What Does Easter Mean?


By Rev. Phil McCoy


the empty tomb that provides hope in a hopeless world. The good news of Easter is that the empty tomb provides forgiveness, meaning in life, and brings hope in a hopeless world. The resurrection gives up hope in the face of the unfairness of the world. It gives us strength and courage in every situation we face. Secondly, it stands for the angel who invited them to look. The gos- pel of Matthew tells us that when the women came from the tomb, - vite them inside. He said, “Come and see the place where He lay.” Take a look at the evidence and God still invites us to do that. And you can look for yourself, the evidence


W March/April 2021


hat does Easter mean? What does Easter stand for? First, it stands for


is there if you investigate. An empty tomb, undisturbed grave, clothes, a 2,000-pound stone rolled away, hundreds of eyewitnesses. Thirdly, it stands for surprise at an empty grave. Not many people ex- pected Jesus to show up, to rise again on that resurrection Sunday morning. And what a surprise, what a shock His resurrection caused. Fourthly, it stands for tell. After the angel invited the surprised women into the tomb, they were told to go tell this good news to others. We believ- ers, who have trusted in Christ for salvation, have been commanded to go       passes us by. Fifthly, it stands for the excitement that the women felt that morning. The


resurrection was a day of good news. It was a day of renewed hope. Jesus has won the victory and because of that we are victories. All of us as believ- ers in Jesus Christ have a day when we will go to be with Him. That will be a glorious day of victory and we ought to be excited about that. And sixthly, it stands for the resurrected Lord who is living today. The


resurrected Lord is the eternal event of our faith. It is the central fact of Christianity. And because of Easter, we know that God in Christ Jesus is more powerful than anything in life, even death.


Reverend Phil McCoy is the pastor of First ARP Church in Statesville, NC. This was originally printed in The Times, the church newsletter.


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