April 05, 2026

EASTER: THE HOPE FOR US ALL

April 05, 2026

Senior Pastor Jonathan Falwell

There are many times in a lifetime when an act by someone on our behalf deserves thanks greater than we can express. Perhaps someone rescues our child from near death, or goes above and beyond normal expectations in order to meet a need we have. The list could be as limitless. The bottom line? Sometimes, there are no words to express our gratitude. So it is with Jesus. How can we read Isaiah 53, or the accounts of the crucifixion in the four Gospels, and not be moved—or overcome with emotion—that Jesus would have gone through the pain, brutality, abuse, degradation, humiliation, and so much more, to pay for our sins. He didn’t have to—He was willing to. No wonder Paul said he was grateful that God counted him worthy to be persecuted for Jesus’ sake! Jesus left Heaven’s glory to come to this earth to be crucified, die, and be buried—then rise to life again—so we can be saved. And He did it while we were His enemies. We should wake up every day and praise Him for His unspeakable gift to us. Happy Easter! He is alive forevermore!

Focal Passages: Luke 23:39-47, Ephesians 2:1-9, 4:17-24.

The condition of us all:

  • Read Luke 23:39-43. The two criminals who were crucified on either side of Jesus can teach us so much. Who do they represent? Why is that true? Does the eternity of each of them represent every person who will ever live?
  • Read Matt. 7:21-23. Why does God tell these people, ‘I never knew you’? Read Mark 3:28-29 and Acts 4:12. Can we reject God’s greatest gift, which is His Son, and still go to Heaven? Can you think of any Scriptures that warn us of the fate of those who deny Jesus?
  • How could the other criminal be with Jesus that day ‘in Paradise’? Read Rom. 10:9-13. Did the man do this? But what about his baptism, or witnessing, or serving on a committee, or denouncing his sins, or going to church each Sunday? If he had lived, might he have done those things to express the joy of his salvation?
  • Read I Cor. 10:31. When we do according to this verse in Corinthians, what do we bear? Who do we share our fruit with? Is the fruit produced because we have our roots in Jesus?

The deliverance of us all: 

  • How can some people be in church every week, but not be saved? What happens in the mind and heart as God’s word is preached and they close their hearts to it? Read Mark 10:45. Who did Jesus come to save?
  • Read 2 Peter 3:9. Did Jesus qualify this statement, like, “except murderers,” or “Satanists”? Read Rom. 6:23. If His gift is free, how would He feel toward those who spurn it?
  • What do you say to people who tell you they have sinned too much for God to forgive them? Someone will probably say that to you at some point; how can you prepare yourself so that you are able to respond?

The hope for us all:

  • Read 1 Pet. 1:3. What is a living hope? What problems do you see in the world at the present time? As you watch the global situations, what keeps you from giving up?
  • Read Eph. 2:1-9. What was our condition when Christ called us to Himself and saved us? Could we have been any worse off than His enemies? Once we are His, why do we have this internal fountain of hope?
  • Read vv. 8-9 from Ephesians again. If we were saved by grace when we called on His name, are we any different from the criminal on the cross who said, “Lord, remember me”?
  • The picture the resurrection paints says we don’t even deserve to be in the presence of the living Jesus—yet He wants us to be with Him. Does that give you a living hope?

Our Response:

  • We finally believe. We realize we are filled with sin, and want to be forgiven; we ask Jesus to forgive us, and He does, giving us the Holy Spirit to indwell us, as we grow in Him.
  • We totally commit. As we grow in faith, in righteousness, and obedience to Jesus, we want to witness, to serve, to be used in whatever way God wills. We want to keep ourselves close to Him through prayer, listening for His guidance, Bible study, and fellowship.

Close: 

Was it a good Easter day for you? To be able to awake from sleep, get ready to go to the church, and gather with other Christians is a gift—it is here today for us, but we also know it could be gone tomorrow. Do you know how to worship on your own, lifting Him high in holiness and praising His name for all He has done—even when no one else is around?

We must talk to Him in prayer, but we also must remember to listen so He can guide us. If you and your spouse had only a one-way conversation, the relationship would die quickly. We must let God speak to us. You’ll soon learn how to tell it is He talking to you. Spend time in your Bible, studying, questioning why He uses a phrase, or a detail, or even a particular word. Love the Bible! Be filled with joy when you apply it to your daily life. Get excited when you’re going through a situation, and suddenly you think of a Bible parallel, and there springs a confident hope—knowledge—that He has you solidly in His hand. He won’t let you go.

By Sandy Day

April 05, 2026

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