Easter Sunday | Final Day of Hope Week

This devotional is the final installment in our Hope Week devotional series—following Jesus' journey from the gates of Jerusalem, to the cross, to the hope of the empty tomb.

Today, let's reflect on the events of Easter Sunday—the day that changed everything.

As a kid, I loved Easter, but it meant different things back then. As I reflect on the resurrection now, though, it has a whole new meaning. It stands as the ultimate demonstration of Christ’s deity and power, including His victory over death. It proves that God keeps His promises and gives us hope that we can trust Him. And it shows why Christianity differs from every other religion on the planet—because its founder, Jesus, is not bound by a physical tomb. He is alive!

In the last few chapters of Luke, we move from heartbreak and hopelessness during the crucifixion, to a day of silence and mourning, to a miracle that brings joy and excitement. The chapter opens at the tomb as the women come to prepare Jesus’ body for final burial. But as they approach the tomb, they see the stone has been rolled away, and looking into the tomb, they see it empty. Suddenly, they are met by angelic messengers, who ask this question: “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen” (vv. 5-6).

This is also a question for us today. Too often, we look for life in success, approval, comfort, relationships, bank accounts—dead places that will leave us empty. But in the angels’ declaration—“He is not here, but has risen”—we find a hope with Jesus that will not run dry. This statement confirms that Jesus is everything He said He was and that He did everything He said He would do, including rising from the dead.

The women at the tomb were still mourning, but their mourning turned to celebration and excitement over the risen Lord. Jesus Himself appeared to two disciples that same day on the road to Emmaus, who were still processing the events of the crucifixion. He walked and talked with them and eventually revealed to them that it was Him—and that He was indeed alive. Jesus went on to appear to over 500 people in a 40-day period, proving undeniably that He was the Son of God. This one event gave birth to a movement, hope to a lost world, and set the stage for His return.

Without the reality of the resurrection, Jesus was just an ordinary man. In fact, He would be worse than an ordinary man, because He would have been a liar, a deceiver, and a false prophet—all things the religious leaders believed. Instead, the resurrection is the cornerstone of the Christian faith, and this event changed everything. Jesus left no way to deny that the tomb was empty—and that He is risen. He is risen indeed!

When you think about the resurrection, what emotions do you feel, and what do they reveal about your relationship with Jesus?

At Crossroads, Easter is more than a day. It's the culmination of a week of expectation—as we follow Jesus from the gates of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, to the cross on Good Friday, to His triumphant resurrection that first Easter morning.

As we wrap up Hope Week together this Sunday, we invite you to come with open hearts—ready to remember the depth of Jesus’ sacrifice and the power of His resurrection. Easter may be over after today, but the hope we have in Him never fades.