Easter is the climax of the church calendar. With the resurrection of Jesus, his ministry and message are vindicated, death and evil are conquered, his royal identity confirmed, and new creation breaks forth to overshadow the old. The resurrection is the lynchpin of the Christian faith. Without it, Paul says, our faith is futile (1 Cor 15:17). More than any other theme, the resurrection of Jesus permeates the preaching of the early church. Make no mistake: as followers of Jesus, we are people of the resurrection. Our worldview is rooted in the resurrection. Our ethics, our work, our communal life, our hope—these all are deeply shaped by the resurrection. 

The season of Easter reminds us that Easter is a way of life. That's why the church gathers for worship on Sundays—because that's the day Jesus rose from the grave, changing everything! "Thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain" (1 Cor 15:57–58).

O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that we, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen.