Have you ever found yourself rushing past John 3:16 like it’s old news?

It’s so familiar—“For God so loved the world…”—that sometimes we forget how staggering it really is. But this Resurrection Sunday, let’s pause. Let’s take a step back and marvel at the greatest account ever told.

The gospel isn’t just a theological truth. It’s a breathtaking, history-spanning, life-changing reality!  And it starts at the very beginning.

We read in the first two chapters of the Bible, “In the beginning, God created…” He spoke galaxies into existence, each star called by name. Our planet? Just a speck in the universe—and yet, it was here that God placed His most treasured creation: mankind. We weren’t made by accident or evolution, but with intention, in the very image of God.

It was perfect. But then came the fall.

In Genesis 3, sin entered the world. Through one act of disobedience, everything broke. Death came. Shame came. Separation from God came. The story that began in beauty was now darkened by rebellion. Yet God didn’t walk away. From the very beginning, He had a rescue plan.

Throughout the Old Testament, God wove a tapestry of promises and pictures pointing to a coming Redeemer. The ark in Noah’s day was a picture—a single way to escape judgment. The blood on the doorposts in Egypt was a picture—there was only one way to be saved, through the blood of a lamb. The entire sacrificial system in Israel was a picture—a covering for sin that would one day be fulfilled.

Then came the promise: a Messiah. A Savior. One who would not just cover sin, but remove it completely. Isaiah prophesied: “Unto us a child is born… and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” 

For generations, people waited. They longed for the Messiah.

And then, Jesus came.

Jesus stepped into our world—God in the flesh. The One who measured the universe with His hand now had tiny, wrinkled fingers. Born of a virgin, in a humble stable, God stepped into our world. The One who spoke the universe into existence now cried in a manger. The Creator became one of us. Fully God. Fully man. Emmanuel—God with us.

He lived a perfect life. He taught with authority. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, calmed storms, fed thousands, and even raised the dead– and then, He did the unthinkable.

Jesus willingly went to the cross. 

Not because of anything He had done, but because of everything we had. The perfect Son of God took the punishment we deserved. He bore the weight of every sin—mine, yours, the world’s—and paid it in full on a wooden cross.

The wages (payment) of sin is death (Romans 6:23). You and I were sentenced to die because of our sins. Yet, the perfect, sinless, spotless Lamb of God offered Himself as the once-and-for-all sacrifice. He bore our shame. He endured our punishment. He paid our debt. He took all of our wretched, ugly, filthy wickedness and was willing to die in our place.

Yet, although the story should have stopped there, it didn’t. The grave couldn’t hold Him. Three days later Jesus came back to life again! He rose from the dead!!

The resurrection changed everything. It proved that sin had been conquered. Death had been defeated. Jesus declared before His death, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Through the resurrection He proved it! Jesus wasn’t just a prophet or a good teacher—He is the Savior. The King. The Risen Lord!

Romans 5:8 reminds us: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

That’s the heart of the gospel. It’s not about us climbing our way to God. It’s about God reaching down in love, offering us grace. Salvation is a free gift—not something we earn, but something we receive.

This message isn’t just a theological idea. It’s personal. It’s for you. When I was young, I had doubts about my salvation that lingered for years. I prayed to receive Christ when I was young but couldn’t remember it. I grew up in church— I knew all the facts, taught others how to share the gospel, and did all the “right” things—but I still wondered: Am I truly saved? Then one day, as a teenager, I paused. I looked at the full story. And I realized—it’s not about what I’ve done, it’s about what He’s done. It’s not about knowing it intellectually in my head, it’s fully trusting in Jesus from my heart. That day, I put my full trust in Jesus, not just as a concept, but as my Savior.

And everything changed.

Friend, this Easter, don’t let the story grow stale. Let the wonder of the gospel wash over you again. See the vastness of creation and remember the One who holds it all—yet came for you. Remember the cross where love was poured out. Remember the empty tomb that roared with victory.

He is risen.
He is alive!!

Don’t just celebrate Easter. Let the wonder of the gospel reshape and refresh your heart.

From my family to you, happy Resurrection Sunday!

Chad and Alissa Christiansen