Resurrection is the cornerstone of faith

He is risen. He is risen indeed.

Easter Sunday is so much more than little girls in sundresses and little boys in suits just waiting for grass stains. Easter is more than a spiral ham for brunch, hiding and finding Easter eggs and biting the ears off a chocolate rabbit.

Easter is the celebration of the eternal hope of heaven and the fear and sting of death being removed. For Christians, Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ upon which the entire system of faith hinges. Without the resurrection, there can be no forgiveness of sins, there is no abundance of life, the eternal hope of heaven is removed and there will be no social good will.

The importance of the resurrection is stressed within the Bible itself. In 1 Corinthians 15:14 we read, "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." In other words if the resurrection were a lie, as some would like to believe, then individual faith and the work of the church are nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

One cannot be intellectually honest without admitting that some leaders within the church's history have committed some terrible actions. In the same line of reasoning, one cannot ignore the tremendous good the church has added. Considering the number of hospitals, orphanages and what are now Ivy League institutions of higher education that find their origins in the grassroots movement of people of faith within the church that collectively said these are important acts to take in order to live out our faith.

All of these good endeavors hinged upon two convictions. First is the conviction of the resurrection of Christ, which leads to the second conviction that says I must do something in love and good work toward others demonstrate the transformation that comes from my faith in the resurrection.

The resurrection did not generate a reason to start an institution. The church was a groundswell movement of people who came to the conviction of the resurrection based teachings from Moses and the prophets and upon more than 500 eyewitness accounts. The resurrection was not an escape from living a meaningless life; it was what gave meaning in life.

Easter celebrates hope. Easter celebrates transformation. Easter celebrates freedom and forgiveness. Easter celebrates new life of abundance. Easter celebrates eternity.

Rob Hurtgen is a husband, father, minister and writer. Read more from him at www.robhurtgen.wordpress.com.