What’s the Real Story of Easter? (and Why Does it Matter?)

As everyone knows, today is Good Friday, the day that Jesus was nailed to the cross to die for all man’s sins. If you know that much, you probably also know that he rose from his grave three days later and that is the reason we celebrate Easter. But what’s the real story? How does Jesus dying on a cross and coming back to life “save” us? 

So often people live under the impression that grace is earned and that if they live a “good” life, they’ll punch their ticket to heaven. Fortunately for us, that’s not the case. In reality we could never be good enough for God. Why?

God is perfect, and we aren’t.

God says in in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and in John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the father except through me.”

What the Bible teaches us is really pretty simple: God sent his son Jesus, who lived a perfect life on earth, to die on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. In other words, Jesus is a bridge between our perfect God and us. Without Jesus, we have no bridge, and we can’t be with our God in Heaven.