BILLY GRAHAM
“I look forward to Easter every year as the most important day of the year. It is a holy day in which we remember the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the Cross for our sins and in which we celebrate His resurrection, which brings hope to all of us.

For the Christian, the Cross tells us that God understands our suffering, for He took upon Himself at the Cross all of our sins and all of our failures.  He was saying from the Cross, “I love you and I know the heartaches and the sorrows and the pain that you feel.”

Easter points us beyond the tragedy of the Cross to the hope of the empty tomb.  It tells us that there is hope for eternal life, for Christ has conquered death.  It also tells us that God has triumphed over evil and hell.  All of Christianity is built on the resurrection, and if you take it out we have no Christianity left and the Cross has no meaning.

It is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ that we have the answer to the great question of the ages: “If mortals die, can they live again?” The Bible teaches that because Christ lives, we also shall live. The greatest truth that you can ever hear is that Jesus Christ died but rose again, and that you, too, will die but can rise again into newness of life.”

FRANKLIN GRAHAM
“When thinking about the meaning of Easter consider what leads up to this holy day. Trees have lost their leaves, flowers have shed their petals, and earth’s terrain has turned brown and barren. So much of nature lies dormant. But there is hope, for Easter is the gateway to springtime. Life springs forth from beneath the earth, flowers bloom, trees bud, and green grass enriches the landscape. It is the time of the year that shouts Resurrection! From death, new life springs forth.

Before the joy of Easter dawned, Jesus Christ the Savior of the world gave His life on the cross. Willingly, He shed His priceless blood at Calvary to cleanse our sin-darkened hearts. He rose from the grave and offers salvation – new life – to the human race. Because of His great compassion and His deep love for those who would follow Him, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live? (John 11:25). This most precious gift is for all those who will repent of sin and come to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the hope and the assurance of Easter – Resurrection Day.”

WILL GRAHAM
“As a pastor, my favorite services were the Christmas Eve service and the Easter Sunrise service. I loved preaching those services. The messages are simple, yet profound, and form the basis for all that we as Christians believe. God sent His Son to be born a man in humble manger, and then ultimately take our sins to the Cross and be crucified, conquering death and the grave.

As many have said before, without Christmas there would be no Easter, and without Easter, Christmas would be irrelevant. What does Easter mean to me? Everything!”

What does Easter mean to you?