Have you ever wondered why Jesus had to go through what He did? Why didn’t God the Father come up with a plan for our salvation that didn’t involve suffering and death? Why couldn’t we just have the joy of Easter all the time? The simple yet profound answer is given to us in 1 John 4:9–10: “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

St. Paul writes in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It is hard for us to think of death in those terms unless it has to do with the death of a terrible criminal or murderer. “That person’s getting what they deserve!” we say. But the reality is, humans were not created to die. Sin changed everything. And so, even the one among us who lives the most morally upright life will still die, for all of us are born with the guilt of original sin. None of us is perfect. As sinful human beings we even delight in finding fault with others so that we don’t look so bad. Yet if we continue on the road of sin, we continue to walk away from God, and, when we die, we would have eternal separation from Him – away from love.

But Love stepped into the world to walk the road of perfect obedience to God – a road which, like ours, ended in death. But in Jesus’ case, the death was not the result of His sin, but ours. Sinful human beings wanted to get rid of Him, yet on the cross Jesus fully identified with them, taking the punishment all of us sinners deserve. But the road didn’t stop there for Jesus. Easter came and He burst forth from the tomb declaring that it is all true. He is the Resurrection and the Life, and all who live by believing in Him shall die yet never die. (see John 11:25-26)

So what does that mean? Jesus has opened to us the joy of heaven where there is no death. With Him, we pass from this sin-infested world to the wonder of the Father’s house – raised to life with new, immortal bodies. Through faith in Christ we go through death with Him to live with Him – all because of the wondrous love of God that says, “I need to be with you!” Our response to that love? “Lord, I need to be with You!”

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!