Easter | Celebration | 5/4/26

The meaning of Easter: The vindication of Jesus

Anyone can make big claims. But how do you know if they’re actually true?

Jesus made big claims and He is the focus of Easter, and rightly so… His death on that 1st Good Friday and his resurrection on the 1st Easter Sunday are the hinges of our faith. Did you know Easter Sunday is all about ‘vindication’? The resurrection is the most stunning of miracles, the keystone & conclusion of all that Jesus taught.

Definition of Vindication:

“Proof that someone or something is right”

“The action of legally clearing someone’s name in court”

What did Jesus do?

1. Jesus did a lot – signs & wonders, miracles and healings
2. He fulfilled a lot – at least 300 specific Old Testament prophecies
3. He taught a lot – e.g. the Beatitudes and the sermon on the mount are considered the most profound teaching ever
4. He claimed a lot – of himself
5. And he promised a lot – to his followers and to humanity

What did Jesus claim?

Here are just 5 claims Jesus made (there are many more!):

• Giver of eternal life (John 10:28)
• One who forgives sin (Mark 2:10)
• The future Judge (Matthew 26:63)
• The Saviour (John 3:14-16)
• The healer (Luke 18:42)

And perhaps the most famous claim: “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” (John 14:6)

And SPECIFICALLY, that he would die and be raised to life (Matthew 16:21 & 20:19).

What did Jesus promise?

• The forgiveness of sins (Mark 2:10)
• Eternal life (John 3:16, 5:21-22, 6:40, 11:25-26)
• Relationship with God the Father (John 14:6, 15:14)
• The Holy Spirit to live in us (Luke 3:16; John 14:16-17)
• Resurrection (John 11:25-26)

But any old fool can claim and promise these things! (I’m not being ageist here). Anyone can make big claims. Anyone can promise the world. But it means nothing if they end up in a grave. Those claims and promises would be just forgotten history. They wouldn’t just be ‘any old fool’, but a deluded, dead fool.

However, it’s worth pointing out:

• No old fool can do all the signs and wonders…
• No old fool can fulfil 300 prophecies…
• No old fool can conceive & teach the perfect philosophy of life…

The chief priests, elders and lawyers in Jesus’ day were badly mistaken when they thought Jesus a fool. The reality is: that ~2000 years after the crucifixion and death of Jesus, these promises live on.

Why?

Simply because Jesus was resurrected and was therefore VINDICATED: proved right by God! Paul says of Jesus’ resurrection: “He… was vindicated by the Spirit” (1 Timothy 3:16). The resurrection proves every claim and every promise that Jesus ever made – and continues to make. And if those claims are true, the promises are ‘good’ too!

This is the Easter message. This is the Gospel, the Good News.

Paul says: “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Jesus was the firstfruits; the first one resurrected. We are the crop, the harvest… we too will be resurrected from the dead – our time will come.

Every human being needs those promises. Not everyone wants them; but we all need them. If you want his promises, there’s only one way…

John says: “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name (i.e. his claims and promises), he gave the right to become children of God… born of God” (John 1:12-13)

All we have to do is believe his claims and receive his promises! Receive the right to become a child of God.

Reflect

Which of Jesus’ claims do you find the hardest to accept – and why?

If the resurrection really happened, what would it change about your life?

Which of Jesus’ promises do you want to be true?

Go Deeper

Be honest: do you believe Jesus’ resurrection actually happened?

If not, what questions do you still have?

If yes, what’s one thing you need to do differently this week?

Then: talk to someone about it. Don’t just think about it.