Easter Is Not Cancelled

Video version of blog here.

In our world today, if someone doesn’t like or agree with what is said, believed or stood for, they pretend it doesn’t exist by ostracizing the person to keep them quiet. This flagrant division of our society has tried to cancel history, free speech, the police, products, and much more.

People have been doing this for as long as the world existed, they just weren’t so blatant about it. It’s just now been given a name – cancel culture. Ecclesiastes 1:9 says there’s nothing new under the sun, and in Jesus’ day, they tried to cancel Him too. They put Paul in prison for preaching about Jesus. They sought to kill Lazarus to keep him from telling about the miracle of Jesus raising him from the dead (John 12:10). Really? I have to laugh at that one. They wanted a man dead who Jesus had raised from the dead. Hmm…how did they think that was going to work for them? I think this makes a good example of how misguided cancel culture is.

In spite of them trying to “cancel” these people, Lazarus was protected from the mob of the day, the prison doors were miraculously opened for Paul, and Jesus rose from the grave. So much for cancel culture AD33 (or so).

Matthew tells about when the guards told the chief priests about Jesus being gone from the tomb. They assembled and consulted with the elders and decided to give a large sum of money to the soldiers to lie and say the disciples took Jesus’ body. Verse 28:15 ESV says, “So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.” We see the truth being cancelled right there by someone being paid off to lie about what really happened. (Wow, there really isn’t anything new under the sun!)

Make no mistake: Culture cannot cancel anything. It’s just the latest version of ignoring Truth. It’s bullying. But they cannot cancel Truth any more than they could keep Paul in prison or Jesus or Lazarus in the grave, and a whole lot of other miracles in the Bible.

Truth will always win. It may not happen in our timing, but it will in God’s perfect timing.

Even if we don’t like some truths, isn’t it good news that what is right and good will win in the end? We don’t have to cancel anything because the truth will always prevail. I’ve been reading Revelation, and I assure you no matter how ugly things get, God wins! I want to be on the winning team, don’t you? Even if I don’t always like the practice, the preparation and hard work; even if some plays don’t work out so well; even if in the process I get knocked down and even wounded, I still want to be on the winning team.

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).

Jesus was wounded for our wrongdoings; He was bruised for all our sins; He was punished for our peace; and through His wounds we are healed – made whole, restored, redeemed, pardoned from sin (Isaiah 53:5 ESV). He paid the price for all of us, even those who want to cancel Him.

He suffered horrifically and died for YOU, so you wouldn’t have to. He took all your sins to the Cross, so you wouldn’t have to. And then He rose from the grave to prove eternity is not cancelled. When we believe in this Truth, we will spend eternity at the victory party.

If you believe and accept Jesus’ sacrifice, the only thing that has been cancelled is your sin and eternal death. That is good news!

God is the only One who can cancel anything –

He cancelled sin.

 “…by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:14

He cancelled death.

…our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light… 2 Timothy 1:10

Crying, pain and sickness – cancelled for eternity.

And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain…” Revelation 21:4

And He gave us His Holy Spirit as a guarantee of what is to come.

You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance… Ephesians 1:13-14

So Jesus remains, whether we want to cancel Him or not. And therefore, Easter is not cancelled. The resurrection is not cancelled. His promised Holy Spirit is not cancelled. It never was and never will be, no matter how hard anyone tries.

The Son of God rose on that first Easter Sunday morning.

And the Truth of Easter has not been cancelled since.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

What about you? Will you be at God’s victory party? You can be. No matter who you are or what you’ve done, Jesus died for you too. And He said in the verse above that whoever believes in Him will never die. “Do you believe this?”

You can pray this simple prayer: Dear Jesus, I believe. Thank you for dying for my sins. Please forgive my sins. I receive your Holy Spirit into my heart and I want to live my life for you. Please guide me into your perfect purpose for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Acts 16:31

Happy and blessed Easter!

I would love to hear from you, especially if you have any questions about faith in Jesus Christ. You can comment below or contact me via my website at https://pennycookeauthor.com/contact/

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