What is the Meaning of Resurrection Day?

What does Resurrection Day mean to you?
Check out the NINE amazing treasures Easter brings us AND read to the end to discover how to relish these gifts more fully in your heart ❤️

Running through fields of green grass, delightfully searching for those coveted round orbs that may hold some delectable treat…
dipping and drying and dressing freshly cooked eggs into
bright colors amass,
poring gleefully over a ripe basket of goodies,
hugging a stranger dressed in a soft and fluffy bunny costume…

So many ways to celebrate this national holiday. We’ve even partaken in a few of these with our own kids.

Resurrection Day, also known as Easter, may have turned into an egg-dying, bunny-loving fest for some, but to others…it’s much, much more.

Bigger than birthdays, the Fourth of July…bigger than Christmas.

It’s significance in history and for those of the Christian faith is monumental.

And if ever there was a time for hope and rejoicing…Resurrection Day is that precious period.

Death…and Resurrection

Going back to somewhere in the early 30’s AD – the exact year is unknown – we find that week following Passover…Palm Sunday with it’s joyous arrival of a desired king on his donkey, all the way through the Last Supper to Jesus’ death on a cross, on Good Friday.

Wow. How did that happen, the week starting off with a seemingly triumphant march into the city, only to end with the most torturous death a person could endure?

I can imagine how the disciples, his beloved followers, felt, and scripture alludes to this – their confusion and bewilderment at the death of the king they thought had come to conquer the world. Afraid and lost, they scatter.

That was Friday.

But in three days…Resurrection.

The meaning of Resurrection Day is encompassed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his death on the cross on Good Friday. It’s commonly celebrated by Christians as a time of rejoicing in Jesus being raised from the dead. Resurrection Day signifies the resurrection to come in a believer’s life, as shown in the resurrection of Jesus.

So here we are, in a nutshell –

~ Jesus, who is fully man and fully God, lives a perfect life, one without sin – a life we could never attain (rom 3:10-12).
~ As in accordance with God’s perfect plan, He suffers and dies for sins – our sins. He takes our rightful spot on that wretched cross.
~ On the third day, He rises again. He returns to life, resurgent revival of the only One who is able to conquer death.

Without the Resurrection, There is no Hope

Truly, if the story stopped at the death on the cross, we would be without hope.

Why?

Because with only the death, where is the victory?

The amazing thing about Resurrection Day is that Jesus didn’t stay dead. The power of sin and death was conquered by this one man, who was also God.

In being resurrected, He paved the way…for our own resurrection.

Just as He was raised and taken to Heaven, we – his children – will also rise from our own bodies of flesh with an eternal body and take our place in Heaven (1 cor 6:14).

In all my trials of youth, Heaven was a promised land that kept me going. The thought of his sacrifice paving the way for such joy and comfort was enough to declare the pain of being in this world bearable.

Heaven…where there will be no more crying, tears, or pain,
where all our labor will come to fruition and we will see Him face to face,
joy upon joy (rev 21:4).

That significant day of resurrection delivers hope to last beyond a lifetime.

The Meaning of Resurrection Day is the Crux of Life

Oh dear friend…

if you live the precious life of a believer, all the prospect wrapped in your sphere of existence culminates in this one day, in this one magnificent, momentous event.

Not only do is our own resurrection and eternal salvation secured, the resurrection is so resplendent as to reap for us nine other brilliant benefits.

Want your heart to sing on Easter Sunday? Relish in these…

What is the Meaning of Resurrection Day – 9 Truths*:

1. A Savior that will never die again (rom 6:9)

He died once and for all for our sins.

2. The beauty of repentance (acts 5:30-31)

What a comfort to the heart…to know we can turn directly to our Great Father when we do something wrong and He will hear us.

3. New life, new birth (1 pet 1:3)

Our old hearts of stone are made into tender hearts of flesh that can respond to His calling and direction.

4. Forgiveness (1 cor 15:17)

The One who has the power to defeat death also granted us forgiveness in His triumph on the cross. We’re forgiven of all our sins – past, present, and future.

5. The Helper (acts 2:32-33)

We have a Helper who is with us all our days, residing in our hearts, guiding and convicting and tenderly whispering.

6. No guilt & No condemnation (rom 8:34)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (rom 8:1)

7. Fellowship with & the Protection of our Savior (mt 28:20)

What a friend we find in Him…and how He’s a refuge for us in times of trouble.

8. Knowledge of the judgment to come (acts 17:31)

A day is set when all the evil in our world will be judged and shown for what it is. Triumphantly, it will be vanquished from existence as believers flourish in priceless eternity more stunning than we can imagine.

9. Salvation from future wrath (1 thess 1:10)

His believers will not be among those counted with the goats, unknown to Him and turned away (mt 25:32-33). Rather, we will be able to stand before the throne with our Savior’s righteousness counting as our own.

Simply amazing…

*I’m so grateful to John Piper and his amazing Desiring God ministry. This impressive Resurrection list was gleaned here.

The Meaning of Resurrection Day Illustrated

With all this to celebrate, my heart may burst with such rejoicing when I really take time to reflect on all that Easter Sunday truly means!

What better time to gather all that our hearts could hold in gratitude and inscribe it as tribute, mark it for our eyes to behold and our souls to reflect.

I’ve penned the treasure of keeping thankful thoughts in one place – the art of gratitude. Resurrection Day is a perfect time to start this! We’ve even given these cherished journals to our kids as Easter gifts.

Younger kids delight in being able to draw those joys that enrapture their little hearts. We love the 1-Minute Gratitude Journal because of the adorable theme, the simplicity of the layout, and the variety throughout the journal.

There’s always a place to draw and color, a Bible verse, and a few short lines to bullet list some happiness. And I love how some of the prompts get kids thinking about how they can love and serve others. You can pick it up from Amazon:

Note: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. However, I will only ever recommend products I love and truly believe will bring you value.

The Greatitude Finder is a favorite for the older kids and there are styles for both girls and boys. There are colorful blocks in which to write thanksgivings, places to list favorite scriptures or kind deeds, and a large amount of fun stickers to add to each page.

For us adults, my friend Alisa over at Flourishing Today put together this Daily Gratitude Devotional Kit – and it looks absolutely amazing!! Not only is this a gratitude journal, it also includes a gratitude-focused devotional, 12 elegant Bible verse cards, 12 pretty Bible verse phone lock screens (love this!), and more!

In addition, she’s offering all my readers $10 off with the coupon code KARA10OFF.
On top of the current sale – this set costs only $7!
Go grab this gorgeous devotional today and start a joyous and meaningful daily habit!

May the peace of Christ and His resurrection fill your heart with much joy this Resurrection Day!

This post was originally published on March 31, 2021 and has been updated.