Message of Easter is grace as Jesus offered redemption for all mankind

This past week, Christians celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In celebrating “Resurrection Day” also known as Easter, Christians worldwide reflect on the message the resurrection of Jesus Christ conveys to all who will give heed.

The message of Easter is, in fact, a message of grace. With Jesus Himself being the embodiment of grace. John's Gospel describes Jesus as "full of grace," contrasting it with the Jewish Law's focus on human shortcomings. Being full of grace, Jesus came to offer redemption for all mankind through His own sacrificial death.

The whole reason Jesus was sent to earth was to look for and rescue anyone who would accept the grace He embodied. The only way He could accomplish this was to symbolically take upon Himself the judgment for the sin of the whole world. This is what He did when He went to the cross.

The cross wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t a sad mishap. And it certainly wasn’t a mistake! It was a key component in God’s plan of displaying grace to mankind.

Exemplifying grace as He faced betrayal

When Jesus began to teach His disciples, His impending death and victorious resurrection were never far from His mind. Despite the weight of humanity's sin upon Him, Jesus persisted, exemplifying grace as He faced betrayal, false accusations, and denial from those who hated Him and those closest to Him.

But even though He was rejected by all those around Him, in His final moments on the cross, Jesus extended grace, to those who were responsible for crucifying Him with the words, “Father, forgive them, because they don’t realize what they are doing.” Jesus also extended grace to a dying thief who was crucified with Him, offering him salvation.

This same grace penetrated the heart of a hardened Roman execution squad soldier, convincing him that Jesus was, in fact, God’s Son. In addition to this, the grace Jesus displayed during His agony upon the cross compelled two secret disciples to take courage and be recognized as disciples of Jesus. His resurrection affirmed His message of grace, and provided hope for eternal life to all who will accept and embrace this truth, emphasizing the transformative power of grace.

This message is the heart of Easter. It reminds us of the boundless grace available to all who accept Jesus. Jesus' life, death, and resurrection showcase grace personified. He offered forgiveness and salvation to all, regardless of their past actions. His grace extends to everyone, from the faithful to the doubters, demonstrating God's unconditional love.

As we celebrate Easter, let us embrace the grace extended to us by Jesus. His resurrection signifies new life and hope, reminding us of the enduring power of grace in our lives. By acknowledging and living in this grace, we find peace and salvation in Jesus Christ, who is grace personified.

Travis McKenzie is lead pastor at Compassion Church in Ashland.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Christian message of Easter is grace from Jesus, in Him find peace