My Complaint About Easter Sunday

This might sound controversial at first, but it’s not meant to be. It’s more of an exhortation than a critique. Let me state it and then explain it.

I have a complaint about our typical Easter Sunday celebration and theology: too often, we only emphasize the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Well … isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?!? Of course, and we should! But the problem is that we just stop there. And that gospel theology doesn’t go far enough. Why? Because Christ’s redeeming work doesn’t end with his resurrection; it continues with his royal priestly ascension and reign next to the Father.

Raised and Seated

At the beginning of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul can’t write about the gospel for very long without jumping straight into the reign and kingship of Christ. He prays without ceasing that the church in Ephesus (and us today) would have “the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he RAISED him from the dead AND SEATED him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:18-23, emphasis mine).

Easter Sunday celebrations must obviously center on the resurrection of Christ, as you can see in Paul’s teaching above. But it should also include his ascension to the right hand of the Father and his “right here, right now” reign.

If you ever wonder what Jesus is doing in heaven, right here, right now, he’s reigning. Everything has been placed under his feet. Right here, right now, Jesus reigns over all the things in life that distress you, all the situations that confuse you, all the locations that leave you with more questions than answers, and all the relationships that cause you grief.

Christ’s reign is not a future thing. It’s a present reign that will culminate in his future reign.

The Resurrection Chapter

We see this theology repeated by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15. This chapter is the Bible’s premier “Resurrection Chapter” and is often the focus of Easter Sunday. As it should be! Paul’s discussion of the necessity, power, and implications of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is unlike any other discussion in Scripture. It’s written to remind and encourage us that if Jesus hadn’t risen out of the tomb, our faith would be in vain and we would be spiritually doomed. 1 Corinthians 15 digs deep into the riches of Christ’s resurrection and serves as fuel for our celebration and hope.

But one day during my devotional reading of this passage, I saw something else. I don’t know how I hadn’t seen it before, but that day it jumped off the page with comfort and glory. Right in the middle of his discussion of the resurrection, Paul gives us an amazing picture of what Jesus is doing for us, right here, right now. Once you see this, your Easter Sunday celebration and your view of everyday life as a child of God should be altered forever:

“In fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:20-26).

Notice the last few sentences of this passage. Paul explains what is happening between the resurrection of Jesus and the moment when he will deliver the final kingdom to God the Father. What is Jesus doing? He is reigning. And what does the Reigning King do? He’s putting enemies under his feet. He’s completing what he lived, died, and rose again to accomplish. He’s the ascended conquering King who has already won the war, but more than that, he is today seeking all the spoils of his victory.

Nothing Left Under His Feet

Jesus’s reign began at his ascension to the right hand of the Father. As the royal, reigning Son, he is destroying every authority, power, and enemy that stands in the way of the final victory of the redeemed. He will not stop exercising his royal power until every last enemy is under his feet, including death. Then he will welcome us into his final kingdom forever.

There will be a moment when there’s nothing left to put under his feet, and the Reigning King will say, "Come, enter into my kingdom. All things are now ready. I’ve been reigning on your behalf all along. You may not have seen me, you may not have realized it, but all along, I’ve been reigning for you. Now, enter into my kingdom and enjoy my reign forever and ever and ever. It will be without suffering. It will be without sin. It will be without sorrow, and we will reign together forever and ever and ever."

Until then, this means that you are never alone in your spiritual struggles. Your royal King is, right here, right now, defeating all the enemies that seek to defeat you. He is conquering foes that you do not have the power to conquer. He is putting under his divine feet the things that seem to overpower you.

His reign is not just your future hope; it is your hope, right here, right now. Yes, you serve a risen Savior, but it’s vital to remember that he is also a conquering King. He is right now harvesting the spoils of the victory of his life, death, and resurrection. That harvest is for you.

In the reign of King Jesus, you not only have hope for all of eternity, but for everyday life today. So, this Easter Sunday, don’t just stop your theological meditation and celebration at the resurrection; reflect on his royal priestly ascension and his kingly reign.

Crown Him with Many Diadems

Since we’ve been spending the last several weeks in Wednesday’s Word considering classic hymns of the Christian faith, let’s do that again today. If you don’t sing it at church on Easter Sunday, then I would encourage you to sing the hymn, Crown Him with Many Crowns, at home or in the car.

Every single line is bursting with gospel resurrection and reigning theology, and I particularly love the end of the second verse in light of the Scripture passages we just studied:

who died and rose on high,
who died eternal life to bring,
and lives that death may die.

Your resurrected, reigning King Jesus is so glorious and so powerful that one crown is not enough for his head: “On his head are many diadems” (Revelation 19:12).

Crown him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon his throne.
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless king
through all eternity.

Crown him the Lord of life,
who triumphed o’er the grave,
and rose victorious in the strife
for those he came to save;
his glories now we sing
who died and rose on high,
who died eternal life to bring,
and lives that death may die.

Crown him the Lord of love;
behold his hands and side,
rich wounds, yet visible above,
in beauty glorified;
no angels in the sky
can fully bear that sight,
but downward bends their burning eye
at mysteries so bright.

Crown him the Lord of years,
the potentate of time,
creator of the rolling spheres,
ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
for thou hast died for me;
thy praise shall never, never fail
throughout eternity.

Celebrate, Remember, and Endure

You are loved, accepted, and protected by the King of kings and Lord of lords. He lived, died, rose, and ascended for you. And right here, right now, he reigns over you and everything in your life until you reign with him.

This Easter, celebrate and remember the resurrection, ascension, and reign of Christ so we can continue to endure!

“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying is trustworthy, for:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him.

(2 Timothy 2:8-12)

God bless

Paul David Tripp