WHAT IF THERE HAD BEEN NO EASTER?

How many of you have heard of a man named Harry Houdini? Most of you have.  Houdini died in October of 1926. But his claim to fame was that he was a magician who specialized in spectacular escapes.  It was said of Houdini that he had the flexibility of an eel, and he had the lives of a cat. They did all kinds of things to try to trap him. They would seal him in coffins—he would escape. They riveted him into a boiler—he escaped. They sewed him up in canvas bags—he escaped. They locked him in a milk can—he escaped. They sealed him in a beer barrel—he escaped. They put him in a maximum-security prison, and old Harry somehow got out. 

But then, in October 1926, Death laid his hands upon Harry Houdini, and put him in a grave; and, he has yet to escape.  But I am sure not for a lack of trying on Houdini’s part.  As a matter of fact, he told his wife, “If there is any way out, I will find it. If there is any way out, I’ll make contact with you—and, we’ll do it on the anniversary of my death.” For 10 years, she kept a light burning over his portrait. At the end of 10 years, she turned out the light because death had Harry, and he couldn’t escape.

Now, death also laid his hands on the Lord Jesus Christ, and death put Jesus in a rock-hewn tomb. And there was a stone in the mouth of that tomb, and the seal of the Roman government was placed upon that tomb. But on the third day, Jesus Christ stirred Himself. He rose from the sleep of death. And He left those grave clothes that were wrapped around him like a butterfly would forsake a cocoon. And Jesus Christ passed through the walls of that rock-hewn tomb. By the way, the stone wasn’t rolled away to let Jesus out—it was rolled away to let the disciples in to see that Jesus had come back.

And the wonderful good news of the gospel is that Jesus Christ is alive today. He is not behind us in a tomb; He is before us on a throne. We thank God for that. But, suppose that had not happened. Suppose death still held Jesus, like it does Harry. Then, what? Suppose there had been no Easter.

Well, no resurrection, means no Savior. No Savior, means no forgiveness. No forgiveness, means no justification. No justification, means no cleansing. No cleansing, means the penalty of your sin is still upon you.  If the penalty of your sin is still upon you, then you are destined for death and Hell, and you’re still in your sins.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how our world, our future, and our lives, would be different if there had been no Easter.

Amen.