The Resurrection of Jesus Christ changed everything. It is the pivotal historical event that all of Christianity and its testimony to the world rests on. If Jesus of Nazareth did not physically resurrect from death to life, if it was not real and did not happen, Christianity would be nothing more than a lie and Christians ought to be pitied for believing in a lie (1 Cor. 15:1-19). The physical, historical resurrection of Jesus is central to the Christian faith. Not only that, it is the single event in history that radically “rocked” the world, more than the Holocaust or even the recent tsunamis in Indonesia and Japan.

Resurrection of Jesus separates the “old world” from the “new world” by realigning the original creation reality. Before the Resurrection, God gave the pattern to all humanity to work first during the first six days and then rest on the seventh (Gen. 2:1-3; Exo. 20:8-11). The same pattern was later repeated to Israel, with the additional, special redemptive meaning to commemorate their exodus from Egypt (Deut. 5:12-15). But when Jesus completed His ministry (John 19:30), the pattern has changed ever since to rest first then work. The Christian Sabbath is the first day of the week, not the seventh, and is renamed as the Lord’s Day because of Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 16:1-2, Rev. 1:10). It is the Lord Jesus’ Day because it is on this day that He resurrected and secured the redemption of God’s people from the depths of hell and sin! (and not merely from an oppressive nation). The New Sabbath is thus more expansive and more meaningful, and the Gregorian calendar rightly marks Sunday as the first day of the week. It is a “red day” since it as a holy-day (holiday). The Lord’s Day ought not to be grouped together with Saturday as “weekend.” Rather, we should consider the 52 Sundays of the year as 52 miniature Easters.

Because Jesus completed all the work of salvation for us, we can rest. And because we rest in Him, we have the power and strength to work in the new world He has given to us to conquer, tame, and nourish during the remaining six days of the week. Even though the world is still corrupt and has the “thorns and thistles” given to us through the first Adam (Gen. 3:17-19), our Second Adam is making all things new (Rev. 21:5). To us, the Resurrection of Jesus is a past event that gives us hope for our own bodily resurrection in the future. This “already-not yet” worldview enables us to rest first and rely on Jesus as our strength and shield for the remaining six days (Ps. 28:7).

Sadly in the West, the connection of Easter to Jesus is largely lost in the general conscientiousness and people more often think of Easter bunnies or egg hunts instead. The English term “Easter” itself does not have a biblical connection. In this regard, the Korean word “Bu-hwal-jol” is better in retaining the Christian meaning, literally “the feast of Resurrection.” By properly resting and feasting before the Lord today and on every first day of the week, we proclaim to the world not only that the Resurrection is real, but also that the new reality is here because of the Resurrection of Jesus.

As we commemorate what happened today 2000 years ago, let us enter into His rest (Heb. 4:1-13) and feast before our Lord (Exo. 12:14, Lev.23) who prepares a table for us in the midst of our enemies (Ps. 23:5). Let us today and in all 52 mini-Easters of the year anticipate the coming Day of the Lord (1 Thes. 5:1-11, 2 Peter 3:1-13) and the reality of heaven (Matt. 22:1-14, 25:1-13) with Maranatha (Rev. 22:20)!

This is the day that the Lord has made!
Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
The Lord is risen!
He is risen indeed!