Jesus Christ is God’s answer to our sins. Each and every one of us has turned away from God. We have all fallen away from God’s glory.

We all have chosen a path that is less than God’s perfect will for our lives. We have failed God’s laws and we have failed our own laws.

Our sins, our inequities stand before us as a testament to our total depravity.

You and I have not lived a life worthy of God’s perfection. You and I have not carried ourselves in a manner that is worthy of God’s perfect love. We have sinned against God and we have sinned against others. Consequently, we are under God’s wrath. A punishment must be made for our rebellion.

If God were to let our sins stand before Him, then He would be an unjust God. If God were to let our sins go unpunished than He would be a God who tolerates wicked and evil men.

Make no mistake about it, our sins deserve the wrath of God. Christ Jesus is God’s answer to God’s wrath. Rather than punishing us for our rebellion, Jesus Christ took our punishment upon himself. Jesus became our punishment. Jesus became God’s answer to our rebellion.

Instead of holding our sins against us, Jesus Christ set us free. Instead of a future of hopeless bondage, Jesus broke the chains of sin. His sacrifice became our punishment. His life became the reward for our sins.

We celebrate Easter because the Easter story is the story of our freedom. We celebrate Easter because Jesus Christ not only died for our sins, but He rose from the grave. His resurrection testifies to the worthiness of His sacrifice. As He took our sins to the cross, His resurrection takes us into the very throne room of God.

The resurrection of Christ testifies to our future. Our lives were nailed to the cross. We no longer live. Rather, it is Jesus Christ who lives in us and through us. It is Jesus Christ who becomes our very reason for being. It is Jesus Christ who will bring us into our heavenly home.

When I die, I will stand before my Father God. He will ask me how I choose to measure my life. Do I choose to stand before Him based on my own righteousness, or do I chose to stand before God based on the righteousness of Christ?

I can tell you confidently that when I die, I will plead the sacrifice and blood of Jesus. Jesus is my righteousness. Jesus is the reason I stand. I serve a resurrected savior who took my sins away and made me whiter than snow.

Happy Easter. He has risen. He has risen indeed.

“Live from Seattle with Doug Bursch” can be heard 4-6 p.m. weekdays on KGNW 820 AM. Doug Bursch also pastors Evergreen Foursquare Church. Evergreen meets at 10 a.m. Sundays at 2407 M St. SE next to Pioneer Elementary School. He can be reached at www.fairlyspiritual.org or doug@fairlyspiritual.org.