Our Father in Heaven,

As Christians around the world celebrate Resurrection Sunday, we thank you for the sacrifice that your Son made on our behalf, a sacrifice we don’t consider, meditate on, or give thanks for often enough. Sadly, for many, it’s only during this time of the year that much thought is given to Jesus’ resurrection.
In perfect unity with you and the Holy Spirit, Jesus willingly came to earth as a human, as one of us, enduring suffering and temptation just as we do, but without sin. From the beginning, Jesus knew that His earthly mission would end up on a cruel Roman cross. He prayed in the garden that His cup would pass, but He was always in complete submission to Your will.
In the “Great Exchange” on the cross, Jesus took on himself the sins of all Christians – past, present and future. In exchange, He gave us His righteousness. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  (2 Corinthians 5:21)

But Jesus didn’t stay in the grave. On the third day He arose! Death is swallowed up in victory. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! And because He has risen, we know that we too will rise and reign with him forever.     

This is amazing grace
This is unfailing love
That You would take my place
That You would bear my cross

(“This is Amazing Grace” Phil Wickham)

Father, Kevin DeYoung tells us that the resurrection means the death of Jesus was enough – enough to atone for sin, enough to reconcile us to You, Father, enough to present us holy in Your presence. Christ won; sin, death, and the devil lost – that’s the good news of the empty tomb.

Because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, we are guaranteed that in heaven there will be no more sadness, suffering, departing of loved ones. For:

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.  (Revelation 21:4)

Father, we thank you for the perfect, obedient life of Jesus. We thank you for His sacrificial death on a cross. And, we thank you for His resurrection, which offers hope, to a world that has lost hope.

We pray this in Jesus’ precious name,  Amen