We asked some pastors a few questions to help us understand what Easter means for us Christians. Yes, it’s more than chocolate, Easter Bunny eggs and scavenger hunts –
It’s perhaps the most important holiday of the year.
Why did Jesus have to die for us?
God loves us so much that He desired to bring us back to Him. It was a prophesy from Genesis that had to be fulfilled from the time Adam and Eve sinned. Although it took 4,000 years for that to come to pass, it had to because Jesus was the only one that could give us direct access to God again. Jesus died for us because He was the only one that could bring the cure. He was the only one that could redeem us from all of the negative things that come with sin. His death and resurrection was what put an end to humankind’s separation from God.
Rev. Paul Donkor, Toronto, ON
True forgiveness requires payment. If you drive your friend’s car and crash because you were texting, the car repairs will cost money. Someone has to pay. Who should pay? The person who caused the accident? That’s justice. However, if your friend paid, that’s grace. But it cost your friend to forgive you. She chose to pay the price instead of you. It’s the same with God.
Pst. Albert Kooy, Newmarket, ON
The infamous “fall” placed a barrier between us and God – we tried to go our own way and figure things out on our own. God interacted with us but at a distance. Jesus came, lived and died to connect with us face-to-face, and to bring us back into relationship with the Father. His death marked that final sacrifice, that final requirement to “do” something to connect with God. It is finished!
Pst. Melissa Ytsma, Richmond Hill, ON
What does Jesus dying for my sins mean for me?
It means eternal life. Jesus dying for our sins gives us the opportunity and right to take up that forgiveness. Jesus dying is not just salvation or going to heaven, it means healing for us all through His blood. His death and resurrection is an opportunity to be reconciled back to God, to have forgiveness of sin, and to be what God had originally purposed for us to be. Because of God’s original plan for mankind in Genesis, His death gives us the opportunity to be in good health, be prosperous, have dominion and authority, peace and much more. Jesus dying means being placed back in that original state God purposed us to be in.
Rev. Paul Donkor, Toronto, ON
Ever wondered if you are really loved? Jesus knows all the sins you have done, are doing and will do. And knowing that, He still came to die in your place. He exchanged His life for yours. He took your sins and paid for it. He gives His perfect life to you, so that God sees you clothed in Jesus’ perfect life. That’s love! Who else could love you that way?
