Open Day

The most controversial thing about Easter is not that Jesus died… but that he came back to life.

That’s why our Easter campaign this year is called ‘Open Day,’ as we highlight Jesus’ open grave… for he is risen, hallelujah!

Many people are not open to the resurrection of Jesus because it seems so unusual—after all, how many times have you gone to a funeral to have the dead body rise from the grave?

Yet, the resurrection is the very thing that makes Easter valuable.

For, if Jesus only died and stayed dead, then the life of Jesus would offer us little more than an impossibly-difficult character to try and imitate.

Plus, when we are unable to keep Jesus’ impossible standard of perfection, we’d be crushed by our failure.

But worst of all, without the open grave, all of the promises of Jesus would fail.

For he made it clear that he would be betrayed, be killed, “but three days later he will rise from the dead.” (Mark 9:31).

What’s more, as the Apostle Paul observed:

“…if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.” (1 Corinthians 15:17-19)

We must be open to the truth about the open grave, for it is only by Jesus rising from the dead that we can have any real hope in eternity.

If the grave is not open, then neither is heaven.

That’s why this Easter we’re encouraging people to be open to the idea that Jesus’ grave was open… and that people would be open to the idea of following the risen and living Jesus.

Jesus’ grave is open… are you?

JODIE McNEILL