and new beginnings, and Christians know the joy of their new lives in Christ. Christian clothing brands like CXXII provide Christians with ways to celebrate this joy every day by wearing their favorite faith-based clothing.
As much as Christians want to forget the sadness of who they were before they came to Jesus, Christians should remember where they came from to appreciate the new life God has given them. Remember the suffering Jesus went through so that the entire world could have eternal life makes a story everyone should know and want to share. Just like the last blog pointed out, what Jesus did for the world has nothing to do with luck, and everyone can have the chance to come to Christ and never be alone again.
Understanding the Certainty of Sin and Death
No one enjoys talking about sin, let alone death. Sin reflects poorly on the individual, exposing faults and shortcomings, but God repeatedly discusses sin in His Word because He knows how much everyone needs to understand their sinful state to understand God’s love and grace.
Throughout the Bible, several verses, like the following, point out that everyone sins except God:
- Romans 3:23 plainly states that not only has everyone sinned but also because of sin, everyone falls short of God’s perfection and glory.
- 1 John 1:8 explains that if anyone claims to not sin, you’re not just fooling those around you but you’re also fooling yourself.
- Ecclesiastes 7:20 points out that no person on Earth exists who does good but doesn’t sin. In other words, you can’t find one perfect person on Earth.
- Roman 3:10 emphasizes that not one person can be found that is righteous, not one.
- Galatians 3:22 declares that sin has imprisoned everyone.
While the Bible makes it clear that everyone sins, some overlook the nature of sin. To fully appreciate the importance of Easter, you must understand the sinful nature. God speaks to that in His Word and makes plain that everyone must take personal responsibility for their sins. Consider these verses:
- Mark 7:15 and 21 provides words directly from Jesus, telling a crowd and His disciples that the heart generates sin, not anyone or anything around you—no one causes you to sin but yourself.
- Colossians 3:5 pleads with Christians to put to death the sinful, earthly things inside of them.
- Romans 7:25 points out that the flesh serves sin.
God not only makes it clear in His Word that everyone sins, but the Bible also points out the that the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23). Everyone holds a hopeless position in sin and death, and after that news, you might be wondering why anyone should be celebrating at all no matter time of the year it is.
However, understanding this position makes you appreciate the good news. Although the Bible makes it clear that everyone sins and can’t possibly be acceptable to God, the Bible offers a way out from the penalty of sin. Despite everyone’s sinful state, God loved the world so much that He sent Jesus to die for the sins of the world (John 3:16).
The joy of Easter for Christians comes in remembering what God did for them. You might think you are too sinful or unacceptable for God, but God still provided a way for everyone—including you—to meet Him one day in Heaven. Faith-based clothing offers a creative and unique way to remember what Jesus did and to start conversations with other to share this good news.
Providing a Path to Heaven
God had a plan all along. The Bible says that God loved the world so much that even while the world was covered in sin, Jesus died for everyone (Romans 5:8). This verse points out that sending Jesus as a sacrifice for the world’s sins proves just how much God loves the world.
The Bible speaks about the path Jesus paved so that the world can find salvation. The first step Jesus took was coming to Earth as a servant. Jesus, the Son of God, who could do no sin and could command legions of angels left that glory to come to Earth as man. The Bible describes this in the following verses:
- Philippians 2:6–8 points out that although Jesus is God, He gave up divine privileges to appear as a human and humbled himself to die a criminal’s death on the cross.
- Mark 10:45 emphasizes that Jesus came to Earth not to be served but to serve others, foreshadowing how He would serve the world by dying on the cross.
- John 13 shows the servanthood of Jesus in action as He washes the feet of the disciples. Although they didn’t understand, Jesus was showing them a picture of how His servant actions on the cross would wash away sins.
Although Jesus came to Earth fully man, He was also fully God and performed miracles, taught multitudes, and constantly offered examples of service and love. Fully God, He could have left everyone on Earth to suffer under the weight of sin, but instead, He willingly suffered the penalty of everyone’s sin on the cross to bring us. The Bible tells us:
- 1 Peter 3:18 says that Jesus suffered and died for everyone so that the world could be brought to God.
- 1 John 2:2 reports that Jesus atoned for the sins of the world by dying on the cross.
- Hebrews 12:2 states that Jesus endured the cross for the world.
If this ended the story, no one would have reason to rejoice, but the story doesn’t end with Jesus dying on the cross. Three days after Jesus was laid in the tomb He rose again. Jesus conquered sin and death to rise again. Without the resurrection of Jesus, the world would still be trapped in sin with no way out.
Because Jesus humbled himself to the role of a servant, gave His life for the world, and then rose again three days later, Christians rejoice over the gift God has given. Jesus offers that free gift of salvation to anyone who chooses to accept it. Faith-based clothing brands give Christians the chance to wear clothing that reveals their acceptance of that gift and their connection to God.
Sharing the Way, the Truth, and the Life
The Bible reveals that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and anyone who wants to go to Heaven must do so through the blood of Jesus (John 14:6). If you have accepted this free gift from God, then you know just have valuable this new life in Christ can be. You not only have the gift of eternal life, but also you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you and guiding you in your life. You never have to be alone.
This gift of eternal life brings joy and peace, but God also wants you to share the news of this gift with others. The Bible pleads with Christians to
- Go into the world and share the news of Jesus with everyone (Matthew 28:19): Faith-based clothing brands offer a simple way to share the good news with others. Whether you wear a hat or shirt with the news of Jesus, your faith-based streetwear can reveal God’s plan to others and help you start conversations so that you can share the good news and the joy it brings to your life.
- Not be ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16): Paul says in Romans that he isn’t ashamed of the gospel, and you shouldn’t feel ashamed either. Knowing that the gospel provides the way for others to come to Christ, you should be filled with joy that you have received this great gift and that other can too.
- Always have an answer (1 Peter 3:15): The Bible asks Christians to honor God and always be ready to tell others why you have such hope.
Christians have become marked by the joy and hope they have and that hope and joy comes from Jesus. Let Easter be a time that you remember the reason for this joy and share it with everyone you meet.