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This is the same person that the apostle Paul says in Philippians 2:9 will cause every knee to bow "in heaven and earth and under the earth." The one who should have been worshiped as king instead died in humility and shame.

Fortunately for us, the story doesn't end there. We are privileged to have firsthand accounts of his resurrection from the dead. Paul tells us that without Christ's resurrection, our faith is useless.

This is the best news of all. Death has lost its sting and has been swallowed up in victory. We should bring out the band, dance in the streets, and shout from the rooftops this good news. The reality of this hope should surpass a New York ticker tape parade.

Joseph Bayly in "Psalms of My Life," which appeared in Christianity Today magazine, shares this excellent perspective on Easter:

Let's celebrate Easter with the rite of laughter.
Christ died and rose and lives.
Laugh like a woman who holds her first baby.
Our enemy death will soon be destroyed.
Laugh like a man who finds he doesn't have cancer, or he does but now there's a cure.
Christ opened wide the door to heaven.
Laugh like children at Disneyland's gates.
This world is owned by God, and he'll return to rule.
Laugh like a man who walks away uninjured from a wreck in which his car was totaled.
Laugh as if all the people in the whole world were invited to a picnic and then invite them.

As you approach Easter week, ponder the story as if you've never heard it before. Or ponder it as if you've heard it 5,000 times—and it's just beginning to sink in.

JoHannah Reardon is an associate editor with ChristianBibleStudies.com.

More Bible Study Helps
Easter Week: Sacrifice & Salvation Study Through the Bible Course Use this four-session course to explore the high drama of the Holy Week. Study all the amazing contrasts, from the joyful celebration of the Triumphal Entry to the Passion only days later. Read more.	Spiritual Health Made Visible The theological underpinnings of joy. by Earl Palmer What is the source of the joy that sets us free from fear, that creates solidarity, and that clears our vision? Read more.

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